He was born on December 20 in the Oryol province, the village of Volotovskoe. His family suffered from the despotism of the father – trying to restrict his son’s freedom, he did not allow him to get a passport. Perhaps, there were the origins of his heightened sense of untruth and desire to make everything fair. Pavel loved painting from childhood and even learnt it reading a teach-yourself book.
1920 - 2011
Pavel Leonov
description
A Russian self-taught artist, one of the leading representatives of the older generation of naive artists. He was an author of more than ten personal expositions, was highly appreciated at the international exhibition Insita-1997 (Bratislava, Slovakia, Grand Prix), at the International Naive Art Competition Gallery Pro Art Kasper (Switzerland, 2000, Grand Prix). His exhibitions were successfully held in the USA (Gallerie Saint-Etienne, New York) and Germany (S. Zander Museum), in Amsterdam (Hamer Gallery) and Edinburgh (Ziv gallery). P. Leonov’s paintings were used in the film “Seraphim Polubes and other inhabitants of the Earth.” Films about the artist himself and his work were shot in 1998 (“Leonov and his wife Zina went out for a walk”, it received prizes of festivals in Belgium and Germany), in 1999 (“Leonov”, Netherlands), and in 2001 (“Leonov from Makhovitsa”).
Key ideas:
– Leonov’s paintings demonstrate features characteristic of naïve art, it is so obvious that they can be regarded as an example of this style. The artist uses the principle of the frieze-like composition, repeats significant elements, choosing their simplest forms, sometimes generalized to the level of the character-hieroglyph. As in archaic art, through planar details, he expresses the depth of vision, the power of experience, and the plot narration itself. This is peculiar to the traditions of not only Greece or Egypt, but also folk crafts, and fair lubok. In Leonov’s work, the qualities that are common for naïve art adopt the features of his individual artistic consciousness. Thus, his paintings have an inner world that is peculiar only to this author.
– The concept of Leonov projected into the future (his “Golden Age”) stands on two equal-sized pillars: the approach of time of universal justice and the triumph of “good” technical progress. At the same time, art historians do not see here the projections of the so-called communist myth, as can be assumed, knowing the years of the formation of the artist’s mindset. The golden age of the painter is his ideas and his coloristic element, with its incredible ability to turn cheap paints into jewels. Ocher becomes gold, strange violet and green hues on the figures and in the sky are felt like pearl; his favorite combination of yellow and black turns out to be festive. His sharp intuitive color sense that is, probably, beyond the consciousness of the self-taught artist, allows him to achieve the harmony of sense and colorful expressiveness.
– In general, Leonov’s style is characterized by the combination of small and big figures. The division of the work into separate squares, each of which shows different themes, is one of the essential merits of the master. His special sense of rhythm and ability to arrange color spots in the space of the painting so that the entire surface was “caught”, as if surrounded by lines of force and turned into a monolith, is like hypnosis for a viewer. Animalism is also attractive in this regard – the author includes the world of animals in the human world with no visible distance between them, emphasizing attention to the life of our small friends.
– The whole extraordinary image system has its own Leon mythology, in which the heroes (Leonov himself, his Zina and Turgin), central and symbolically significant events (arriving to the war or to the carpentry shop), and also gods are clearly identified. To be more precise, the goddesses-bathers, who, staying beyond the time and in eternal pleasure and joy guarantee the fullness of the past or future golden age.
1920
1937 - 1942
1942 - 1945
1946 - 1960
1968 - 1970
1970
1980
1990
2000 - 2001
2005
2006 - 2010
2011
The artist was born
After the conflict with his father, he left his house
After the conflict with his father, he left his house; soon he was arrested for a small conflict with an army officer; he was imprisoned in Georgia (a camp in the town of Poti), where he might have got acquainted with the works of N. Pirosmani.
Studied at the Baku Higher Combined Arms Command School
Studied at the Baku Higher Combined Arms Command School, served in the army (Hungary), where he painted portraits of his comrades and actively fought “for justice”; after the victory, he briefly returned to the village of Volotovskoe.
Worked at the artel, then at the mine in the Rostov region
Worked at the artel, then at the mine in the Rostov region. He was arrested for unauthorized departure from the mine; however, a year later he was released under an amnesty. He worked in Tula on the arrangement of the railway until 1953. He lived in the cities of Siberia, in Kamchatka and Kazakhstan; worked mostly as a plasterer and created his first oil painting.
Entered the Distance Learning People's University of the Arts
Entered the Distance Learning People’s University of the Arts, where his tutor was a talented artist, representative of The Sixtiers, M. Roginsky. First came to the Ivanov oblast, where he worked near Mekhovitsy in the village of Voznesenye. He returned to Kazakhstan, and then moved to Uzbekistan and worked on a collective farm.
Participated in the anniversary exhibition of the Distance Learning People's University of the Arts in Moscow
Participated in the anniversary exhibition of the Distance Learning People’s University of the Arts in Moscow; moved from Uzbekistan to Novokuznetsk, attended the seminar of the university (1972, Moscow region); he moved to the Ivanovo region, where he bought a house in the village of Mekhovitsy, married Zina, whom he often painted; became a father (got son Serhei). The artist’s paintings were presented at the exhibitions of the naïve art.
Participated in the exhibition “50 years of the Distance Learning People's University of the Arts”
Almost did not paint, afraid of being arrested for unearned income, worked as a driver in Mehovitsy. Participated in the exhibition “50 years of the Distance Learning People’s University of the Arts” held in Podolsk in 1983 and the exhibition “The International of the Imaginary. A look at the USSR ”, Paris-Laval, 1988.
The most fruitful period of his art
The most fruitful period of his art: the art experts were interested in his paintings, Moscow and foreign art collectors purchased his paintings; the artist often worked to order. Organized the exhibition “Golden dream” (The Center of Modern Art, 1933). The Grand Prix of the International Triennial of naive art “Insita-1997” (Slovakia, Bratislava) made him even more popular. He created the large canvas “Mekhovitsy”. Leonov’s paintings were exhibited at the Kovcheg Gallery (1999) and became a part of the traveling exhibition “Pushkin Images in the Works of Naive Artists of Russia”. His first album composed by K.G. Bohemskaya was released.
The Grand Prix
At the exhibition and competition of European naïve artists in Switzerland (Morges city) the artist was awarded the Grand Prix. The National Gallery of Bratislava arranged a rerun of the naïve painter’s works (the first exhibition was held in 1997). In the same year, his grandson Pavel was born. The artist became a participant of the traveling exhibition “I saw a new sky” (organized by the Museum of Naive Art, 2001).
“Pavel Leonov”
On the 85th anniversary of the artist, expositions of his works were organized: the personal one with the laconic title “Pavel Leonov” was held at the Moscow center of modern art; the exhibition “Lost paradise” was held at the Proun Gallery and the Museum of Naive Art.
His wife Zina passed away
His wife Zina passed away. The artist started living with his son in the village of Savino. In 2010, the large exhibition “Pavel Leonov. From the collection of K. Bohemskaya and A. Turchin” was held at the Gallery Roza Azora.
The artist died
On March 25, the artist died and was buried in the cemetery of the village of Savino, Ivanovo region. His personal memorial exhibition was organized by the Department of the personal collections of A. Pushkin Governmental Museum of Fine Arts. The next one took place at the Gallery Roza Azora in 2012.