Exhibition YURI CHERNOV (1935 - 2009). ON THE 80th ANNIVERSARY OF SCULPTURE

On August 18, 2015 at 17 o’clock in the Russian Academy of Arts at the address: Prechistenka St., 21 an exhibition of works by the national artist of the RSFSR, academician of the Russian Academy of Arts Yuri Chernov (1935-2009) opens.

The exposition includes sculptural works from 1957–2008.

Y. Chernov. Self portrait. Bronze. 1998

Y. Chernov. My fathers. Bronze. 2008

Yuri Chernov - one of the largest masters of domestic sculpture. He worked actively in easel and monumental plastic; his monuments were erected in Russian cities and abroad. Many of his works, marked by high professionalism, a careful attitude to tradition and at the same time a constant search for new expressive means, have become classics of Russian art.

A recognized master of compositional portraiture and genre sculpture, Yuri Chernov created a huge number of works for his vibrant, intense creative life, including multi-figured compositions, small-sized sculptures, and portrait genres. Among the significant monumental works of Y. Chernov are monuments to Alexander Nevsky in Novgorod, Leo Tolstoy in Canada, India and Japan, surgeon G.A. Ilizarov in Kurgan, Yuri Gagarin in Moscow and Orenburg.

Y. Chernov. Father and sons. Bronze. 1972

Y. Chernov. Monument to Alexander Nevsky. Architect G.G. Isakovich. Bronze, granite. Novgorod.

Yuri Lvovich Chernov was born in 1935 in Moscow. He graduated from Moscow Secondary Art School, then - V.I.Surikov Moscow State Art Institute, the workshop of Professor N.V. Tomsky. Since 1957, he has been constantly participating in Moscow, all-Union and international exhibitions, soon declaring himself as an outstanding creative person. In the 1960s, the artist was among those who boldly paved new ways in art.

Chernov’s easel compositions occupy a special place in Russian sculpture. Close attention to the person, the desire to penetrate into his inner world, to comprehend the character in all complexity is distinguished by the portrait works of Yu. Chernov. His characters are people of different eras, professions, destinies. In his first works in this genre, he turns to the images of relatives and friends, as well as people who attracted the attention of the sculptor with a sharp character and expressiveness of appearance.

Y. Chernov. Monument to G.A. Ilizarov. Architect G.G. Isakovich. Bronze, granite. Mound.

Y. Chernov. Portrait of L.I. Chernov. Forged copper. 1969

As he grows creatively, Chernov sets himself increasingly complex tasks. He creates a number of group portraits marked by plastic integrity and harmony: “Self-portrait with a daughter”, “Time is running (Among friends)”, which were included in the exhibition - “Fathers”, “Nephews”, “Father and Sons”. The exhibition also presents expressive portraits of famous historical figures and our contemporaries: F. Nansen, V. Bering, Yu. Senkevich, F. Konyukhov, Tour Heyerdahl and others.

The undeniable artistic value is possessed by the memorial plastic of Yu.L. Chernov. His works create memorable images, reveal the special historical significance of an outstanding personality. In memorial plaques to M. Mussorgsky, S. Marshak, D. Shostakovich, Yu. Levitan, A. Raikin, K. Chukovsky and others, the sculptor’s masterly skill in the technique of processing various materials - bronze, granite, in creating high relief was manifested.

Y. Chernov. Etude. Composition. Bronze. 1993

Y. Chernov. Yu.Senkevich. Forged copper, wood. 1983

In the last decade, Y. Chernov created a monument to Sholom Aleichem, installed on the street. Malaya Bronnaya in Moscow (2001, architect G. Kopans), and a monument to A.P. Chekhov at the Melikhovo Literary and Memorial Museum-Reserve (2002, architect V. Bukhayev). In their scale and compositional methods, they are close to easel work, commensurate with the person and his environment.

The works of Y. Chernov are in the collections of the State Tretyakov Gallery, the State Russian Museum, many Russian museums and a number of foreign collections.

The exhibition runs until August 30, 2015.