Exhibition of eleven Leningrad artists in 1972

It starts from the exhibition of the same name, organized in 1972. The "Group of Eleven" "appeared in Leningrad in 1972, uniting several artists, also called" artists of the left LOSH ". The association was exclusively creative in nature. Inside the organization of the Leningrad branch of the Union of Artists at that time there were other artistic groups gathered around the followers of artists of the Russian avant-garde. Artists who were members of the Group of Eleven tended to a more moderate position and did not completely depart from the positions of realistic art ; they only contrasted the individual creative vision with the official art of socialist realism .

All the artists included in the group had considerable creative experience, the names of many of them were known. They belonged to a generation of Leningraders who were born long before the Great Patriotic War, from 1917 to 1937, who survived the blockade . Sometimes they were called "children of the Khrushchev thaw." According to one of its members, L. Tkachenko , a group could only emerge after the Twentieth Party Congress , when Khrushchev was exposed to the personality cult of Stalin . “This was a time when a way of thinking that was freer in comparison with the generally accepted one became acceptable in the artistic environment. It was an atmosphere of creative fermentation. Only in it could a group of artists independent of the creative views emerge. Our independence was expressed in the fact that each of us strove to express ourselves in painting, rather than “serve the community” . ” ^[2]

Art critic L. V. Mochalov became the “ideologist” of the art association, writing: “Exhibitors, in addition to their personal friendships, are united by the desire to overcome the inertia of perception of nature, rejection of cliches ... They are united by the desire to get away from didactics, from illustrativeness, the desire to expand the range of expressive possibilities realism ” , and the general creative principle that defines them:“ not a rejection of objectivity, but an interpretation of the subject ”. ^[3]

The painting of the "eleven" did not gravitate either to Russian pointlessness, or to non-figurative art, or to the modernist art of the West. But it was quite different from the art of socialist realism: artists did not impose ideologies on the viewer, often worked in the "neutral" genre of still life, abandoned objectivity to enhance expressiveness, and left the deaf academic range, developing their own flavor. The painter Zaven Arshakuni said that he admits for himself the opportunity to paint any color in any color.

The leading positions among the artists, quite different among themselves, were occupied by the painters Zaven Arshakuni and Valery Vatenin. The sculptor Konstantin Simun also played a noticeable role, whose method was the most formalistic in comparison with others.

The Eleven group did not last long: the artists held only two joint exhibitions, in 1972 and in 1976, both took place in the exhibition hall of the Union of Artists of the RSFSR on Okhta.

The participants of the first exhibition in 1972 were ten painters:

• Antipova Evgenia Petrovna (1917-2009)
• Arshakuni Zaven Petrosovich (1932-2012)
• Vatenin Valery Vladimirovich (1933-1977)
• Egoshin German Pavlovich (1931-2009)
• Krestovsky Yaroslav Igorevich (1925-2004)
• Rakhina Valentina Ivanovna (born 1932)
• Teterin Victor Kuzmich (1931-2009)
• Tkachenko Leonid Anisimovich (born 1927)
• Tyulenev Vitaliy Ivanovich (1937-1997)
• Shamanov Boris Ivanovich (1931-2008) ^[4]

and sculptor:

• Simun Konstantin Mikhailovich (born 1934)

All artists participated in the second exhibition in 1976, with the exception of Y. Krestovsky and B. Shamanov , so the exhibition is sometimes called the "Exhibition of Nine."

The idea of ​​the first joint exhibition arose in 1971 by the artists G. Egoshin , Z. Arshakuni and V. Vatenin , who had long been friends and friends since their studies at the painting department of the Academy of Arts. They invited Leningrad painters Y. Krestovsky , B. Shamanov , older spouses E. Antipova and V. Teterin , artist L. Tkachenko , as well as young V. Tyulenev , a talented student E. E. Moiseenko, to participate in the exhibition. Among the exhibitors included the artist V. Rakhina , the wife of G. Egoshin , as well as the sculptor K. Simun . He was a brilliant innovator, going against the notions of plastic that existed at that time in official art. It was he, according to N. Vatenina, who became the main stumbling block in the struggle of artists for the opening of this exhibition. ^[5] On the day of the exhibition’s hanging out, a commission from the Culture Directorate that visited it, accepting the exposition, launched the main criticism of K. Simun’s works. ^[6] Artists and their idea of ​​a joint exhibition was supported by the chairman of the creative section of the LOSH of the RSFSR, E. E. Moiseenko . But there were many obstacles to the opening of the exhibition, the main accusation was the charge of formalism: the search for color, plastic innovations caused fierce rejection of opponents at the exhibitions. ^[7]

The exhibition "Eleven" opened on November 11, 1972, in Leningrad, in the new exhibition hall of the Union of Artists of the RSFSR on Okhta. Organizers and artists have tried to widely publicize. V. Vatenin, according to the memoirs of his wife, rode a motorcycle around the city, putting up posters. ^{[7] There} were so many spectators at the opening that the exhibition halls could hardly accommodate the audience: the reaction of the public spoke of solidarity with the artists in the aspirations of change.

In the hall on Okhta, each of the participants launched a small personal exhibition. The catalog of this exhibition was published in 1976. ^[8]

• E. Antipova, on display was represented by the works “Cape Foros” (1969), “Portrait of a Worker” (1965), “Children in the Garden” (1964), “Still Life with Sparrows” (1966). "The Road Among the Olives" (1971) and others.
• V. Teterin was represented by the works “Griboedov’s Channel” (1965), “Quince and Teapot” (1966), “Girl in Pink” (1961), “Dresser” (1969), etc.
• G. Egoshin was represented by the works “Woman on the Couch” (1967), “Flowers and a Mirror” (1967), “Street in Gurzuf” (1969), “Blue Gurzuf” (1970), “Window” (1972), etc. German Egoshin in his work relied on the work of the Russian "cezannists" - Pyotr Konchalovsky, Ilya Mashkov and Robert Falk. "" Egoshin developed his own "mysteriously foggy" pictorial system, characterized by the fusion of form into a vibrating light-air environment. " ^[9]
• V. Tyulenev was represented by the works “Dream” (1970), “Street of Childhood” (1972), “Boy and Pigeons” (1972), “Forest River” (1969), “Fishermen” (1970), “Forest Road” ( 1969) and others.
• B. Shamanov was represented by the works “Willow” (1962), “Girl in a Blue Dress” (1966), “Autumn Flowers” ​​(1970), “Izborsk. Rye "(1962)," Kitchen table "(1963). "Wildflowers. Morning ”(1965),“ Pink Dahlia ”(1971),“ Old Icon ”(1971), etc.
• L. Tkachenko was represented by the works “Portrait of the Artist B. Ermolaev”, ^[10] (1969), “Portrait of N. Kozyrev ” (1969), “Krasnoyarsk Hydroelectric Power Station” (1971), “Lilies” (1971), etc.
• V. Vatenin was represented by 21st work; his works were written between 1965 and 1972, including the following: “In the studio” (1965), “Artist and Model” (1967), “Self-portrait” (1971), “Portrait of Svetlana” (1964), “Fish and Birds” (1968), “The Bride” (1972), etc.

Regarding the exhibition, the writer F. Abramov said in his speech: “This exhibition makes every artist, and just an ordinary spectator, think about his work. You cannot go past this exhibition. In any case, when I sat down at the table, I repeatedly remembered what I saw in the hall on Malaya Okhta, sorted through the works on display in my memory. Many of them carry a whole world of ideas, represent joy and light for those who look at them, finally, they speak in a plastic language, which cannot be ignored. I believe that this exhibition is a major event in the cultural life of the city. She ... makes you think, awakens new thoughts, and after watching it, I want to work even more fruitfully . " ^[11] Words of support and approval were voiced at the exhibition from colleagues in the workshop, the oldest painters of VLOS , leading the line of succession from the avant-garde masters of the 1920s.

The artist V. Kurdov said during the discussion of the exhibition: “All these eleven artists appeared at this exhibition very enthusiastically, obsessed with their art. All these artists have a real passion, each of them wants to see the world in their own way ... The path of each artist ... is suffered, found in a lot of hard work. This is the real way in our art ... Maybe this is the future of our LOSH ... " . ^[eleven]

The artist V. Sterligov , rising to the podium, after a long pause expressed his impression: “Today I saw light from darkness. And since light means color in the painting presented here ... In this exhibition, it seems to me, there is an approximation to those traditions that were stopped at the time. They begin to live again, and some works of the exhibition testify to their love for them . ” ^[eleven]

The significance of what was happening was determined by the performance of V. Sterligov , who opposed the exhibition “Eleven” held simultaneously with her at the State Russian Museum ^[12] exhibition “By Homeland”: “ There are no traditions of the Wanderers at the exhibition“ By Homeland “<...> Is it possible to name a picturesque work of art a painting by Romanichev “Bathing a child”? Is it possible to call at least something some trickle of Hump ? Is it possible to call Mylnikov's “Naked” socialist realism? <...> Can it really be called work in the tradition of the “tailor” Serebryany’s mobility. Why is he Richter? And why is he sewing on a sewing machine? <...> There is not a single centimeter of the Homeland at the exhibition “By Homeland”. And here, at the Eleven exhibition, you can start a conversation about your native country in painting, in art, you can start! " ^[13]

Immediately after Sterligov’s speech, one of the authorities suggested that the artists sign a paper in disagreement with the speaker. G. Egoshin tore a sheet launched by a number of exhibitors.

Some critics were not happy with the discussion, its enthusiastic tone. “There wasn’t much fundamental discussion, business disputes ...” ^{[14] The} dissatisfaction was expressed primarily in the address of the criticism and art criticism section of the VLOS, to which the answer was received: “What does the section have to do with it? Who was sitting at the presidium table? Members of the creative sector of the LOSH board. There is a demand from them! ”The author of an article published in the newspaper“ Leningradskaya Pravda ”put on the look: “ As emphasized in a recent resolution of the CPSU Central Committee “On literary and artistic criticism”, it is the duty of every critic to deeply analyze the phenomena, trends and patterns of contemporary artistic process, to do everything possible to strengthen the Leninist principles of partisanship and nationality, to fight for the high ideological and aesthetic level of Soviet art . ” ^[fourteen]

A year later, the magazine “Creativity” published an article by the famous art critic M. Kagan “On the Romantic,” which cemented the success of the exhibition. M. S. Kagan found it possible to apply the concept of “romantic” to the work of “eleven”, which, as it seemed to him, unites artists and explains their orientation. In the works of artists, he saw the continuity of Soviet art: “It is inappropriate,” wrote M. S. Kagan, “to limit socialist realism as a creative method, throwing romantic stylistics beyond the limits of this method.” The concept of “romantic”, according to this view of art, “includes the active manifestation of poetry, lyricism, pictoriality, decorativeness, musicality, metaphorical, philosophical generalization, symbolism”. ^{[15] For} some critics, the term seemed inaccurate in relation to modern art. A protracted polemic began on the pages of the magazine, thanks to which a wider circle of art lovers learned about the group of artists.

The host of the Russian Museum, V. A. Pushkarev , the famous collector of the Russian avant-garde, who hosted the exhibition, noted in conversation with L. V. Mochalov that there was no painting as such ^[16] , referring to the “thematic” picture that is unique in the art of socialism realism. The artists themselves believed that they offer just new for that time ways of understanding easel painting. ^[17]

“The exhibition daily gathered a queue and a crowd of people in the hall, the press timidly began to write about it, not knowing how to relate to this phenomenon, but it was this exhibition that served as an impetus for a more relaxed attitude towards apartment exhibitions, events in different recreation centers, where they could finally then those who were not allowed before the Union of Artists were exposed. It is from this time that the viewer begins the countdown of the period of weakening of prohibitive censorship in relation to artists. The authorities seemed to be bewildered - they do not understand, but the people understand. Imperfection". ^[eighteen]

Historically, this exhibition really preceded the appearance of the "GAZANEVSKAYA CULTURE", an unofficial art movement in Leningrad, which began in the mid-1970s, declared itself two years after the appearance of the "Eleven", from the first two non-conformist artists' exhibitions held in the Palace of Culture them. I.I. Gaza in 1974. and DC "Nevsky" in 1975. The artists participating in them were not part of the LOSH, but, like the Eleven, they rejected the canons of socialist realism . In contrast to the Eleven, the participants in these exhibitions have already demonstrated the full variety of style trends - from abstract art and pop art to the salon. ^[19]

Perhaps that is why the second exhibition of the Eleven, held in 1976, after two “non-conformist” exhibitions, did not represent an artistic event comparable to the first exhibition of 1972. The boundaries of free art over the past four years have changed significantly.

In subsequent years, members of the Group of Eleven exhibited two or three, or held solo exhibitions in Leningrad and Moscow. In 1990, the artists included in the group took part in the exhibition of 26 Leningrad and Moscow artists in Leningrad, in the Central Exhibition Hall "Manege", at the same time K. Gushchin, R. Dominov, L. Lazarev, Yu. Pavlov, E. Rotanov and V. Troyanovsky. In 1997, the exhibition dedicated to the 25th anniversary of the first exhibition was presented at the annual exhibition "Petersburg" in the Central Exhibition Hall "Manege" In 1998, the exhibition "Artists of the Circle of 11" (from the collection of N. Kononikhin) was held at the Memorial Museum-Apartment of N. A. Nekrasov . In 2002, an exhibition of some of the artists of the Eleven was held at the St. Petersburg ArtGavan Gallery. In 2012, an exhibition of Two hundred paintings “Eleven” was organized in “KGallery” (St. Petersburg).

• Mochalov L. Group of the Eleven. A look in retrospect with personal memories // Artist of St. Petersburg. No. 5, 2000 - No. 9, 2002
• Sterligov V. Speech at the exhibition of eleven on Okhta (1972) // Sixteen Fridays: The second wave of the Leningrad avant-garde // Experiment / Experiment: Journal of Russian Culture. - LA, USA. - 2010. - No. 16. In 2 hours / T. 1. S. 246.
• Kolesova O. Around the exhibition // Leningradskaya Pravda, December 7, 1972
• Transcript of the discussion of the exhibition of eleven Leningrad artists. November 11, 1972 // St. Petersburg, Archive SPSH
• Kagan M. On the romantic // Creativity. 1973. No. 11. P. 12-14
• Exhibition catalog of eleven Leningrad artists. L., Artist of the RSFSR, 1976
• Mochalov L. Exhibition of works by twenty-six Leningrad and Moscow artists. Catalog. Leningrad: Artist of the RSFSR. 1990
• Mochalov L. Toward the ideal. - The art of Leningrad. 1990. No 12
• "Egoshin G." On the exhibition of eleven / Sat. Leningrad. 70s In faces and personalities. SPb., 1994
• Freikopf G. "Eleven" or the Tau Ceti constellation. SPb .: ICAR. 1996
• Artists of the circle of 11. From the collection of N. Kononikhin. St. Petersburg, Memorial Museum of N. A. Nekrasov, 1998
• Tkachenko L. Way. Notes of the artist . - St. Petersburg, 1998
• Vatenina N.A. Valery Vatenin. SPb., 2006
• Chronicle of key events in the artistic life of Russia. 1960-1980s // Time for a change. Art 1960-1985 in the Soviet Union / Almanac. Vol. 140. St. Petersburg, Palace Editions, 2006. P.377
• Time for a change. Art 1960-1985 in the Soviet Union. St. Petersburg: State Russian Museum, 2006. S. 139, 172-173, 179, 217, 219, 224, 227
• Anniversary Directory of graduates of the St. Petersburg Academic Institute of Painting, Sculpture and Architecture named after I. Repin of the Russian Academy of Arts. 1915-2005. SPb., 2007
• Meyland V. The era of the thaw. Leningrad version // Russian art. Vol. 3 (19). Moscow, 2008. S. 71-75.
• Mochalov, L.V. “Eleven” // Artist of St. Petersburg, No. 13, 2008.
• A.V. Danilova. Group of eleven as an artistic phenomenon in the fine arts of Leningrad, 1960-1980. //Society. Wednesday. Development. Scientific and theoretical journal. No. 3, 2010. S.160-164.
• Eleven. Exhibition catalog. St. Petersburg, KGallery, 2012

• Mochalov, L.V. “Eleven” // Artist of St. Petersburg, No. 13, 2008.