RABIN Oscar Yakovlevich

January 2, 1928 (Moscow) — November, 7, 2018 (Florence, Italy)

Painter, graphic artist

Since 1942 over two years Rabin visited the studio, which was led by EL Kropiwnicki, who became his first mentor in the art. In 1945-1947 he studied at the Art Academy in Riga in 1947, without completing the course, left the Academy and eventually moved to Moscow. In 1947-1949 he studied at the Art Institute. VISurikova, where he was expelled for "formalism».

In 1950, Rabin married VE Kropiwnicki, daughter of EL Kropivnitskogo and O. Potapova, and moved to Moscow suburb Lianozovo. Prior to 1958 worked as a porter on the railroad and a foreman at a construction site, and then - at the works of decorative and decorative arts of the Art Fund of the RSFSR. He was one of the most active members Lianozovo circle, showing outstanding ability not only to master, but the organizer of the "unofficial" art.

exhibitions since 1957 (an exhibition of works by young artists for the VI World Youth Festival), subsequent exposure has long been underground and semi-underground).

Abroad exhibited since 1964: Grosvenor Gallery (Grosvenor Gallery), London (1964, 1965), in the U.S. and Italy (1967) in Germany (1969); exhibition Nuove correnti a Mosca ( Museo Belle Arti, Lugano, Switzerland, 1970); Gallery Dina Verni (Paris, France, 1973); exhibition Progressive Strömungen in Moskau 1957-1970 (Museum Bochum, Bochum, Germany, 1974) and many others.

was one of the organizers Famously "Bulldozer Exhibition" in a vacant lot in Belyaevo in 1974, and followed it, press "open air" in Forest Park Izmailovo in the same year and exhibitions in the pavilions at the VDNKh " Beekeeping "and" House of Culture "in 1975.

artist has created his own style, find a special key to the image of Russia and her pain for her. This key - Household symbols, household items of daily life, of reality ... "he takes Scenes from the life around them, more precisely - uses it as material. Living more than ten years in the barracks - he wrote the barracks. After moving into a new house - he wrote a new home. He reinterprets reality, she gets him a highly personalized coloring. A person looks through the artist's every subject, made to the composition of paintings. Certain set of them, almost without change, moving from picture to picture. Buildings, temples, bottles, fish, cats, crosses, icons, ads. Less flowers, samovar, tea kettles, road signs ... "(L. Kropiwnicki. 1965).

Taking this or that object, Rabin turns it into an object-symbol, giving it a second meaning, the second function, additional to the basic, everyday ...

«... In painting, I mainly feel pleasure from the process of mixing and applying paint, enjoy their luster and dull, thin and thick strokes, their smell. But then I want to express my sadness, happiness, hatred, anger, love, thoughts about life and about people. I want to capture life and to convey through my own feelings.

To achieve this, I use as symbols of ordinary objects that surround me. Their importance in the painting other than in real life. This can be at home, violin, money, photos, newspapers, flowers, clothes on a rope, at night the windows, icons, bottles of vodka, herring and many other items. Their selection in each case depends on my mood and what surrounds me, from what I see and hear » (From an interview with Rabin, 1971).

In 1978, Rabin was deprived of his Soviet citizenship, went to France and settled in Paris.

Rabin solo exhibitions were held in London (1965, 1977), Vienna (1983), Paris (1984), Jersey City, USA (1984), Moscow (1991), St. Petersburg (1993) and in other cities around the world.

master's works are represented in the State Tretyakov Gallery (Moscow), State Russian Museum (St. Petersburg), as well as in foreign museum collections and private collections.