Artist of the week: Yakov Chernikhov
ARTinvestment.RU   10 февраля 2020

His motto, "Everywhere, always and everywhere replace the word graphics" represents the date and artistic heritage inspires not only architects, but also specialists from different spheres of visual culture

"Everyone will see and feel the world of Iakov Chernikhov via-разному. This world is amazing. And here it is: I — practicing architect, and the fate of Yakov Georgievich was mainly to dream, to paint. Perhaps that is why the work of Chernikhov possess great magic, they are so clean — not have hundreds of thousands of hands that touched his architecture. She told him, completely, infinitely belongs to. Now belongs to all mankind" (Yuriy Platonov, academician of architecture, the chief architect of RAS, Russia. Source: fotosfera.org)

Chernikhov predicted that the graphics will be the new international language of civilization. The artist has developed a universal method, a kind of "grammar" to create not only architectural works but also any types of graphic communications. "the study of graphic language should be placed so that it is available to all — as a literacy" (Y. G. Chernikhov. The art of faces. Leningrad: 1927. P.10).

Yakov Georgievich Chernikhov was born in 1889, in Pavlograd, graduated from Odessa art College and entered St.-Петербургскую Academy of arts, faculty of painting@the semicolon in 1916 Chernikhov moved on to the famous architectural faculty of the Academy under the guidance of the Creator geniuses of Leonty Benois.

Yakov Chernikhov left not so much of realized architectural projects: cable car plant with the water tower of the factory "Red Nailer", a rest Home for workers "Severoles", building scientific-исследовательского of the Institute "Mekhanobr" (all — in Saint-Петербурге). The majority of these projects were created in collaboration with other architects, they are not so clearly manifest personality of our hero.

the Genius of the artist was opened in the so-called "paper architecture", or words of Chernikhov, "architectural fantasies". Chernikhov was convinced that the construction of imaginary spatial compositions — crucial step in the creation of a real building. That is why architectural graphics in the interpretation of Chernikhov became an independent field of architectural creativity.

while studying at the Academy Jacob graduated from the Higher pedagogical courses and teaching became leading in the life of the artist.

the Genius of the teacher, we can see in published books, or, as he called the author, the tutorials: "the Art of faces" (1927), "Geometrical drawing" (1928), "Fundamentals of modern architecture. Experimentally-исследовательские work" (1930, 1931), "Ornament. Composite-классические build" (1930), "the Construction of architectural and machine forms" (1931), "Architectural fantasies. 101 composition in paint. 101 architectural miniature" (1933). Chernikhov sincerely believed that by learning the simple principles of composition and unafraid to show your personality, anyone can create a beautiful and useful piece. For this the artist has developed the concept of a universal graphic language and methods of teaching. In the first book outlines the basic principles of compositions. Yakov Georgievich offers to start training with non-objective compositions: "the Whole basis of a methodical course of descriptive art...based on “combinations”, on the “combined” line, plane and volume, outside of any object. As an appropriate combination of sounds gives us a piece of music, and we will build companues such an image in which the lines are musically tuned. Identify the lines of its true beauty and tie one combination of the curvature with others as connect note note in music" (ibid. P. 26). According to the author, the student who has mastered the principles of abstract compositions, easily translate them and in the composition of the subject. Using various combinations of the artist offers each time to create a unique piece. Tutorial Chernikhov complements the visual material — own graphic works. Fluency in composition, accurate color scheme — all this creates a magnificent example of graphic art. The artist himself humbly offered their masterpieces as training material, deliberately making them that way to arouse in the student a sense of co-authorship, the desire to create their own, unique work.

In the framework of the work on the "Art style" artist creates beautiful cycles of graphic works. One of the famous series — "Aristokratia" (from the Greek. Ἀριστεύς — "superiority" and Grapho — "write, draw, paint") — colorful sketches of graphic art new permissions script. Drawings series reflect the dialogue of the artist with the "left" art trends, mainly Suprematism.

In "Aristokratie" the artist creates a color composition of various types using shapes basic geometric elements, and develops a system of color problems — monochrome composition, volume with overlays of semi-transparent layers, weighting element, dark colors, creating a complex axonometric image tone stretching, etc. He Chernikhov called this series "the compositional structure of colors". Based on the main principles of the famous "avant-garde", Chernikhov reinterprets them and gives a new interpretation of the, sometimes surprising with his genius, even the creators of these directions. The author insisted on the value of the expression of creative individuality of each artist and suggested practical application of the method in all fields where the skills needed for graphic arts: in creating the pattern for the fabric, to obtain books or as the basis of the architectural project.

schedule Talented and less talented teacher, Yakov Chernikhov managed to implementown method of learning graphic art. His works are more relevant now than ever, the motto "Everywhere, always and everywhere replace the word graphics" represents the date and artistic heritage inspires not only architects, but also specialists from different spheres of visual culture.

What is happening in the market? I wonder whether the collectors Yakov Chernikhov as well as appreciate his critics and architects, including, for example, Zaha Hadid, and many representatives of the Western architectural community, which we love to invite for construction of the new Moscow?

In the late 1990-х at the auction the auction house Christie's was sold a small graphic compositions Chernikhov range from $10 000 to $20 000. The market was on the rise and you can expect the development of events, but in 2006 the whole cultural world of Russia was shocked by the fact that from the RGALI collection of nearly 700 works were stolen the most criminally — with the substitution of originals on rough copy. Part of the original staff Rosokhrankultura was able to identify the internal antiquarian market, but also abroad. This story had a negative impact on the sales history of the artist, and for a long time the market froze. And even if the work appeared in the sale, then the fear of living with admirers Chernikhov, knocked the passion and excitement that is inherent in a true collector. In today's trading session of the Auction presented the work, which belongs to the cycle "Aristokratia" and have confirmation of the Foundation Chernikhov, which makes the purchase completely safe.

Daria Sedova
Alexey Smirnov, specially for AI