Victor Kazarin. Psychophysiology expressionistic riot

Talking to a significant figure in the Moscow Abstract Expressionism of the late 1980s - early 1990s

unprecedented rise passionary painting in the Soviet Union not by chance came in the eighties and nineties of the twentieth century. At that time the turning deadly radiation served as a catalyst of social processes of turbulent chemical reactions in Russian art. Boiling times, groaning fading empire and the need to respond to the challenges of finding out in bold and fierce creative reflection.

This strain spread globally, with a speed thunderstorm. In particular, a surprisingly similar process unfolded in parallel and overseas. Of course, New York boom neoekspressionistov in the mid-1980s and the triumph of the "new wild" formally could hardly have common ground with Moscow. But in their nature, yet there was a certain similarity: the desire to break through the boredom, to blow up the atmosphere of stagnation and depression. People are yearning for pure, undiluted emotion. And unkempt honesty in art was valued higher intellectual aestheticism, comfortable decoration and other established forms.

Since the mid-1980s in the Soviet Union not only artists but the audience was going through a revolution of consciousness. The mass audience is not only rediscovering the iconic work of expressionists - legends of underground art Anatoly Zverev and Vladimir Yakovlev , but faced with a new generation of charged optics expressionists.

Moscow neoekspressionisty stressed did not oppose a non-conformist traditions. But at the same time they have already spoken to a completely different language. Even the origins of a new kind of power lay precisely in the rejection of "gorkomovskogo minimalism." But not only. There is a new revolutionary situation, when young artists to gain strength, so do not ask, but to dictate. Not paying attention to public reaction. The answer came a balanced and predictable: violent misunderstandings, harsh criticism, accusations that "indecent so laid bare before the public," and even the reputation of "upstart" in a circle of colleagues. But there was no other way: the occurrence of neo-expressionism was gorkomovskoy for young people not in some creative yet another experiment, a definite revelation, all-consuming sense. This impulse has undergone major changes not only the format of the painting (large size canvases, sprawling technique). What is more important - has changed the scale of ideas.

Leonid Talochkin and Victor Kazarin Source: Archives VS Kazarina

Kazarin was not yet thirty when he began to exhibit in the halls of the city committee schedules, beginning with the first exhibition in 1976. Legendary address - Small, 28 - at that time was synonymous with ideologically neutral outlet, an island of independent art. Under the auspices of a picturesque section of the Committee of graphic artists could show anything beyond the scope of the official state doctrine. "For me the impetus development has turned wild - says Kazarin gorkomovskih of times. - There were people that had to compete. I saw the artists, to equipment and technology that I wanted - the same Zverev and Yakovlev. "In 1983, Kazarin joined gorkomovskoy group of "21" (named for each of the outstanding artists in it) and soon became a key figure in Moscow's neo-expressionism abstract.

Our conversation with Victor Kazarin held in his old apartment-studio in the Malachite the street. We had tea at the very kitchen where the plan was conceived, "the capture of an arena" where the group was conceived "The Hammer" and where 26 years ago there was another cot, Anatoly Zverev.

Victor Kazarin at the Kuznetsk bridge, 10 June 2011. Photo: Vladimir Bogdanov, AI

- Viktor S., I see in your photos is very different outlook for the artists, though all were sealed with a badge "21". In this group spent seven annual exhibitions - by all accounts, he worked for very long. What you then have in common?

- I immediately fell into this group. Me to this year was expelled from the city committee, and then re-taken. It turned out that by the time I joined the "21", they have already passed an exhibition. In those days it was a young group: Vologzhanin , Beach , Naumets , Lepine , , Ivan Novozhenov , Pavel Nikiforov , Valery Tkachenko and others. After a while I can say, went into the center of the group, which formed five people - Bordachev , Mist, Beach Lepine and me. Composition of the "21" was not permanent: Periodically someone excluded, but someone took. It was formed not by the current. There were expressionists and surrealists, abstractionists - artists representing different directions. United by the fact that we were all young, we younger men were compared, for example, with nemuhinskoy group "17." In 1985 when we became friends with Zverev, I agreed to his work is also included in the exhibition "21».

group" 21 ". Drobitsky, Lepine , Tumanov, unknown, Tkachenko, Novozhenov, Kazarin Beach, Lebedeva, Hayduk, Vologzhanin. Source: Archives VS Kazarina

- Why do you have previously been expelled from the city committee?

- There was an odd story. Someone broke the picture Otari Kandaurova - I do not remember who. But it is clear that as a result of a sharp dispute. And then one of the activists began wailing:" It's an outrage, how can this be? ". And I take it, and say," break - well, did the right thing. "Over and then expelled. Then even the prosecutor's office called. The year so far has been deleted, I worked hard. While opportunities exhibit does not exist. And private buyers in those days was not. I bought the picture themselves artists and students. So, I worked for 70-100 rubles a month, had to write slogans to contain seven.

Victor Kazarin and Boris Beach Source: Archives VS Kazarina

- What is the impact on you had a friendship with Zverev?

- Zverev for me then and still is a very large size. It turned out that we did have one teacher, only a difference of 17 years. We taught , a wonderful man, a student Cow . He instilled in us a love of nature with him, we often did sketches of animals, many painted at the zoo. We learned in the home of pioneers in the area Zhuravlev. I hung a picture of Sergei Nikolaevich 13-year Zverev "Sokolniki" and many of his sketches of animals. Zverev, a past master in general outline.

first time I met him in 1981. And we were friends for two years before his death. He was happy to talk to me. Maybe I became a man for his interesting and necessary. Since 1985, Zverev was a frequent visitor in my studio, lived, slept on a cot in this kitchen, where we now sit. And then we worked together often.

- Together in the sense that you have worked directly together on some paintings?

- It together. There and is signed "KAZ": Kazarin - Anatoly Zverev. As a rule, larger work, meter and a half, we did everything together, and meter work - he is. Differently there. Three exhibitions of such collaborations, "Zverev - Kazarin" (in DC "Meridian" hall "Belyaevo" hotel "National». - VB ), I organized in 1987, shortly after the death Zvereva - in gratitude and in memory of another.

Anatoly Zverev - VICTOR Kazarin Rooster. 1986

Anatoly Zverev - VICTOR Kazarin elephant. 1986

Despite the fact that Kazarin was different currents and things from different periods are very different, everywhere discern a special energy. Thus, the work of the mid-1980s, when Russian neo-expressionism Kazarin created - these things openly rebellious, violent, mood, which is better conveyed by means of abstraction. The invention Kazarin "postsuprematicheskom" direction figurative character is enhanced geometric abstraction. And, in turn, expressionistic works of the 2000s tend to have a more decorative and figurative art. Perhaps only one property reliably brings together works from different periods Kazarina: every one feels that it is executed in the same breath.

- In one of the documentaries about you is a fragment, which shows striking high speed. It depends on my mood, or speed - of the method?

- Inspiration - process transient, lasting 10-15 minutes. We must catch him and quickly implemented. Longer simply the heart can not withstand the strain. And much depends on the skill already. Hence, this method is rapid writing. But the skill - it is also an enormous capacity for work, and work with overvoltage. I used to draw and 18 gouaches in the day. Sometimes, all obtained one to one. In those years, I simply filled with art. In 1987-1988, I could make up to 5 paintings a day. And it worked almost every day, until complete exhaustion. In those days, had, of course, use the "doping" in time to recover.

- Approximately every five - seven years, you pretty dramatically change the way you go away from well-known and beloved themes and receptions. Why a successful artist to take that risk?

- And without this there is a risk to become a "dumping" by the artist. I believe that the artist himself throws when it finds a good reception and all his life and his exploits. If the person calms down, the soul ceases to work, the artist himself to himself begins to make plagiarism. I myself have passed many styles. My first show was during his studies at Hudgraf in 1969. By the way, I recently sold a picture of "Rusal", with the remainder of the exhibition. In those days I was fond of Van Gogh, Matisse, . Abstraction, I took up much later, in 1980. But up to her not scholastically, not formally but smoothly. And when I was an abstraction (and symbolic forms, and lyrical, and Suprematism), then moved on to neo-expressionism. As part of its direction in 1984-1985, I created about a hundred works of size 2 x 3 meters.

Now I went in the direction of geometric abstraction and the former drippingi with recognizable spray did not write . But regardless of the style of my creed is the same: to use color psychology, the psychology of rhythm, composition, and psychology to identify the way forward.

Among the artists that have had the greatest influence on him, Kazarin remembers the first turn Theophanes the Greek, El Greco, Van Gogh, Cezanne, , Rousseau, Chagall , Pollock, < /a>. "They are all nearby - the image of people expressing their soul. Soul-then we are all given one differs only in shades of psycho. And the more you approaching the depth, the more you realize this or that artist ».

For all landmark influences Victor Kazarin fully remains a loner," vnutriustremlennym "artist. Inspiration he draws not in the book theories, not in the external experience. Rather, it focuses on the immediate transfer of their own experiences - what he calls the psychophysiology. This state Kazarin play a key role: "When a person tends to be more reasonable, then this he Eighty percent of the creative force losing. In the art of contact should take place through the heart. But this only happens when the artist and his audience at the same time ready for this ».

Generally, this" vnutriustremlennost "uncompromising and daring often associated with people who have made themselves. Kazarin grew up in a working class family, far from the art, without the support of artistic dynasty and other social props already in his forties, he became one of the most successful and popular artists. His Arena in 1991, an exhibition of 600 canvases, still remembered as one of the most resonant events of his time.

Kazarin VICTOR The girl with the ball. 1988 Oil on canvas. 300 x 200

Kazarin VICTOR St. George. 1991 Oil on canvas. 300 x 200

Kazarin VICTOR Don Quixote. 1995 Oil on canvas. 80 x 100

audience that Arena could hardly imagine that all those charged giant paintings were not written in the studio with high ceilings, and a ten-floor room in the then kazarinskoy "Khrushchev." "Huge paintings, two by three meters, I drew no escape. I went to him and he could only watch from the corner, which eventually turned out. In such a situation is only a particular image. After doing almost blindly. "It is necessary to clarify that in this case is not about unruly improvisation." Usually, each preceded by a series of large canvas works of size 50 x 70, which was worked out psychophysiology image - says Kazarin. And when the image was sharpened, I could tolerate it in large format. "But even if such training had to finish some work on the street - to make pictures of the apartments close to cover the entire look and compare the complex large-scale compositions.

Kazarin VICTOR Grasshopper. 1984 Hardboard, mixed media. 55 x 122,5

Today Kazarin works in the same apartment in the Moscow area Rostokino only it is now fully assigned to a studio. Still paints, placing the canvas on the floor, as in the eighties.