Exhibition of works by the Department of Decorative Arts of the Russian Academy of Arts

The Russian Academy of Arts presents the work of masters of decorative art in all the variety of types and genres, materials and techniques. These are art glass and ceramics, tapestry and textiles, metal, enamels, designer dolls, handicrafts. The exposition consisted of works by members of the Department of Decorative Arts of the Russian Academy of Arts, such well-known authors as academicians of the Russian Academy of Arts: S. V. Gavin, V. N. Galkin, A. S. Gorazdin, V. N. Gorislavtsev, N. A. Gushchin, F A. Ibragimov (1938-2020), V. A. Maloletkov, Yu. N. Merzlikina, N. V. Muradova, L. I. Savelyeva, T. P. Sazhin, T. S. Shikhireva, A. A. Shmakova, D. N. Shushkanov (1923-2002), L. N. Shushkanova (1926-2008), B. V. Fedorov (1948-2014), A. K. Khudyakova, E. Z. Tsereteli (Department of Art Studies and art criticism); Corresponding members of the Russian Academy of Arts: A. S. Belyaev, N. S. Budennaya A. V. Grekov, V. I. Zubritsky, V. I. Kasatkin, G. A. Korzina, V. G. Kuznetsova, E. V. Lavrishcheva, V. K. Makovetsky, E. E. Matko, V. I. Pavlov (1934-2014,

Decorative art in an emotional and sensual form in an accessible way reflects the characteristic features of its time. The art of leading masters attracts our attention with a variety of themes and plots, originality, play of imagination in creating expressive animated images. The freedom of the author’s technique, improvisational play with the material with full possession of technical means is revealed in vivid individual statements. Each artist leads his solo part, extracting new colors and timbres of its sound from the material and his individual technique.

The main "motivating" stimulus for creation in the art of the last thirty years is an interest in the plastic properties of the material, the discovery of a new expressiveness of its natural essence and the power of emotional sounding in space, in the environment. A new look at traditional material changes the attitude towards understanding its true nature, reveals its different substantial expressiveness, radically changing the principles of formation, images and meanings. In the modern experiment, one can see, one can guess the connection with the art of the past, the orientation to the samples of world art, recognized as the standard of perfection. The status of the modern artist of decorative art is noticeably changing, the range of his work, the range of tasks and interests is expanding, and the universalization of creative activity is taking place.

Technical innovations have become an integral part of the creative process, they have acquired the character of an artistic phenomenon in search of the author’s style. The works of Lyubov Savelieva are absolutely individual, with the theme of spatial metamorphosis discovered by her in glass, combined with a characteristic free painting. The painting of glass with the use of acrylic markers in the works of Lika Tsereteli is completely original. Mosaic in nature, the pattern, densely covering the surface of objects, arises easily and naturally, is perceived as impromptu, as free improvisation, as a natural gesture of the author’s hand. Color saturation reaches the maximum decorative effect. Optical glass is represented by the constructive objects of Olga Pobedova with their message to avant-garde art, glass by Yulia Merzlikina is innovative in its constructive and decorative basis and in the power of figurative and plastic expressiveness. Sculptural reliefs by Timur Sazhin made of frosted curved glass represent a special line in the overall picture of the development of domestic glass. The works of Fidail Ibragimov, Vladimir Makovetsky, Elena Lavrishcheva and Alexander Fokin in the technique of engraving, in a virtuoso performance, in the most perfect form, give an idea of the specifics of her artistic expression. Special mention should be made of the works of the artist of the Gus Crystal Factory, Vladimir Kasatkin. In the conditions of production, he creates samples that raise the level of the circulation item to high art. Sculptural reliefs by Timur Sazhin made of frosted curved glass represent a special line in the overall picture of the development of domestic glass. The works of Fidail Ibragimov, Vladimir Makovetsky, Elena Lavrishcheva and Alexander Fokin in the technique of engraving, in a virtuoso performance, in the most perfect form, give an idea of the specifics of her artistic expression. Special mention should be made of the works of the artist of the Gus Crystal Factory, Vladimir Kasatkin. In the conditions of production, he creates samples that raise the level of the circulation item to high art. Sculptural reliefs by Timur Sazhin made of frosted curved glass represent a special line in the overall picture of the development of domestic glass. The works of Fidail Ibragimov, Vladimir Makovetsky, Elena Lavrishcheva and Alexander Fokin in the technique of engraving, in a virtuoso performance, in the most perfect form, give an idea of the specifics of her artistic expression. Special mention should be made of the works of the artist of the Gus Crystal Factory, Vladimir Kasatkin. In the conditions of production, he creates samples that raise the level of the circulation item to high art. Special mention should be made of the works of the artist of the Gus Crystal Factory, Vladimir Kasatkin. In the conditions of production, he creates samples that raise the level of the circulation item to high art. Special mention should be made of the works of the artist of the Gus Crystal Factory, Vladimir Kasatkin. In the conditions of production, he creates samples that raise the level of the circulation item to high art.

The exposition pays tribute to the memory of Ditrii Shushkanov (1923-2002), whose centenary is celebrated this year. He worked together with his wife Lyudmila Shushkanova (1926-2008), brought picturesque images of nature into glass, establishing the author’s technique as a means of search and discovery. The unique art objects of Boris Fedorov (1948-2014) remain unsurpassed in the sharpness of creative ideas and the originality of their implementation. Fidail Ibragimov (1938-2020) stood at the origins of the development of modern sculpture in glass, as well as the plastic line in engraved glass.

The ceramics of the "Moscow school" with its characteristic tradition of lively free painting is represented by vases by Maria Favorskaya-Shakhovskaya, dishes by Galina Korzina, the sculptural line - by the works of Valery Maloletkov with their special author’s signs of plastic, pictorial and technical techniques, compositions by Valentina Kuznetsova with recognizable types and their emotional expressiveness of the gesture. Ceramics of St. Petersburg is represented by dishes by Vladimir Gorislavtsev with views of his beloved city with their poetic intonation, sculpture by Vladimir Tsivin, which has absorbed all the distinctive features of the plastic handwriting of the masters of the Leningrad school.

The art of artistic textiles is presented in a wide palette of different techniques, colors, and stylistic manifestations. Leading masters of tapestry Sergey Gavin, Alexander Gorazdin, Alla Shmakova demonstrate the invariable thoroughness of traditional weaving, inherent in the art of classical tapestry. At the same time, in the context of a broad experiment, the authors find new expressive means correlated with modern architectural space - whether it is the monumental plot works of Alla Shmakova in collaboration with Vyacheslav Pavlov (1934-2014), the decorative figurative-associative canvases of Alexander Gorazdin with their emphatically color- textural expressiveness, large-scale spatial compositions and installations by Sergei Gavin.

The panel with batik painting is identified with the works of Irina Trofimova, which have become iconic, a kind of monumental textile frescoes. The handwriting of Tatyana Shikhireva is unique. Her decorative panels with elegant and virtuoso painting are comparable to miniatures of rare manuscripts. In combination with a figured painted wooden sculpture (authorship of Nikolai Kononchuk), they acquire completeness and spatial breathing. Graphic in character, monochrome in color, the painting by Elena Heiker and Alexander Belyaev is marked by a special lyrical intonation. The textile of Natalia Muradova is unique with its multi-layer relief-picturesque surface structure, executed in the author’s complex technique with the use of painting, sewing, printing. Nina Budyonnaya "composes" decorative panels in the spirit of popular popular print with many original technical ideas.

Victor Zubritsky, the chief artist of the production of the famous shawls from Pavlovsky Posad, creates new variations of floral patterns, referring to the historical heritage of the traditional ornamental system. Nikolai Gushchin develops the traditions of the Khokhloma craft in all the beauty of traditional crockery forms and floral patterns on a golden background.

Artistic metal is represented by the works of the famous St. Petersburg master Valery Galkin, thanks to whose work this type of art has become a noticeable phenomenon in the architectural space and urban environment. Enamel paintings of large sizes in combination with steel plates by Yevgeny Matko are distinguished by the "drama" of the idea, a variety of plots and motifs - from antiquity to "unusual figures" with their metaphysics of geometric shapes.

Domestic and international exhibitions, symposiums, competitions, and master classes play an important role in the forward movement of art towards the new. An important stimulus in the formation of the creative path and an event in the biography of each artist are the personal exhibitions of the members of the Department, held in the halls of the Russian Academy of Arts. The exhibition of works by academicians and corresponding members of the Department of Decorative Arts of the Russian Academy of Arts in 2023 gives an idea of the creative process in all its diversity of individual vision of the general problems of contemporary art of the 21st century.

The text was prepared on the basis of an article by Academician of the Russian Academy of Arts, Doctor of Arts L. V. Kazakova