The exhibition is organized by gallery "vellum" and gallery "art Center. Moscow" with support of the Russian Fund of culture and the Federal Agency for tourism of the Russian Federation

10 Oct — 10 Dec 2018
Boris Smirnov-Русецкий: running
the complex is the Temple of Christ the Savior
Moscow, St. Volkhonka, 15, entrance from Simanovskogo travel, 37

10 Oct opens exhibition of works by Boris Alekseevich Smirnov-Русецкого (1905-1993), artist, scientist, thinker and visionary, follower of Nicholas Roerich, a member of the legendary group "Amaravella". The exhibition has the same name as the autobiographical novel of Smirnova-Русецкого "Walking," published after his death.

the Exhibition "Boris Smirnov-Русецкий: running" — is one of the most ambitious projects of the last years devoted to the artist. The exhibition will present a full retrospective of the artist's works, including early works 1920-х years, works period "Amaravella", the famous cycle of "Transparency", works of Altai series, and is dedicated to Balaam; paintings created in the period of exile in Northern Kazakhstan, — from the Russian Museum and private collections. The exposition included the works of Boris Smirnova-Русецкого from the collection of the head of the gallery "vellum" Lubov Agafonova; the exhibition also presents works from the collections of the head of the "Center of the arts. Moscow" Andrian Melnikov, Vasily Malyshev (Ufa), Yakov Urinson, Yuri Barzykin (Moscow).

what is the secret of the continued relevance of creativity Smirnova-Русецкого? His paintings — rigorous and concise, which our reality is like a melting, thinning, turning into a vision of a different, infinitely beautiful universe — attract and fascinate new generations of researchers and collectors. Perhaps the reason — in touch to what-то more than a simple reflection of the world that failed artist who has lived a long and difficult life.

Boris A. Smirnov, who became known under the name Smirnov-Русецкий, was born in St. Petersburg in January 1905 in the family of an officer. After his family moved to Moscow and studied at the gymnasium "Peterpaulsex" and in 1922 entered the Moscow engineering-экономический Institute (this "deviation" from the path of a professional artist in the future helped Smirnov-Русецкому survive being excommunicated from the painting). Artistic talent and support for the families closely associated with the art world allowed him to discover the path of the painter, and early enough to define their own creative guidelines: Nicholas Roerich, Vasily Kandinsky and Mikalojus Ciurlionis.

In the early 1920-х years Boris Smirnov-Русецкий meets with the artist Peter Fadeevym; meeting in the future will lead to the emergence of the group "Amaravella" — most significant Association of Russian artists-космистов. By 1923, the beginning of correspondence Smirnova-Русецкого with Kandinsky, which lasted until 1929. In it, the artists discussed the philosophical, spiritual and religious artwork. Then, in 1923, after the exhibition at the Museum of fine arts (now the Pushkin Museum to them. Pushkin), which waspresents the work of Smirnova-Русецкого, he became acquainted with artists Alexander Sardan (Baranov) and Faith (Rune) Plesetskoe later, in 1927, also included in the "Amaravella".

In 1926 Smirnov-Русецкий Dating came to Russia by Nicholas Roerich. At the same time is final formation of the group "Amaravella," the creative ideas which the artist did not change until the end of life. On the recommendation of the Roerich Smirnov-Русецкий enrolled in VHUTEMAS, where he studied at the graphic Department of I. Nivinsky, V. Favorsky, N. Kupriyanov. In 1927 and 1928, the work of Smirnova-Русецкого presented at exhibitions in new-Йорке and Chicago, prior to that, the artist exhibited his paintings at the exhibition of "Makovets" in VKhUTEMAS.

1920-е years of Boris Smirnova-Русецкого the most fruitful period full of ideas, plans and insights. It was then that in his work there were many important topics-циклы, including "Transparency" and "Space". Much later, in the 1950-70-е years, the artist returned to what was revealed to him in his early career, he restored the memory of lost work and unrealized plans.

By the end of the twenties there is a conflict artists "idealistic" direction, who were treated Smirnov-Русецкий, formals and Orlovtsami. From this moment, work is getting harder, and to participate in exhibitions is almost impossible. Boris Smirnov-Русецкий continues to create pictures for themselves, they see only a small circle of like-minded people. In 1941, the artist was arrested. The sentence: ten years imprisonment, transportation for life for "anti-Soviet propaganda" and "communication with the Russian emigrant Roerich N.". In 1954 — Amnesty and rehabilitation. After the liberation, the artist restores the cycle of sketches "the snow maiden", written in prison on scraps of paper, — is the most poignant and dreamlike, his works, executed in oil.

"Cosmism" in the Russian painting is not directly related to space exploration, although Nicholas Roerich, Konstantin Bogaevsky, Boris Smirnov-Русецкий developed this direction when made his discoveries Konstantin Tsiolkovsky. In contrast to the perception of "universal abyss" like the terrible breath of the impending catastrophes that are typical, for example, for Bogaevsky, Smirnov-Русецкий in his works, created in the tense atmosphere of artistic and philosophical quests of the first quarter of the twentieth century, absorbed the heritage of Russian symbolism, creates a joyful atmosphere of belonging to the great rhythms of the universe, the "transparency" of nature, dreaming of the sky.

Source: press-релиз gallery "vellum"