"First Squadron". Exhibition of works by Boris Belsky

The Russian Academy of Arts presents an exhibition of works by the famous graphic artist, one of the largest masters of silk-screen printing, Honored Artist of Russia, Academician of the Russian Academy of Arts Boris Belsky "First Squadron".

The marine theme has become the main one in the master’s work since his student years. The artist’s talent is clearly manifested in the works dedicated to the glorious history of the Russian Navy, the daily and combat life of sailors, ships and naval battles, the achievements of Russian shipbuilding. For more than 30 years BF Belsky has been working in the unique author’s silk-screen printing technique. The artist innovatively uses a variety of materials, including metal, fabric, paper, which will be demonstrated in the exhibition. The complex emotional plasticity of the graphic cycles "Ship Architecture", "Shipbuilding", "Boat" and "First Squadron" is complemented by a unique installation - the sail of the yacht "Formosa" under which Academician of the Russian Academy of Arts Fedor Konyukhov sailed around the world, will be presented on the main staircase of the historic mansion on Prechistenka, 21.

Here is what the master himself says about the exhibition: “Since 1981, I began to travel to the ships of the Soviet and Russian naval forces on creative missions, which I continue to do to this day, since my friends at that time had already become important admirals. Somewhere since 2000, this hobby has become almost manic, one of the articles about me was even called "Seasickness". Now I am composing ships, doing what one might call "Ship Architecture". An extremely broad topic, with many references to the history of shipbuilding. In my opinion, this is much broader, in a historical and visual context, than just seascape painting. The very concept of “ship” is one of the most universal in world culture. Trying to learn and change, to digest it all, I began to work on the theme of ships, as a so-called "careless draftsman". Gradually forming a model line of ship projects,actively using the silk-screening technique, which I have been doing since 1986 (this is a separate story). Practicing collage technology, based on extensive archives in need of ordering and disposal (so-called recycling in the form of collage). This is my first attempt to collect thoughts, pictures and objects within the framework of the plan for the formation of the First Squadron, with the development of its goals and objectives, as well as a visual list of ships so far.

The exhibition at the Academy is a kind of summary of all previous activities, the so-called “archive of the soul”. It consists of sheets of collages that can (and should) grow other projects of my “paper shipbuilding”. Welcome aboard!".

Boris Feliksovich Belsky was born in Moscow, in the family of graphic artist F.I.Belsky and A.A. Agamirova. In 1984 he graduated from the Faculty of Graphics of the Moscow State Academic Art Institute. V. I. Surikov, where he studied with N. A. Ponamarev, B. A. Uspensky, N. L. Voronkov. The master improved his professional skills in international printing centers: F. Maserel School (Netherlands), Glasgow Print Studio (England), Carcaran Art School and Rudgers University (USA). Since 1980, he has been participating in zonal, republican and all-Union exhibitions, in expositions of Soviet and Russian graphics abroad, international Biennials of graphics (Sapporo, Maastricht, Chibo, Busan, Kaliningrad). Personal exhibitions were successfully held in the halls of the Russian Academy of Arts, in the A. Shchusev Museum of Architecture.

In 1993 BF Belsky became the artistic director of the Creative silk-screen printing workshop of the Russian Academy of Arts in Moscow. The artist is the organizer of silk-screening master classes for students of the Moscow State Academic Art Institute. V.I.Surikov and St. IE Repin, students of the MAHL of the Russian Academy of Arts and a number of other educational institutions of the country. He is a member of the Commission on Graphics of the Board of the WTO SXR, an expert on printing technologies of the State Museum and Exhibition Center ROSPHOTO of the Ministry of Culture of the Russian Federation, a member of the All-Russian Association of Art Critics (AIS), a participant in scientific conferences of the Russian Academy of Sciences and the Russian Academy of Arts. BF Belsky conducts active social and patronage work on the ships of the Black Sea and Northern fleets. In Severomorsk he organized a large exposition of modern graphics, which he donated to the city. The author’s works are in the collections of museums in many Russian cities,foreign museums, in many private collections.