Bathers by Amshey NurenbergCFC Big Ideas in association with the Ministry of Culture and Information Policy
What is Ukrainian avant-garde?
The combination of European modernism with the traditions of folk art gave impetus to the development of the brightest Ukrainian modernism movement. The world heard about it in 1973, thanks to the introduction of the "Ukrainian avant-garde" term by art critic Andréi Nakov.
Three female figures (1909/1910) by Aleksandra EksterCFC Big Ideas in association with the Ministry of Culture and Information Policy
The biggest growth of Ukraine’s avant-garde movement took place during the 1910s-1930s. Its development was most concentrated in Kyiv, Lviv, Odesa, and Kharkiv. Notable Kyiv representatives of the avant-garde are Oleksandra Ekster (also spelled as Alexandra Exter) and her school.
Bread Roll (1914) by Vasyl YermylovCFC Big Ideas in association with the Ministry of Culture and Information Policy
In Lviv, avant-garde is associated with Oleksa Novakivskyi and his school. In Odesa, Izdebsky developed his salons. In Kharkiv, the galaxy of artists included primarily Vasyl Yermylov and Maria Sinyakova, to name a few.
Yellow balls (1970) by Sonia DelaunayCFC Big Ideas in association with the Ministry of Culture and Information Policy
The list of Ukrainian avant-garde artists includes, but is not limited to, David Burlyuk, Oleksandr Bogomazov, Kazimir Malevich, Oleksandr Arkhipenko, Anatol Petrytskyi, Sonia Delaunay, Victor Palmov, Vadym Meller, Nina Genke, Ivan Kavaleridze, and Oleksandr Khvostenko-Khvostov.
The Beach (1920) by Viktor PalmovCFC Big Ideas in association with the Ministry of Culture and Information Policy
So, what are the most interesting ways to see Ukrainian avant-garde?
Suprematist Composition (1916) by Kazimir MalevichCFC Big Ideas in association with the Ministry of Culture and Information Policy
Way №1: through painting
Ukrainian-Polish Kazimir Malevich grew up in Ukrainian villages until the age of 16. He was inspired early on by local landscape paintings and that influenced him for the rest of his life. He was a major proponent of t suprematism, one of the most famous movements of modernism.
Bridge. Sèvres (1912) by Aleksandra EksterCFC Big Ideas in association with the Ministry of Culture and Information Policy
Avant-garde amazon and notable representative of European cubo-futurism, Alexandra Exter experimented with textures and space and also paid a lot of attention to contrast, dynamism, and rhythm.
Street Fight (Fighting police) (1931/1935) by Leopold LevitskyCFC Big Ideas in association with the Ministry of Culture and Information Policy
Way №2: through graphics
One of the themes of avant-garde graphic works is freedom. In his 1930s graphic works, Leopold Levytsky paid considerable attention to the topic of confrontation in society. This is how "factorialism" appears.
Illustration to A Game in Hell, a book by Alexei Kruchenykh and Velimir Khlebnikov (1914) by Kazimir MalevichCFC Big Ideas in association with the Ministry of Culture and Information Policy
Avant-garde graphics were actively used in book printing: specifically in illustrations and cover design.
Model of the monument to Artyom for the city of Slovianogorsk. Sculpture by Ivan KavaleridzeCFC Big Ideas in association with the Ministry of Culture and Information Policy
Way №3: through sculpture
Oleksandr Archipenko, Ivan Kavaleridze, Boris Yakovlev are among the noted avant-garde sculptors. Kavaleridze also tried to bring the sculpture's statics and monumentalism to film-work. Unfortunately, neither it nor the constructivist monument to Artem has survived to our times.
Head of a young girl. Sculpture (1929) by Borys YakovlievCFC Big Ideas in association with the Ministry of Culture and Information Policy
Throughout his life, Boris Yakovlev worked in the field of easel sculpture, and in the 1920s and 1930s, he taught at the Odessa Art Institute.
The Chess costume design for the The Red Poppy theatre play by Reinhold Gliere, Kharkiv National Opera, Directed by Yevhen Vihilyov (1927) by Anatol PetrytskyCFC Big Ideas in association with the Ministry of Culture and Information Policy
Way №4: through theater
Scenography is an undeniably important component of the Ukrainian avant-garde. The revolution in scenography is connected with Alexandra Exter and Anatol Petrytskyi.
