LABAS Alexander Arkadievich

November 19, 1900 (Smolensk) — August 30, 1983 (Moscow)

Painter, graphic artist, scene-designer

Alexander Labas studied at the private workshop of V. Mushketov in Smolensk. In 1910 his family moved to Riga, in 1912 — to Moscow. In the same year Labas entered the Central Stroganov School of Industrial Art, studied under the guidance of S.-V. Noakovsky, D. A. Shcherbinovsky, F. F. Fedorovsky. In 1915 he studied at the workshop of F. I. Rerberg; in summer 1916 he attended the private workshop of I. I. Mashkov. Since the end of 1917 Labas studied at the State Free Art Studios under P. P. Konchalovsky.

In 1919 Labas went as a volunteer to the front, worked as a painter at the third Army of the Eastern Front. In 1921 Labas lectured at the State Free Art Studios in Ekaterinburg. In 1922 he continued his education in Moscow at the Higher State Artistic and Technical Workshops under D. P. Shterenberg. In 1924 V. A. Favorsky invited Labas to teach painting and chromatics at the workshops. Labas painted a series Sochi.

In 1924 Labas designed the performance Krechinsky’s Wedding in the V. F. Komissarzhevskaya’s theatre. In 1920s–1930s he took part in the exhibitions in Russia and abroad. In 1925 Labas became a member of the Society of Easel Artists (OST). In 1927–1929 he worked on the series October and Aviation (oil and watercolor). Later he often turned to these themes in painting and graphic art: in 1930s, 1960s and even in 1980s. In 1931 Labas created a series At the manoeuvres, in 1932 — a series Metrostroy (metro construction). In 1932–1933 Labas designed the performance Army of Peace in the theatre named after M. N. Ermolova, in 1934–1935 — the performance Millionaire, dentist and a poor at Moscow State Jewish Theatre (Goset). In 1935 Labas painted decorative pictures City of the Future and Flight to the Moon for Moscow House of pioneers.

During his holidays in the Crimea in 1935, Labas met German painter, graduate from the Bauhaus Leoni Neumann; later he married her. In 1936–1939 he painted panoramas and dioramas for the Soviet pavilions at the World exhibitions in Paris (1937), New York (1939), for the hall of the Constitution at the All-Union Agricultural Exhibition (1938–1939).

At the beginning of World War II, Labas was evacuated to Tashkent, where he created a series of drawing and watercolors. After the war Labas continued working as an easel painter. He painted pictorial and graphic series: Koktebel (1954–1958), Factory (1958), Leningrad(1963) and many others.

In 1976 the personal exhibition of works of Labas was held in Moscow and was dedicated the 75th anniversary of his birth.

Alexander Labas had his own recognizable style of painting. The second half of 1920s — the beginning of 1930s was the flowering period of his art and was connected with the activity of the Society of Easel Artists (OST). Even after dissolution of the OST, Labas kept his own manner of painting and graphic art till the end of his life. Works of Labas were about the tempo of life in Soviet Russia of 1920s; his special themes were airplanes and dirigibles.

Labas was the most emotional painter among all painters of the OST. His works were emotional due to the rhythm of color, dynamic brush stroke whether oil, tempera or watercolor.

Works by Alexander Labas are in many museum collections of Russia, including the State Tretyakov Gallery, the State Russian Museum, the Pushkin State Museum of Fine Arts and others.