By biographies Alexandra Exter (1882 -1949), we can study the history of Russian avant-garde. The artist was among the pioneers kubofuturizma and abstraction, participated in the major associations and exhibitions, left a bright trace in the areas of stage design and production design ... and died in exile, like many, rejected by the ideologists of the construction of socialist culture. Recently, the Moscow Museum of Modern Art opened retrospective of this "Amazons vanguard» , which will last until August 22, 2010.

Alexandra Exter's name has become synonymous with bright, enchanting paintings and drawings, which form - as a rounded, curvy and angular - are written with the same energy. Creation of the artist grinds the influence of Cubism, Futurism, Suprematism and Constructivism, was a multi-polar: Exter lived and worked in Moscow, St. Petersburg, Kiev, Odessa, Paris ... It was she introduced to the Russian avant-garde innovations of French and Italian contemporaries. It is said that Exter was the only one who blew in his studio while working on the first, radical Suprematist paintings . She also played a key role in one of the most significant projects of the Russian avant-garde, which sought to "beautification of life: arts and crafts was for her just as significant as it is elegant. Like many other leading artists (eg, and Larionov ), Exter found inspiration in folk art, particularly in the Ukrainian embroidery. She was one of the major artists of the farm in the village of recruitment, where innovators to create works of art with peasant-embroideresses. Incidentally, this idea - the implementation of community projects in collaboration with those who are outside the art world - is close to the progressive contemporary art. In the years after the revolution Exter worked hard "for the benefit of society": it was decorated for the holiday to Odessa on May 1, I participated in the design of the All-Russian agricultural exhibition, is actively engaged in teaching (in the children's drawing school in Odessa, in his own studio in Kiev and VKhUTEMAS), developed the design working clothes and dress uniform of the Red Army.

its contribution to the construction of clothes worth a special mention. Exter, known as a courageous woman of fashion, along with his girlfriend has become one of the founders of the Art Deco style, linking avant-garde and chic. One of its main achievements was the work of the Chamber Theater, where she created a dazzling costumes (as well as the scenery) for performances of "Salome", "Famira Kifared" and "Romeo and Juliet". The exhibition in the MMSI demonstrated about 60 theatrical sketches received from the collection Bakhrushin Museum. In addition, there can be seen fragments of a fantastic movie Jacob Protazanov "Aelita" (1924), whose heroes Martians Exter also came up with an incredible outfits.

scenography Exter worked and after moving to France in 1924 year. She also illustrated the book (in particular, to the publisher Flammarion) and produced strikingly beautiful hand-written edition (livres manuscrits). After the death of the artist contents of her studio and archive moved inherited her friend Simon Lissimu .

most expensive work of Exter of all that were sold at auction is a painting "Venice" (1925) from the collection Lissima. November 30 last year, it brought at auction Sotheby's 1,05 million pounds sterling .

wishing to purchase a work of Exter should exercise extreme caution. Works of the artist, like other masters of Russian avant-garde, are "at risk" for counterfeiting, and to confidently collect masterpieces, the collector is required to have the highest qualifications. What else can be said if the entire exhibition of the artist by the police because of the abundance of fakes! This, of course, talking about last year's scandal in connection with the exhibition "Alexandra Exter and her friends" in Tours, where almost 200 papers have been arrested due to the fact that an expert on creativity of the artist, the head of the Society for Exter Andrei Nakova declared exhibits false (later the court found that arrest unlawful). Nakova, claiming its possession archives Exter and Lissima, opposed the organizer of the exhibition Shovlenu Jean (Jean Chauvelin), known for its examinations Russian avant-garde (some market participants consider them dubious). A detailed discussion of this incident can be viewed Forum ARTinvestment.RU . Continuation of discussion here .
should also be noted that of 104 works Exter, having indicators of investment risk site ARTinvestment.RU, green circles have a 16 (!) On the other hand, 36 works are beeping red - "Do not buy!" the remaining 52 assigned to the yellow light - this indicates that the experts' opinion about them is not unanimous, and the purchaser is strongly recommended that further research if they wish to make a purchase. Maybe everything is in order, but need to make sure. So Food for Thought!

Material prepared Yulia Maksimova, AI

Source: press release MMSI, artinvestment.ru