Photography

Cy Twombly (his real name was Edwin Parker Twombly) was an American painter and sculptor, one of the most incomprehensible artists, whose paintings cause constant debate and discussion in the art world. Most of his works are white canvases, covered with multi-coloured scribbles, lines and chaotic spots. The artist often uses various inscriptions in his works, making them look like urban elemental art of graffiti. Moreover, the name and meaning of the works are referred to ancient myths, classical paintings and cultures of various nationalities.

A modern American artist and sculptor. Lives and works with his wife, artist Charlene von Hale, in New York, as well as in Martha, Texas. The art of Christopher Wool includes art movements related to pop art, abstraction, and post-conceptual concepts.

An outstanding French artist, sculptor and photographer. Despite his short artistic career (1954-1962), he is rightly considered one of the most significant innovators of post-war European art.

David Hockney is a contemporary English and American artist, an author of famous paintings in the style of pop art with images of sparkling blue pools, attracting the viewer with their coolness in the middle of a hot afternoon. His paintings, smooth and shiny like magazine pages, mesmerize you by their simplicity, clarity and plenty of sunlight.After moving from England to California, the artist became interested in photography. The original technique of shooting with the subsequent overlay of frames allows Hockney to create unusual collages that no one had done before him - these are half-photographs, half-paintings.A constant admirer of Cubism, the artist creates works with a renewed perspective, combining several images into a single whole. His innovative approach to the collage method made the artist a recognized master of photography at the end of the 20th century.Being one of the most influential and expensive artists of our time, David Hockney is constantly inventing new techniques and experimenting with various styles. Since 2009, the artist has surprised the public with computer paintings created using an application on a regular tablet. Hockney’s work, like his bright personality, is of constant interest in society, which expects discoveries and bold challenges from the ageless artist.

David Salle is an American artist, photographer, stage designer, author of original collage paintings based on the aesthetics of Pop art. Like many artists of his generation, he drew inspiration for his rich visual language from famous works of art, arbitrarily adding elements of advertising and everyday culture to them. Salle's techniques in contemporary graphic design are also original.The name of the artist has become famous since the mid-1980s. His paintings filled with humor, theatricality and eroticism are multifaceted and contain a large number of cultural references. In paintings of David Salle, you can find references to the works of such classics as Velazquez and Bernini, allusions to the themes of Post-impressionists Cezanne and Giacometti, motives of Surrealist Magritte, as well as vivid images of American post-war art.The almost photographic accuracy of the images in the paintings of Salle, which paradoxically creates a sense of unreality, is breathtaking. The longer you look at the master’s works, the more and more exciting details, hints and parallels you find. Creating his works, the artist acts intuitively; this makes his works close to Surrealism and Classical Expressionism.David Salle is known not only as an artist but also as an authoritative art critic and art theorist. According to him, any painting should be created, first of all, for the people, and not for "abstruse" art critics. Therefore, his works are aimed at explaining the meaning of the works of past years in an accessible and understandable way, emphasizing their importance for contemporary art and tendency to continuity.

A German artist, one of the most famous and expensive contemporary painters. Gerhard Richter showed his talent in several styles of fine art. His photorealistic portraits with blurry contours are exhibited at the most famous museums in the world, and abstract canvases are sold at auctions for a lot of money.Starting his career in East Germany, the artist worked in a realistic style; however, having become acquainted with the works of contemporary artists Jackson Pollock and Andy Warhol, he sharply changed his painting towards avant-garde art. A few months before the fall of the Berlin Wall, he fled to West Berlin, where he started to search for his place in art. Based on photographs and products of popular culture, Richter created a vivid style, which included both realistic and completely abstract expression.In addition to painting, Gerhard Richter is known as the author of several major design projects. In 2007, he created the famous "Pixel Stained Glass" in Cologne Cathedral, which got the most controversial reviews. Instead of traditional biblical scenes, the artist created an impressive mosaic of multi-coloured glass, which consists of 11 thousand 250 coloured squares of eighty shades. It is interesting that the artist performed the work as a gift to the cathedral, without taking a dime for his painstaking labour.

An American contemporary conceptual sculptor and artist. The art of Bruce Nauman includes a wide range of creative interests: performance and installation, photography and art video, works for the media, printing and industrial production. In all areas, the artist was attracted by the nature of communication, problems of the language and the role of the artist as a manipulator of visual symbols by the means of communication.Nauman received numerous awards in several areas of artistic practice and an honorary doctorate in arts from the American Art Institute. His works are widely represented around the world at the expositions of the most prestigious museums and galleries. The monumental creations of Bruce Nauman inspired many other artists in the second half of the 20th century and continues to be in demand in the 21st century. In 2004, Time Magazine named him as one of the 100 most influential people in the art world. In 2006, according to the rating of Artfacts.net, Bruce Nauman was number one among living artists.

An American sculptor and designer of Japanese descent. Isamu Noguchi was one of the most prominent and famous sculptors of the twentieth century in the United States. Throughout his life, he was engaged in art experiments, created original sculptures, design of furniture and ceramics, architectural and landscape projects. His extraordinary and bold style combined traditional and avant-garde elements, setting a new standard for contemporary art.Noguchi did not lose touch with his historical homeland and spent a lot of time in Japan, opened a studio there. The artist regularly traveled around the world. The harmony of Japanese gardens and ceramics, the subtlety and grace of Chinese calligraphy, the gracefulness of Italian marble sculptures, the monumentality and brilliant simplicity of the art of the Indians of ancient America were reflected in his work.The sculptor's work was widely appreciated in the United States in 1938 after he created a large sculpture symbolizing freedom of the press for the Associated Press building in New York. This work was the first of many public facilities installed in various cities around the world. The works of Isamu Noguchi, from children's playgrounds, city squares and squares to complete garden complexes, reflects his faith in the social significance of sculpture, which makes art accessible to everyone.

An outstanding Ukrainian painter and graphic artist, one of the main representatives of the avant-garde fine art of the first half of the 20th century. He worked in the genres of landscape, portrait, still life and plot painting. David Shterenberg was a talented teacher; among his numerous students and followers, there were such prominent masters as A. A. Deineka and others. A multi-talented personality and creator, he was a book artist and a master of theatrical scenery.Being ahead of the development of new styles, the artist developed a theory of minimalism in a still life, where elements of Primitivism and Cubism harmoniously combined. He developed and published the program treatise "Tasks of Contemporary Art." He was awarded the title of Honored Artist of the USSR.The merit of the master in the world of art is that he defended the fundamental importance of easel painting in the general formation of a new aesthetics of the 20th century being in full solidarity with avant-garde art.

An innovative Czech artist, photographer, graphic artist and theater decorator, poet and art theorist, the brightest figure of European Surrealism of the 20th century. Jindrich Styrsky is also considered a representative of the Paris school of painting, since he lived and worked in France for a considerable time.The student of the Prague Academy of Arts was a part of Czech artistic bohemia and national avant-garde associations during its development between the two world wars - first in the Devestil group, then in the Manes group, and later in the surrealist community, one of the founders of which J. Styrsky became in 1934. In addition, the artist stood at the origins of the emergence of avant-garde photographic art and new scenography in Prague - he ran the Free Theater of the Czech capital.In the 1930s, Styrsky was the editor of the private magazine “The Erotic Revue” with illustrations from many famous Czech artists. The artist supplemented each issue with his collages. Among the most important surrealistic works is “Emily Comes to Me in a Dream”, which was published accompanied by erotic photomontages by the author and psychoanalytic interpretation of B. Brook. It greatly accelerated the overcoming of taboos and censorship of the bourgeois culture of that time.Jindrich Styrsky is a very peculiar, and, therefore, is not just a readable artist of Czech interwar art. His works are approved by modern European avant-garde classics and are presented in the most visited museums and galleries of the Czech Republic.

A Russian artist and master of photography, a significant figure of the Russian avant-garde, the closest aide and follower of Kazimierz Malewicz during the heyday of Cubofuturism and the functioning of the officially unregistered community of avant-garde artists Supremus.Following the author of the famous "Black Square" reflected not only in the paintings of Mikhail Menkov, but also in his declarative statements, which he published in the form of leaflets before significant exhibitions of avant-garde artists. He was a participant in the “Jack of Diamonds” exhibitions and the first post-revolutionary large-scale exhibitions.Menkov gave examples of Russian-Ukrainian Cubofuturism and Suprematism, as well as colour painting in the visual arts. He left a not too extensive legacy in the form of paintings and theoretical works created during his short creative career due to his early death at the age of 40. Paintings that he sent from Yalta where he was receiving treatment were lost on the way to Moscow. Some works were destroyed in the 1930s as “formalistic”; only those “exiled” to regional museums were preserved. Besides that, the artist devoted much time to photography – thanks to that work, a number of avant-garde exhibitions were held in Moscow and Petrograd.Paintings of Menkov were presented at the exhibition «Auf der Suche nach 0,10 - die letzte futuristische Ausstellung der Malerei» held in Basil, Switzerland in 2015-2016 in honour of the anniversary of “The Last Futuristic Exhibition Zero-Ten” in Petrograd.

A German artist, designer, writer and theorist of art, a talented teacher who worked in America for a long time. The name of Josef Alberts is inextricably connected with the Bauhaus Higher Art School in Weimar, which was known for its avant-garde orientation. A former student of this institution, Albers worked there as a teacher, created a new art glass studio, and later became the deputy director of the school.In the USA, where the artist emigrated after the Bauhaus was disbanded by the Nazi authorities, he continued his teaching activities and played an important role in spreading the aesthetics of constructivism, cubism and abstract art among American artists. His work served as a kind of bridge between European avant-garde trends and the new modern art of America.Albers was best known for his series of works “Homage to the Square”, which includes geometric abstract paintings and lithographs that are distinguished by exceptionally subtle chromatic harmony. Almost all the paintings in the series consist of several squares that are inside each other and painted in muted harmonious colours. Creating his work, the artist carefully thought out every detail, the most delicate shades of colour and the effect of the use of certain combinations.In 1963, the artist developed the theory of colour pigments, which he outlined in his book “Interaction of Colour”.

Zdzisław Beksiński was a Polish artist, master of art photography and computer graphics. Z. Bekshinsky was a vivid representative of late Surrealism, who initially created sculptures and wire installations. Having concentrated on painting, the artist first worked in the style of abstraction, but then quickly turned to fantastic Surrealism. This style includes his most famous works, the subjects of which are scenes of death, decay and post-apocalyptic horror.From the 1970s, the artist developed a specific manner of transmitting surrealistic horror paintings with a repeated addiction to the image of distorted bodies without faces or limbs, many-legged and many-armed monsters, often wrapped in rotten rags. If the artist painted architecture or interior, those were ruins shrouded in gloomy fog, houses covered with cobwebs, tourniquets and gravestones. Thus, most of Bekshinsky’s works are difficult to confuse with the work of other Surrealists. The artist never gave names to his impressive nightmares, giving the viewers an opportunity to reach the essence of the work themselves.After the Warsaw exhibition of 1964, when all canvases of the painter were sold out, almost all the opening days of Zdzislaw were a huge success in his homeland. In the early 1980s, the works of the Polish original master became known in France, and then he became incredibly popular in Western Europe, Japan and the USA.Bekshinsky bequeathed his paintings to the Historical Museum of the city of Sanok, where he was born. This museum now has the largest collection of works by the artist - several thousand paintings, sculptures, reliefs, drawings, graphics, and photographs.

A Georgian artist, graphic artist and master of scenography, as well as an art historian, inventor and teacher. David Kakabadze was an innovator not only in the field of fine arts but also in cinematography, who patented a film apparatus for volumetric shooting. His work is characterized by love for various European modern trends and by both a commitment to national themes and traditions and a distinctive interpretation of avant-garde art movements of the 20th century. The painter left a rich artistic legacy. The largest collection of his paintings belongs to the national museums and galleries of Georgia.

Английский военный художник-сюрреалист, фотограф, писатель и дизайнер-иллюстратор, скульптор, яркий представитель новой ландшафтной живописи первой половины двадцатого века.Пол Нэш сыграл ключевую роль в развитии модернизма в английском искусстве. Был участником лондонских семинаров Omega Роджера Фрая (движение вортицизм). В 1933 году он стал одним из основателей непродолжительного, но влиятельного движения «Unit One», деятельность которого стала важным шагом в активизации британского изобразительного искусства в межвоенный период.Художник был участником обеих мировых войн и прославился сериями о последствиях битвы при Ипре (картины 1918-1919 гг.), антропоморфными изображениями самолетов (ряд произведений 1940-ых гг.), а также богатыми на символику ландшафтами с сильным мистическим подтекстом. Картина Пола Нэша «The Menin Road» и по сей день считается одним из самых знаковых образов Первой мировой войны, а полотно «Мертвое море» - знаковым изображением последствий Второй мировой войны.Нэш также был прекрасным книжным иллюстратором, проектировал декорации для сцены, создавал рисунки для тканей и плакаты, выполнял органическую скульптуру и гравюры по дереву.Произведения Пола Нэша находятся в коллекциях всех ведущих музеев и галерей Англии, самое крупное собрание (87 картин, рисунков, документов) – в лондонской Галерее Тейт.

A Russian avant-garde artist, painter, graphic artist, master of art photography, poster artist, innovative photographer, sculptor, film artist. Alexander Rodchenko is rightly called the founder of advertising and design in the USSR. Rodchenko, along with V. Tatlin, is one of the ideologists of Constructivism. He was an adherent of the art movement when the form in the art merges with its utilitarian function. His wife, artist and designer Varvara Stepanova, helped him to do researches in the field of constructivist practice; they created many projects together in 40 years. Alexander Rodchenko left a legacy of poster production, as well as book graphics, illustrating Mayakovsky and Kruchenykh, Khlebnikov and other avant-garde word masters. The master’s photographic works, his ideas in creating installations and in designing small architectural forms are very highly valued throughout the world. Cinema attracted the artist as a new technical art. Collaborating with avant-garde cinema, Rodchenko created posters for the film “Battleship Potemkin” by Sergei Eisenstein; later worked as a decorator and production designer of the film “Your Acquaintance” by L. Kuleshov. Positioning himself after 1921 not as an artist-creator, but as an artist-designer, Alexander Rodchenko vividly responded to invitations to decorate cities, create posters, organize exhibitions and workshops. Being a professor of state-owned free workshops, he organized the work of one of the first design studio faculties in the USSR. As an artist and photographer, Alexander Rodchenko is represented in major museums in Russia, Europe. His work “Black on Black” is in the permanent exhibition of the New York Museum of Modern Art.

Edgar Degas was a French painter and one of the brightest representatives of the Impressionist movement. When he was young, his father prophesied the career of a lawyer. However, Degas was more interested in arts and admired the painting. The young artist was born into a rich aristocratic family and therefore could devote all his time to the arts without having to worry about money.

A Chinese dissident artist, sculptor, architect, installation master, social and political activist. Ai Weiwei is known throughout the world as one of the creators of the project of the Olympic stadium "Bird's Nest" in Beijing and the author of bright, most often provocative compositions in which he draws attention to critical social problems.Many of the artist's works are criticized by the Chinese communist regime, for which he was repeatedly persecuted by the government. In 2011, Ai Weiwei was arrested at a Beijing airport and searched; Internet resources related to his name were blocked, and he was banned from leaving China. These events caused a great resonance in the world of art. Many artists and art figures supported Weiwei and organized protests in major cities in Europe and America.The works of the Chinese artist are art objects made of a wide variety of things, ranging from a huge chandelier to children's backpacks and sunflower seeds. Each of his works carries a strong emotional and semantic load; it is designed to draw public attention to unresolved problems and injustice in the structure of society in his country. Weiwei’s actual social theme, courage and perseverance in the fight for justice together with his original artistic vision make him one of the most prominent figures in contemporary art.

A Russian artist of Jewish origin, a vivid representative of the avant-garde of the first third of the 20th-century art. El Lissitzky is rightly classified as a “pioneer” in exposition design. His famous prouns (short for “projects of the approval of the new”) conquered Europe - the “Prouns' Room” was created in Berlin, and the principles developed by Lissitzky were used by such artists as V. Tatlin, P. Mondrian, etc.The role of Lissitzky in building effective bridges between the Western avant-garde and Russian post-revolutionary art in the 1920s was significant. Collaborating with many art magazines published in Berlin and Amsterdam, Lissitzky influenced the development of the international graphic design of the XX century and a whole generation of European artists.Lissitzky believed that the artist is an agent of social changes, who seeks and implements a new expressive language through posters with a bright visual effect, easily understood by all social layers in all countries of the world. The propaganda side of many of his works does not overshadow what the artist brought into the use of forms, solid colours, and their organization in the space of the work. His creative concept developed the branch when the totality of the work is a unique style that embodies painting, architecture and sculpture.The artist was an active member of the Jewish national cultural revival, organizer and participant in exhibitions, illustrator of Jewish literature. A valuable contribution to the development of art was his essay “Memories of the Mogilev Synagogue” published in 1923 in Berlin, the only theoretical work by Lissitzky dedicated to Jewish decorative art.

Many of Yakov Chernikhov's projects are not a separate building but a whole complex of buildings designed for a specific purpose. During his career, the artist created and implemented several such complexes that have a wide variety of purposes.

Like in his earlier works, the artist paid much attention to colours, carefully selecting the necessary shades and their combinations. In “Red Diagonal”, colours create a dynamic composition, thanks to the contrast between the neutral white and the defiant fiery red hue.

The abstract works of Ellsworth Kelly are based on natural forms. In the 1960s, he made a series of lithographs in the style of minimalism, in which he depicted tree leaves and fruits in the form of simplified flat figures.

“On the Balcony” is an iconic painting by the artist, which became one of the first works in the style of pop art. The characters of the picture, looking like teenagers, are surrounded by images of many balconies, which attentive viewers, if not too lazy, can count – they are total 32.

This collage in the spirit of Dadaism consists of figures cut from magazines. They are grouped in three tubular test tubes. Closer to the viewer, a group of African men form a ring - they crouched, their hands tied.

Mediums: photos, paper. Location: the Getty Museum, Los Angeles, the USA.

Mediums: steel, aluminum, plexiglass. Location: the Tate Modern Gallery, London (the UK).

Location: the Museum of Newark (New Jersey, the USA).

Black and white photography.

Размер: 23.8 x 21.8 см

Location: Museum of Modern Art, New York, USA.

Mediums: silvery gelatin.

Mediums: silvery gelatin.