Personal exhibition of Vladimir Lyubarov "Year of the Theater in the village of Peremilovo"

In the Theater Gallery on Malaya Ordynka, a personal exhibition of Vladimir Lyubarov "Year of the Theater in the village of Peremilovo" will open. The exhibition will feature works by the artist from the painting series of the same name.

The village of Peremilovo is the main scene of almost all the stories of the artist’s picturesque series. This time, his characters take part in the Theater Year: they all participate in the productions of the amateur village theater, are inspired to transform into heroes of the works of Pushkin, Lermontov, Ostrovsky, Tolstoy, Gorky and Chekhov, and even Shakespeare, Moliere and Beaumarchais.

“A special feature of the Peremilov’s folk theater is the complete absence of a“ fourth wall ”between actors and spectators, who, imbued with sympathy for the heroes of the productions, vividly comment on what is happening on the stage, and sometimes even demand to change the ending to a more optimistic one,” the artist notes. “So, for example, at the insistence of the villagers during a duel, Onegin was able to reconcile with Lensky, Ottelo did not strangle Desdemona, and the Chekhov three sisters were glad that they had not left for Moscow, but remained to live in the province.”

In the past, a well-known book graphic artist, chief artist of the journal Chemistry and Life and the publishing house Text, is currently Vladimir Lyubarov exploring the theme of the Russian hinterland and its inhabitants. Based on his paintings on folk life, modern fairy tales were written, theatrical performances were performed, and animated films were shot. Personal exhibitions of Lyubarov are regularly held in Russia and abroad, including in the State Tretyakov Gallery, and in 2018, his large retrospective exhibition was held at the Russian Museum. In recent years, Lyubarov has published three books in which he appears not only as an artist, but also as the author of ironic autobiographical stories.

The world of images of Vladimir Lyubarov is real and fantastic at the same time. This world, born of the artist’s creative imagination, is full of recognizable details and, at the same time, following the traditions of Russian lubok, is pretty “peppered” with grotesque humor. In Lyubarov’s painting, subtle psychologism and attention to detail are peculiarly combined with the ingenuous expressiveness of naive art and the skill of a professional of high standard.