Artist of the week. Victor Kazarin
ARTinvestment.RU   10 января 2018

Bright representative of unofficial art 1970-80-х years party gorkomovskoy group "21". Today we capture a new wave of interest to creativity of the outstanding Russian neoekspressionista, work Kazarina became the hits of the Auction

In 1990-е the name of Victor Kazarina rattled all art Moscow. He was the envy of commercial success, were exhibited in a big way, regularly, extensive. What-то the moment of its achievements, began to act on the many like a red rag to a bull. "In the Central exhibition hall again prolific, as Glazunov, Viktor Kazarin and Hammer group", — sarcastically announced "Kommersant Vlast" his next exhibition in the Manege 1992. That "again" — say, again, he was everywhere: sweeping, rollicking, too wild, too Russian. Not even a year ago, as did the exhibition in the Central exhibition hall, — and here again the arena give him. At the same time — outrageous over-achiever. No titles do not have any posts, and since money, sparsam, by car, so with private security — where have you seen that the artist lived! "Prolific, as Glazunov" — is already a stud with the hint that less than a year ago in the Arena was put up 600 of his canvases. The scope itself is unprecedented, it is 10 times more common PC. Yes, and the size of the paintings is deliberately gigantic — two, three meters. the Companions, so is it time to rein in this upstart?!

to Make enemies, could always. Rebel in art, it in life has an explosive temperament. Eternal in its uncompromising, anti-system views — for art-сообщества he was and still is a stranger. So useful for creativity, courage and political incorrectness, coupled with the natural emotion always came at the expense of the artist's career and destroyed good relationships. Today, surrounded by Kazarina difficult, perhaps, to find someone who for once would not got. And it's not always the case. At the time all fall in earnest: and the critics, and art historians, and gallerists, and friends, and a lot of helpful people, and even colleagues-художникам. The case when Kazarina in the heat of the artistic controversy outfit taken directly from Committee on the Georgian — at that time the most reckless and liberal platforms. Moreover, the militia was caused, though the opponent, but also as-никак artist. In the early 1980-х Kazarina and even tried a friendly court, and then was expelled from the Committee for a year. For "discipline". Themselves artists. Can you imagine? A year later slogans were painted to support his family. No exhibitions, no regular wages, nothing. I think go for the future? No. To remain silent, to adapt and to adjust — is by-прежнему not about him. Give me a reason — slash its truth, just like forty years ago.

In early 2000-х, at the peak of his show career, Kazarin left in the shade due to system quarrelsome, congestion and economic crisis in the country. Went for-два, and almost 15 years. Earned on the sale of paintings money burned in the savings Bank. In the end, robbed twice, during the monetary reform of 1991-го and devaluation of 1998-го (remember solid Yeltsin "there will be no Devaluation"?), the artist, in fact, voluntarily withdrew himself from the raging of the artistic process, turned exhibition plans and left Moscow.

the flourishing Moscow gallerycapitalism Kazarin met already far from the capitals, in your favorite Ferapontovo, in the land of lakes and untouched nature. Here in the old days, an artist with his own money built for the residents of Ferapontovo bridge. Strong, concrete, costing tens of thousands of old rubles called him and kazaryns'ke bridge. He and his wife-художницей settled on the-простому in a village house. And since then spends every summer there. Frescoes of Dionysius, the simple village life, boat, fishing rod, drawing paper, watercolor, quiet way twenty years ago, became and still remain true sources of inspiration. In the summer in those peaceful places, charged with energy, and gouache paints. Late autumn returned to Moscow, where in the old Studio in the malachite the street he was waiting for canvases, acrylics and oil.

In the 50 years of creative activity, studied, studied and subjected to experiments nearly all of modern painting. He had an abstract period, and collage cycles, and Suprematist period, and geometric abstraction in combination with figurative art (Kazarin calls him postcapitalism). But of course, in the first place Kazarina know and appreciate as outstanding neoekspressionista. In a stormy sea of emotional painting for someone is difficult Kazarin-либо to keep up. It seems that he works day and night, — so much done. But he says that the inspiration — is fleeting, it is necessary to catch. And when it comes, then there is a dip in the expressionist TRANS. 10-15 minutes of intense painting with full dedication fails to do very much. And longer, according to the artist, work is simply impossible: the heart can not withstand the emotional overload.

the Formation Kazarina as an artist associated with the Moscow joint Committee of artists-графиков, with the legendary exhibition hall of the municipal Committee in the house 28 on street Malaya Gruzinskaya. (It's from here he was expelled for a year.) Created shortly after the "bulldozer" exhibition Gorkom was a breath of freedom, an outlet and an exhibition house for the first generation of nonconformists, and for young people. In the hall of the Committee were present and bison — Zverev Plavinsky, Krasnopevtsev, Nemukhin, Yakovlev, Vechtomov, Kharitonov, and 30-летние young lions — Kazarin, beach, Vologzhanin, Faibisovich, Khudyakov, etc. there was a brief and unique time of the battle of ideas, creative competition, a fun competition, art groups, long-awaited meetings with a thinking audience. He casarin joined the group "21", exhibited at Vologzhanina Bordacheva, Beach, Naumets, Lepin, Tumanov, Novozhenovym, Nikiforov, Tkachenko and others. With the group he was with second exhibition, the first missed from-за his exclusion. All in all, since 1982 the artist has participated in six exhibitions "21". With the beginning of "perestroika" in the first half of 1990-х, Kazarin gathered a group of his disciples, called "the Hammer" in honor of the intended effect and it has been exhibited in the Arena and at other venues.

Meeting and joint creative work and Kazarin-Anatoly Zverev —a separate and important page in the works of K. V. optionally it is possible to find a semi-mystical coincidence. At children's art school 12-летний Victor Kazarin got to the same teacher, who helped to open talent of the young Felts Zverev — to Sergei Nikolaevich Sokolov. "Once Sergey showed me drawings of Toli Zverev — boy who he taught, but then left. It was little drawings, graphic images of people and animals, and they were amazingly expressive" (V. casarin. Grateful // Anatoly Zverev in the memoirs of contemporaries. M. : Young guard, 2006).

Today there is an opinion that the animal was almost the main teacher Kazarina. But the artist explains it is not. "We made friends with Zverev, when I was much over 30, I was by that time already established artist. Of course, I did not study his technique. But with interest studied and adopted his methods of psychophysiology of painting, a way of deep immersion in the work. We can say that Zverev I studied neuroscience. But as an artist for me is much more influenced by Vrubel, Soutine, Borisov-Мусатов, Chagall, van Gogh, Gauguin, El-Греко, Cezanne. And especially Theophanes. In particular, a lasting impression on me when-то made a very expressive frescoes of the Mirozhsky monastery, and they may not even brush the Theophanes the Greek, but someone-то earlier — perhaps his teacher."

the first time they met at the exhibitions in the city Committee schedules on the Georgian, where both exhibited in 1976. Met in 1981-м, and became friends and even later. In 1980-х it Kazarin Zverev was invited to participate in exhibitions with the group "21". Zverev agreed to honor young artists. And later it turned out that the end of 1985-го and almost the whole 1986-й, the last year of his life, Zverev lived in the house Kazarina. Lived in the apartment on the malachite street, where-прежнему remains kazaryns'ke workshop, and worked a lot. "Victor — is a good man, Timofeich he was good," — told me a famous collector of the sixties and a friend Zverev Alexander Kronik. In 1986 Zverev wrote in the housing workshop, a series of expressionist works. And they Kazarin made a series of paintings. Joint — literally: conditional half did Zverev, half — Kazarin. And the signature was shared: the letters ACP or short. A year after the death of Anatoly Timofeevich in the memory of his friend the artist has organized several exhibitions, "Zverev —," and published a catalog of Zverev, and their joint works. In 2015, one published in the catalog of the joint works were sold AI Auction for 1 200 000 rubles.

Today, the joint works Zvereva and Kazarina (1985-1986) collectors hunt. But 15-20 years ago, the similarity of styles and the known total stage career had almost become kazaryns'ke curse. Paintings of two authors who worked in the same workshop, sometimes very similar: same materials, same colors, loved by both spray-дриппинг as background reception. And here around the beginning of 2000-х, a new wave of interest to Zverev, the forgers allegedly began to give the paintings Kazarina and share things purely for Zverev. Carefully write "allegedly" because I myself for 15 years, no one turned "Zvereva from Kazarina" your eyes have not seen, let alone has seen any. And it's weird. What-то moment enemies started the rumor that he Kazarin fake Zvereva. Of course, for people personally familiar with Victor S. and knowledgeable too proud temper such speculation sounded complete nonsense. Friends knew that, signing someone-то others, even Zverev, — is nonsense, an insult for an artist of his level. Alas, the trouble is that not all personally know Kazarina. So people willing to believe and repeat that the "artist — epigon Zvereva", "Kazarin forged Zvereva", was enough. I myself, by the way, trustingly listened to the stories about fakes and Kazarin, reading them in the then popular LJ gallery owner Marat Gelman. And then, as all these stories are retold conspiratorially, to be honest. It is now impossible for me to imagine that, do what-то under Zverev. And then... we have to admit, that disinformation was clever and tenacious. Rumors hurt the feelings of the artist and damaged his reputation for years to come. It is so arranged in vile times: navret — will not be washed.

What now? Here it is five years, as the works of Victor Kazarina are in the top of liquidity and surely are among the hits of the Auction. Artist rediscovered new collectors and art lovers. And not only in Russia. His work taken in Europe and in China. One only our site in an average year, sold more than 20 paintings and drawings by Kazarina.

what is the possible reason for the current wave of popularity? It is unlikely that there is much to complicate things: it's always about the quality and price. Superior powerful charged Kazarin painting remains today the pockets of many collectors, which is not often. In recent years, his paintings sold on our auctions, as a rule, in the price range of 90 000-160 000. Graphics, large gouaches more accessible: there are around 30 000. In dollar terms, is cheaper than before the crisis, so collectors shoppers. And they are right. By the way, I myself, too, in recent years acquired a few favorite works by the artist — voted ruble.

on 16 April 2018 Victor Semyonovich Kazarin will meet 70-летний anniversary. These milestones are supposed to celebrate a retrospective exhibition. But whether to do it casarin — is still a question. Now he refuses to answer: tired of how many of these exhibitions altered, the mood is not. Maybe even persuade, your mind. Though this exhibition or not, the most important thing the artist has done. Behind way such that God forbid everyone: steep turns of fate, meet interesting people, legendary exhibition, hundreds of collectors and thousands of fans and an impressive volume of creative legacy. Kazarin has always been phenomenally productive: "I used to paint in the day and 18 gouaches. Sometimes, all obtained one by one. In those years I was just filled with art. In 1987-1988, I could make up to 5 paintings a day. And it worked almost every day, until complete exhaustion". Today alone paintings from Kazarina, there are, according to some estimates, about 10,000, and even graphic works and does not count. His works are in many families. So Kazarin has long been a popular artist, and not by decree from above, but in fact. In this-прежнему all with him: there is health, and the inspiration and spirit of innovation. "I believe that the artist himself throws when it finds a good reception and all life and his exploits. If the person calms down, the soul ceases to work, the artist himself begins to make plagiarism." He never calms down. How old follow his work — and almost every year, every winter, has a view of new scenic loop and make it to the end. Keep it up, Viktor Semenovich! And good luck to you in the jubilee year!

Vladimir Bogdanov, AI

Sources: forum.artinvestment.ru, artinvestment.ru, zverevcenter.ru

What else to read on the topic on AI:
Victor Kazarin. Psychophysiology of the expressionist revolt.