Leningrad porcelain has played a prominent role in the cultural
life of the city on the Neva in many exhibitions from the early
1970s to the present day. The enchanting, fairy tale decorations
of the old master Alexei Vorobyevski, people's artist of the
RSFSR and holder of the Repin Prize, are representative of Leningrad
porcelain. Without prior sketches, he created a fantastic, theatrical
world where the magic conjuring of castles in the air, of crystal
bridges, of gallant ladies and gentlemen conversing, promenading
or sitting in strange gondolas, is followed by popular merry-go-rounds
with vividly colored horses and cockerels, or where fairy-tale
heroes dance with delicate ballerinas, where white Arctic ice
floes give place to the legendary gardens of Semiramis, or where
strange tropical plants sprout amidst of ice and frost-flowers.
When asked about his inventions, the artist shrugged and said:
"I never plan anything, it just comes to me in my dreams."
None of his over 1000 subjects resembles another; only in his
service "Picture Gallery" - a summing up of fifty
years of work - did he bring all his favorite subjects together.
Next to him worked the porcelain painter Ivan Risnich, a master
in representing animals. He brought the enthusiasm and passionate
temperament of a huntsman to the decoration of his work, which
is enchanting in its beautifully sensitive depiction of animals,
their lives and their habitats. His life's work was portrayed
in his dramatic themes of expressive animal figures on plates
and services, on magnificent under glaze vases with poetic names
such as "The Swan Brings Winter".
The renowned artist of the RSFSR, Seraphima Yakovleva, enriched
the forms of classical Soviet porcelain by finding new, contemporary
solutions. She shuns all obvious effects and is pleasing through
the simplicity of her work, based on years of experience and
thorough knowledge of the secrets of her craft. Her creations
radiate warmth and coziness.
The many facets of the art of Leningrad porcelain are unexpectedly
revealed in the richness and range of its flower decorations,
the classical elegance of architectural landscapes, the diversity
of wreath ornamentation and geometric patterns by painters
such as Lyubov Afanasyeva, Seraphima Bogdanova, Kapitolina
Kosenkova, Nina Pavlova, Antonia Semyonova, Elizabeta Firsova,
Nina Guseva and Liya Orlova; similarly in the delicate, gently
melancholy, lyrical decorations by Larisa Grigoryeva, in the
shapes of souvenirs, gift items and table services by Alexander
Borisov and Tatiana Linchevskaya. The magnificent under glaze
landscapes by Viktor Zhbanov, renowned artist of the RSFSR,
have renewed the techniques of the imperial porcelain painters
and brought them to new glory. Indeed, his creations portray
the mysterious charm of the forest in winter, the limitless
swaying cornfields, the beauty of birch coppices - those typical
landscapes which are inseparable images of Russia.
Cooperation over many years between porcelain painter Zhbanov,
who colored the animal figures, and their modeller, the sculptor
Pavel Veselov, was extremely fruitful. The "porcelain
zoo" they created consists of almost 100 figures; animals
and birds, all uniquely characteristic. Veselov achieved European
recognition and a silver medal at the Prague World Exhibition
of Ceramics, where the gold medal was won by another Pavel
- the world famous Pablo Picasso. Today Pavel Veselov is regarded
as the greatest animal sculptor, whose work is coveted by
museums and whose porcelain figures, made in Leningrad, are
sought all over the world.
The soulfulness of the realistic figures created by Ivan
Risnich, Viktor Zhbanov and Pavel Veselov from the realms
of nature is a typically Russian phenomenon, which Fyodor
Tyutshev described in his poem:
Nature is not what we think,
Is not imitation, not soulless iron
There is love there, and also freedom
There is language, and also heart.
The work of Inna Olevskaya is directed toward the world of
art. With her picturesque sculpted compositions, she has enriched
contemporary porcelain with the traditions of Russian and
west European applied art of previous centuries. For this
she has been awarded an honorary diploma by the Academy of
Arts of the USSR and the first prize at the Quadriennal at
Erfurt. Her ideas and works are influenced by the humanity
of her values, which she derives from sources such as Pushkin,
Dante, Petrarch and Goethe; this enables her to gain strength
of expression from the period she admires most - that of the
pre-Renaissance and the Cinquecento. In Olevskaya's concern
with the past there is, nevertheless, always a contemporary
note of belief in the predestination of the artist and his
or her role in perceiving and changing the world. In her painting,
with her exquisite and rich palette, she brings to life figures
for which the inspiration has come from the theatre, poetry,
music, along with the beauty and uniqueness of the city.
The overall picture of Leningrad porcelain is rounded off
by the works, from the middle of the 1970s, of those "Mukhina"
graduates whose creative journey had just begun and each one
of whom was attempting to find his or her own language in
ceramic art and to give expression to ideas and thoughts in
ways suited to the material.
Head of the decorative section was Nina Slavina, a renowned
artist of the RSFSR, holder of the Repin Prize, and later
elected corresponding member of the Academy of Arts of the
USSR. Slavina came from a traditional "porzelin"
family. From her earliest childhood she had often visited
the porcelain factory with her parents. Her curiosity and
her inclination to try out everything with her own hands have
left their imprint on the experimental character of her work,
continually searching for the new, as well as on the breadth
and variety of her interests. Her complete mastery of image
and form, as well as her profound knowledge of the production
process, enabled her to create highly artistic mass articles.
At the same time, porcelain is, for Nina Slavina, a precious
material that has enabled her to realize her skill in painting,
in small architectural shapes and in porcelain sculptures.
Hence the richness, the generosity, the virtuosity of her
decoration, the inventiveness of forms, the creation of a
genre sculpture, where the strongly emotional impact of the
subject - be it the mysterious face of the city during the
white nights, the triumph of awakening nature in springtime,
or the majestic stature of the Russian woman - ("Sudarynya":
mistress, great lady) - takes precedence over form, color
or material. Slavina's painting is expressive, almost always
rich in contrast. She seems to carry within her person the
contradictions of our time, its complications, and the far
from commonplace manner in which the artist perceives these.
For her, the process of manufacturing porcelain has always
been and remains closely linked to art. The ideal, formed
piece of art should at the same time be technically thought
out, economically profitable, desired by purchasers, and yet
worthy of a museum's collection. In her work she always aims
for this degree of perfection, and since she has become the
factory's artistic director, she has made this principle into
the supreme maxim of the entire team.
Every artist working in the factory has been given the opportunity
to familiarize him or herself in all procedures and methods
of treating porcelain, so as to be able to realize his or
her individual characteristics or talents to the full. In
earlier days, all that was demanded of the artists was to
increase productivity and fulfill the set norms. Not everyone
realized at that time that such regimentation of talent not
only impeded creativity but also actually reduced the much-vaunted
fulfillment of economic plans.
It was by no means rare that a porcelain painter with long
years of experience would suddenly begin to create forms,
a modeller move over to porcelain painting, or an expert under
glaze painter take to enamels. Work with the material within
a wide range, plus the great heritage of the factory's traditions,
and immediate contact with outstanding porcelain masters influenced
the work of aspiring young artists who brought new renown
to Leningrad porcelain during the 1980s.
The porcelain created by Andrei Larionov was always original
and unmistakable. He created a unique world of visions, whose
main subject was the Petersburg of Gogol and Dostoyevski,
"this most fantastic of cities... of all the cities of
the globe", whose fascinating mystery the artist attempted
to penetrate in his works; or the lyricism of the early Block,
in his "Show Booth" and "Most Beautiful Lady";
and also the memories of the feast of riotous colors, the
joy and abandon of the Cuban carnival shot through with sadness
at the feast having passed, or perhaps more generally at unfulfilled
longings. The emotional atmosphere of the decoration was determined
by the artist's choice of under-glaze painting in combination
with brilliant enamel colors.
In the 1960s, Elvira Yeropkina revived traditions of genre
figures that had been left in abeyance. The subjects of her
work are our contemporaries, heroes from fairy tale and literature,
and figures from theatre and ballet productions. In reaching
for the rich heritage of the past, Yeropkina opens up traditional
themes, but from today's perspective. Similarly, the work
of Yuri Zhgirov is a renaissance of the miniature painting
of the imperial factory and is unique in its mastery and perfection.
A further development can be observed in the works of Tatiana
Afanasyeva with her deeply individual style of painting architectural
views and her remarkable sensitivity to form that is indebted
to Suprematist porcelain traditions. The same is true of Galina
Shulyak and her harmonious compositions, well-organized graphic
style and skilfully discriminating palette.
Nelli Petrova's work, steeped in the philosophical implications
of the unfathomable concept of "Home", gives expression
to lyricism, love and gentle nostalgia. In her many-faceted
art, the theme of Russia, its culture and history, plays a
paramount place.
|
