Ukrainian father of Japanese futurism
ARTinvestment.RU   17 января 2009

In the Ukrainian Museum in New York an exhibition «painter, poet, speaker, actor and showman» David Burliuk

In the Ukrainian Museum in New York an exhibition David Burliuk . In Russia and Ukraine, this remarkable artist and poet known as the «father of Futurism». Without Burliuk artistic life in the early XX century Russia would be much more boring.

David Davidovich Burliuk was born in 1882 near Kharkov. He studied art in Odessa, and Kazan, as well as in the Munich Royal Academy of Arts and the School of Fine Arts in Paris. Being energetic, cheerful and sociable young man, Burliuk immediately won the sympathy of other students and teachers, in particular Azhbe Anton (Anton Ažbe), who called it «an amazing wild steppe horse».

In 1910-ies that have become the golden age of Russian modernism, Burliuk paint, combining the influence fovizma, Cubism and Futurism. The artist was fond of nature and was interested in the culture of ancient nomads - the Scythians. His inspired daedal, complex forms of Scythian artifacts. In 1911, together with Burliuk and Benedict Livshits has created art and literature, which gave the name «Gilea» (this is how the ancient Greeks called Scythian lands). Burliuk inspired and Ukrainian folklore. Most of all he loved the legend of the Cossack mother - it is this character, according to the artist who embodied the qualities of courage, self-reliance and individualism. All these influences impact on painting and poetry Burliuk. Love of nature, ancient art and folk legend, brings together artists with other avant-garde of that time - the German expressionists. He and his brother have been familiar with Wassily Kandinsky , and participated in the exhibition Art of the «Blue Horseman».

In those years, Russian futurists acquired fame through their scandalous epatazhnym continue. In December 1913 Burliuk, Mayakovsky, Vasily Kamensky and others went to the «tour» to seventeen cities of the Russian Empire. The external appearance of the artists (they went to fussy jackets, painted on the faces of animals and were carrot for latskanami jackets), as well as their incredible presentation (they showed limbo piano, which futurists drank tea) shocked the public. Avant-garde «performances» no one was left indifferent: in almost all cities Burliuk, Mayakovski Kamensky and collected full halls. Of course, outraged many of their submission, but some futurists looked at with admiration, wishes to join their ranks.

Paintings Burliuk won many fans in Russia and abroad - his works were exhibited in Moscow, St. Petersburg, Kiev and Munich. His first solo exhibition was held in 1917-meters in Samara. In the same year the artist traveled to Siberia. There he arranged futuristic presentation and sell their work. In 1920 he settled in Japan, where he held two years. There, the artist acquainted with Eastern culture and very fruitfully worked: during his stay in the Land of the Rising Sun Burliuk created about 450 works. He tirelessly promoted the Russian avant-garde, and even organized an exhibition in Japan, where in addition to his paintings were exhibited work , In 1922, the artist, his wife, Maria Nikiforovna ( «Marusya»), and two sons moved to New York. There, the artist worked as art editor and proofreader communist newspaper Russian Voice. In 1926 he published a very amusing «Manifesto Universal Radio-modernists camps», which has called a «one of the pioneers of the New Universal Art», and «a painter, poet, orator, actor and shoumenom». In it he wrote about art, which connects the admiration of both nature and technology, as well as the need to create great art for the Great America. In creating this work Burliuk, as its Italian counterpart, futurist F. T. Marinetti (F. T. Marinetti), «not to impede the fetters of logic and chain social consciousness» - manifesto consists of a variety of expressions, not related at first glance one themselves. Burliuk writes: «The President AESTHETICS of the world have already been elected. But he himself have not yet know. Maybe - it's you - the one who reads these lines? Palace of the divine beauty is already waiting for you ». Towards the end of Burliuk notes: «Because people do not order my portraits, I paint portraits of demons, for which I am in the studio prepared an empty chair». «Radio-style», which promoted Burliuk, very similar to futurism - an excellent example of this style is a picture «Harlem River».

In 1941, he moved to Hampton Burliuk-Beyz, which founded the Art Association The Hampton Bays Group. One of the members of this group was Armenian artist Arshil Gorky (Arshile Gorky) , later famous as an abstract expressionist. Slides created Burliuk portrait, which now can be seen at an exhibition in New York.

Artworks Burliuk, which he created in the United States, like the picture expressionists and naive artists. He created landscapes, still lifes (original theme was «The bouquet on the beach»), genre scenes. Shortly before the Second World War Burliuk and his wife wanted to go home, but the Soviet authorities did not let them. In 1956 th the artist is still able to see the Soviet Union. Burliuk paintings exhibited in museums and galleries in the United States and Europe, but his work in the Union, as well as works of other avant-garde, tomilis in the storerooms of provincial museums. Now most Burliuk creations are in the U.S., where the more than 70 percent of auction transactions with his work.

David Burliuk exhibition at the Ukrainian Museum will run until April 26. It is the first major exhibition of the artist in the United States since 1962.

Material prepared Yulia Maksimova

Sources: ukrainianmuseum.org , artsjournal.com , Transcription of the Manifesto, Radio-Style , artinvestment.ru

P.S. On the creativity of David Burliuk can also read:
Investment in artists «Russian foreign». Ivan Puni, Alexandra Exter and David Burliuk