Artist of the week: "the left-Most artist of Asian Russia" — Victor Ufimtsev
ARTinvestment.RU   12 февраля 2018

In 1919, the white guard Omsk were fleeing Russia David Burliuk. Inspired by the great futurist Victor Ufimtseva was destined to become one of the main representatives of the Siberian and Turkestan "avant-garde stopped on the run»

Looking ahead, we say that unlike many other stopped, forbidden, poisoned and forgotten artists-новаторов Ufimtseva lucky to be alive, to survive the period of persecution and to preserve their fire. At the end of life Ufimtseva has already been honored Soviet artist, people's artist of the Uzbek SSR, and we even managed to find the strength to go back to basics and revisit the ideas of the avant-garde, found in 1930-е.

Victor Ufimtsev was a bright representative of the provincial artistic life, widely involved in the overall artistic process. His work is in its diversity seems unified and organic, clearly showing that in all areas of our vast country was the process of development and dying of the avant-garde and the contributions of artists of the periphery of this process is extremely important, though still little studied.

Viktor Ufimtsev (1899-1964) was born in the village Barneston in the southern Urals. The childhood of the artist took place in Tobolsk and Tara, and in 1908-м the family moved to Omsk. In 1910-м the boy entered the commercial College, from which he graduated in 1919-м. From memories of the artist it is known that in 1916 his work drew the attention of the teacher A. Lenk, who taught the lessons of "correct drawing" — meticulous reflection of reality. In 1917 he enrolled at the newly opened courses of drawing and painting at the working Institute of practical knowledge (aka Studio A. Klementyev). There he studied writing in the open air and to create a picturesque mass amounts of subject matter.

fundamental changes in the Outlook of the artist was in 1919, after reviewing the report, David Burliuk on futurism, and his paintings. It was a "farewell tour": he went into exile on the TRANS-Siberian and made presentations and lectures in the cities of the Urals, Siberia and the Far East — on the way. One of the stops (main, most important) was the Omsk — white capital of Russia. In Omsk teacher-традиционалисты incite his players that "futurists — charlatans and troublemakers," so young people, among whom was Victor Ufimtsev, was going to disrupt the lecture of Metropolitan celebrity. It is curious to us the memory Ufimtseva about what they saw. It begins: "let us Not scoff at pure art!.. In the hall, hung a monstrous paintings...", and over time added the following note: "the evening I left the futurist and my views on the sacred, pure art from then has changed. With the speech Studio, Klementyev had to leave". The poetry of Mayakovsky, Khlebnikov, Kruchenykh inspired young artists to rethink aesthetic values, but seen the work Burliuk, even the most brilliant among the works of the futurists, suggested to them new artistic techniques and ways of further development in the direction of the avant-garde.

in may 1920 Ufimtsev worked as an artist in the club of the red Army and in the evenings studied at army art Studio.Later this particular period, he will as the starting point for individual work in the arts. At the same time boil the futuristic life of Omsk: following the example of Moscow and St. Petersburg counterparts, Omsk futurists began to organize the intake of the exhibition — to put it simply, hang paintings on the walls. Samples epimashko the "fence" of futurism was a dynamic design, under the authority adjusted the rhythm of the game geometric shapes and contrasts.

In 1921 Ufimtsev and his two classmates at the Studio Klement, Boris Chable-Табулевич and Nikolai Mamontov, created the group "Chervonnaya Troika", the title is an obvious relationship with "Jack of diamonds". Their first exhibition was held in may 1921 in the club. Trotsky, and in the summer of the same year Ufimtsev participated in the travel gitarijada "III international".

Works Ufimtseva these years came to us very little, so so precious memories of his contemporaries and reviews of the exhibitions Omsk futurists, to get an idea about his work in those years.

From 1922 Victor Ufimtsev worked as an artist in the West-Сибирском regional Museum. In 1923-м first traveled to Moscow, met with Meyerhold, Mayakovsky, Nikolai Aseev. In August of the same year Ufimtsev and his fellow "Chervonnaya Troika" Nikolay Mamontov on the instructions of the Museum went to Tashkent to participate in the work of the Samarkand Commission for protection of monuments of antiquity and art. In Tashkent, he became close friends with Alexander Volkov, and Samarkand — with Usto Mumin (Alexander Nikolayev) and Alexey Isupov — the first persons of the future "Turkestan avant-garde". In this setting, painted Oriental flavor, Ufimtsev is gradually moving away from the futuristic priorities and dogmas and directs all its strength in search of individual style and innovative solutions in the field of painting. This process can be seen in his early Central Asian works. Watch and think where-то found a rich palette of Saryan, where-то — geometry color figures Volkova, where-то — primitivism Burliuk and others at all fanciful merge and intertwine together a variety of artistic thinking of the early Russian avant-garde.

In September 1925 Ufimtsev returned to his native city is no longer a "Tomboy-футуристом", and a Mature family man and almost immediately took the position of chief artist of the Omsk city theatre. So he lived for almost nine years.

In 1927, took part in 1-й all-Siberian exhibition of painting, sculpture, graphics and architecture, organized by the creative Association "New Siberia". During the exhibition was the 1-й all-Siberian Congress of the artists, which was attended by 37 delegates — representatives of regions of Siberia, one of which was Viktor Ufimtsev. Congress recognized the fundamental creative method "of the"heroic realism" based on the ideology of Marxism" and the company "New Siberia" — "most appropriate form of organization of the artistic forces of Siberia".

In 1934, the family Ufimtsevym moved to Tashkent, where Victor participated in the creation of the Union of artists of Uzbekistan, and in 1940-м has headed its Board.

In 1936 he wrote his first socialist realist painting software "Heroic".

during the great Patriotic war Ufimtsev headed poster workshop Ustag created from graphs and painters of the Union of Artists. In 1944 V. Ufimtsev was awarded the title people's artist of the Uzbek SSR, and in 1949-м passed a big personal anniversary exhibition, which exhibited the "official" branch of his art.

In the late 1940-х he returns to "painting like" the plot and the rules of socialist realist paintings. Mostly paints landscapes and still lifes. In the second half of 1950-х — the early 1960-х travels across India, Tunisia and Afghanistan. A result of these trips became a series of gouaches: "roads of India", "Tunisia" and "Afghan diary", which was shown to the public at the exhibition at the Museum of Art (1961). In 1963 Ufimtsev wrote the autobiography "Speaking for myself". Died on the last day of 1964.

***

Speaking about the market works Ufimtseva, it is appropriate to make reasonable precautions. After a series of exhibitions on the wave of growing interest in "avant-garde stopped on the run", the name Victor Ufimtseva has become quite widely known. However, the prices for his work while at-прежнему far from fabulous. His drawings, gouaches are often in the range of $2000-3000, sometimes much cheaper. That's why many people and waving at them: "What is the meaning of the counterfeiters to bother with cheap stuff?". And the crooks are just what you need. Manufacturers falshakov just love these arguments. Such a combination of demand and low prices are lull the vigilance of consumers and to create for attackers interesting possibilities. Material for "styling" undemanding: drawings, collages, sketches, sketches. Expertise on them will cost comparable to the price of the work itself, so much "bother" with it is unlikely. The hot topic — "vanguard". Especially crooks like forgery "under futurism", and that "under Suprematism". Aiming at the most valuable period. So there will be demand and there are a lot of people willing to risk a little money. That happens. At auctions, especially the smaller Western, found a lot of fakes. Fortunately, they are usually quite mediocre and grotesque, so not much threat. Those who spent at least some time to the study of creativity Ufimtseva, not fall.

What can we say about prices? Alas, the pricing potential works Ufimtseva is impossible well illustrated by the statistics of auction sales. Over the last 15 years at public auction did not appear, his paintings valuable period — things1920-30-х years, with a futuristic modernist themes. At the auctions was not unqualified masterpieces, and how high can prices go, we do not know reliably. The current record was set in 2006 at peak prices before the first of the crisis on the Russian art market. At that time oil Ufimtseva "Khiva" (51 × 72) was sold in Moscow for $33 000. It was a picture 1957 — is good, but late Ufimtsev. In those years he was the honored and influential so that he could afford again to be free in creativity. Perhaps this is why "Khiva" was such a light, airy, with the spirit of the avant-garde 1930-х. Or here see how good the Vietnamese were of the same still life, 1957, sold for $14 310 in 2011. What colors, what Asia! But these transactions took place 7-12 years ago.

is Much closer to the reality of the other from the top-5 artist: catalogue the picture of the "Born the way" sold AI Auction in November 2015 over 275 000. In recalculation it turns out $4 200, but this is after the second crisis and the price correction. Thing is philosophical, complex, formally, it is the memory of the Afghan nomad with a baby he met in his travels. But who is-то sees in this the tragedy of mass displacement, evacuation — what Ufimtsev in his life had seen enough. Please note: "Born the way" —, the picture is quite late, this is in 1963 (Ufimtsev died in 1964-м), but absolutely in the avant-garde spirit. Today, all these things — rare on the market. Often in the market you can find picturesque sketches, a small realistic landscapes 1940-60-х years. Usually they are sold in the range of 40 000-60 000. About the same 40 000-75 000, asking for sketches of posters 1930-50-х years. They are spectacular, but all in all usually: cotton, Komsomol, planes, parachutes, Lenin and Stalin, all of the applied problems at the time.

"country yard" Ufimtseva, which sold at the current auction — subtly captured composition 1920-х years. Three dozen precise strokes — and we have a real scene of rural life, with a fence, log buildings and even a pair of geese. Work little sketchy, but cute and inexpensive.

Sources: artinvestment.ru, rusavangard.ru, artguide.com, art-blog.uz, sochiartmuseum.ru, krapan-5.livejournal.com; Victor Ufimtsev. We called ourselves innovators... Moscow: Pinakoteka, 2007; Ufimtsev V. Speaking of himself. M., 1973. P. 29.

What else to read on the subject:
AI: "Samarkand" Victor Ufimtseva in Galeyev-галерее;
Victor Ivanovich Ufimtsev: "We called ourselves innovators".



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