A Sooster exhibition, 1979.
Sooster's Grave, Estonia.
Feb 25, 2009
Soviet-Era Photos for Dinner
Mara Brasmane, Cabbages, 1972
Lemming Nagel, Seljanka, 1975-79
(apparently this soup is to Estonia what the hamburger is to America - or at least circa 1975...)
Kristjan Raud, Rye-Harvest, 1940
Boris Mikhalevkin, Waiting for the Store to Open, 1980
Isaac Tunkel, Celebration at a “Virgin Soil” Farm, 1957
Alexei Titarenko, from the series Dacha, 1981
Farit Gubayev, Tarsatan, undated
Anatolii Kulakov, Still Life, 1976
Feb 17, 2009
Photostroika!
The following photos are images that resonated with me from an issue of Aperture, issue #168, published in 1989 called Photostroika: New Soviet Photography. The photographers are from different parts of what are now former Soviet republics. The only one I know for sure is Estonian is Herkii-Erich Merila, who was born in Tallinn in 1964 and has a great website with an unusual yet pleasing (!) aesthetic here, which I hope to investigate further in the future.
In order as they appear:
Three images from the “Blossoming” Series, 1976-1985, Romualdas Rakauskas; Communal Tango, 1988, Herkki-Erich Merila;
From “Gypsy Life” Series, 1976-1988, Lyalya Kuznetsova; From “Country Celebrations – Pilgrims,” 1980-89, Romualdas Pozerskis; "Hill," 1986, Vyacheslev Koleichuk; "Love in the Kitchen," 1988, Roman Pyatkov; "Open the Window I’m Leaving (1 & 2)", 1988, Roman Pyatkov; "Tomorrow They’ll Even Fill It With Water", 1988, Kalju Suur; "The Slogan," 1987, Vladimir Zotov; From the “Town” series, 1981-1985, Boris Sadalev.
From an essay that appeared in the magazine, "Many Nations, Many Voices" by Daniela Mrazkova (pg. 24).
“Since the 1950s, the Baltic Nations have rebounded from Stalinist oppression to revive their culture. Taking pride in their own national traditions, many people in these republics are now clamoring for their right to self-determination.”
“The largely pastoral images produced by Baltic photographers have served as a corrective to the picture of life that has long been disseminated in official propoganda through the U.S.S.R. Photographs of traditional Baltic folk customs, or of country life and pastimes, contrast in their simple humanness with the seemingly endless numbers of photographs of heroic ballet-dancers, athletes, collective farmers, workers, cosmonauts, and soldiers that have long dominated official imagery.”
In order as they appear:
Three images from the “Blossoming” Series, 1976-1985, Romualdas Rakauskas; Communal Tango, 1988, Herkki-Erich Merila;
From “Gypsy Life” Series, 1976-1988, Lyalya Kuznetsova; From “Country Celebrations – Pilgrims,” 1980-89, Romualdas Pozerskis; "Hill," 1986, Vyacheslev Koleichuk; "Love in the Kitchen," 1988, Roman Pyatkov; "Open the Window I’m Leaving (1 & 2)", 1988, Roman Pyatkov; "Tomorrow They’ll Even Fill It With Water", 1988, Kalju Suur; "The Slogan," 1987, Vladimir Zotov; From the “Town” series, 1981-1985, Boris Sadalev.
From an essay that appeared in the magazine, "Many Nations, Many Voices" by Daniela Mrazkova (pg. 24).
“Since the 1950s, the Baltic Nations have rebounded from Stalinist oppression to revive their culture. Taking pride in their own national traditions, many people in these republics are now clamoring for their right to self-determination.”
“The largely pastoral images produced by Baltic photographers have served as a corrective to the picture of life that has long been disseminated in official propoganda through the U.S.S.R. Photographs of traditional Baltic folk customs, or of country life and pastimes, contrast in their simple humanness with the seemingly endless numbers of photographs of heroic ballet-dancers, athletes, collective farmers, workers, cosmonauts, and soldiers that have long dominated official imagery.”
Like Minds
The first few days we are in Estonia our space will be co-opted by Mike Hentz in the production of his piece KLIIMA, which had a 48-hour run of the space in October. Everyone was so satisfied with the "results," that they are doing a four or five day version at the beginning of June, and we agreed to release the space for this event - and to be a part of it. Basically, the performers stay in the studio space for the entire duration of the piece, with Mike manipulating and maneuvering the concept of "shared space." Although four or five days sounds a bit frightening, I admit, the idea of being immersed in this type of world is exciting. More about the project, including photos, here. A couple photos I enjoy from the October version, that remind me of a feeling I envision for parts of our own project:
Feb 13, 2009
Feb 5, 2009
Where the art world doesn't work
Academia Non Grata is alternative art school in Pärnu, Estonia. Offering workshops, residencies and study programs, this emerging collective breeds performances and events which approach the individual as anonymous and the group as an intertwined voice.
"The main point of the group is ethical - it is the image of primitivism, unpersonality and experimental creativity. The performances of the group take place according to the logic of avoiding codes. The presenatations are physical texts, whose ways of orthography and reading are kept within limits of real actions by the group members. Aesthetical and provocative challenges are represented in places, where the Art World doesn´t work." from
their manifesto can be found here:
Their goals and their approach are both completely romantic and idealistic... which i love and empathize with, and, with a lil' dose of skepticism, has me eager for a critical discussion! Regardless, organizations such as Non Grata raise immediately important issues - especially relevant to post-occupied countries - pertaining to the interrelated role of arts, education, and society. I'm currently making plans to meet with the organizers and participants during our stay.
They've recently been written up in Documenta's online magazine:
"The main point of the group is ethical - it is the image of primitivism, unpersonality and experimental creativity. The performances of the group take place according to the logic of avoiding codes. The presenatations are physical texts, whose ways of orthography and reading are kept within limits of real actions by the group members. Aesthetical and provocative challenges are represented in places, where the Art World doesn´t work." from
ACADEMIA NON GRATA their manifesto can be found here:
NON GRATA MANIFESTOTheir goals and their approach are both completely romantic and idealistic... which i love and empathize with, and, with a lil' dose of skepticism, has me eager for a critical discussion! Regardless, organizations such as Non Grata raise immediately important issues - especially relevant to post-occupied countries - pertaining to the interrelated role of arts, education, and society. I'm currently making plans to meet with the organizers and participants during our stay.
They've recently been written up in Documenta's online magazine:
DOCUMENTA: NON GRATA
Ulo Sooster
Ulo Sooster was an Estonian painter and influential player in the nonconformist art movement during the Soviet Occupation.
I am curious about the concept of "junipers." I thought this referred to the plant/bush, but the first image I have posted is called "Colored Junipers." Is it a lost-in-translation term? Or is the shape simply abstracted in the painting?
"One of the most influential artists of the Moscow forbidden art was the Estonian Ülo Sooster (1924–1970). He belonged among those numerous people deported to Siberia from Estonia in 1950, and who had suffered the horrors of a prison camp. After his release in 1956 and marriage, he stayed in Moscow where he found a common language with many independent Russian artists, including Ilya Kabakov. The latter wrote a monograph about Sooster, considering him one of his mentors. The manuscript had to wait years during the Soviet period before it was finally published in 1996 by the publishing house Kunst in Estonian, Russian and English — Kabakov had managed to emigrate from Russia in the meantime and rise to the echelons of the New York art scene. An obituary of Sooster, incidentally, appeared in the last issue of ‘Vitvarne Umeni’ (1970), a liberal Czech art magazine before it was closed after the Prague spring events.
Ülo Sooster’s art grew out of the tradition of Picasso and surrealism. Essentially, however, he found an outlet in art to express the inequality in society, accepting no compromises himself. ‘No compromises’ primarily meant refusing to co-operate with the communist party. His visions circled around three geometrically abstracted images — an egg, juniper and fish. Like the 20th century avant-garde artists, Sooster was tremendously fascinated with the triumph of science, drawing and painting weird ‘scientific’ visions."
-from ESTONICA.com
He died in 1970 at the tender age of 46, after years of drug and alcohol abuse, but apparently he remains a figurehead in the history of Estonian modern art.
“It seems that not only Sooster’s art but his entire personality has become an integral part of a powerful mythology, which still remains so vividly in the minds of the people who were touched by his presence.” (pg. 48. Eda Sepp, Estonian Non-Conformist Art from the Soviet Occupation in 1944 to Perestroika.)
I am curious about the concept of "junipers." I thought this referred to the plant/bush, but the first image I have posted is called "Colored Junipers." Is it a lost-in-translation term? Or is the shape simply abstracted in the painting?
"One of the most influential artists of the Moscow forbidden art was the Estonian Ülo Sooster (1924–1970). He belonged among those numerous people deported to Siberia from Estonia in 1950, and who had suffered the horrors of a prison camp. After his release in 1956 and marriage, he stayed in Moscow where he found a common language with many independent Russian artists, including Ilya Kabakov. The latter wrote a monograph about Sooster, considering him one of his mentors. The manuscript had to wait years during the Soviet period before it was finally published in 1996 by the publishing house Kunst in Estonian, Russian and English — Kabakov had managed to emigrate from Russia in the meantime and rise to the echelons of the New York art scene. An obituary of Sooster, incidentally, appeared in the last issue of ‘Vitvarne Umeni’ (1970), a liberal Czech art magazine before it was closed after the Prague spring events.
Ülo Sooster’s art grew out of the tradition of Picasso and surrealism. Essentially, however, he found an outlet in art to express the inequality in society, accepting no compromises himself. ‘No compromises’ primarily meant refusing to co-operate with the communist party. His visions circled around three geometrically abstracted images — an egg, juniper and fish. Like the 20th century avant-garde artists, Sooster was tremendously fascinated with the triumph of science, drawing and painting weird ‘scientific’ visions."
-from ESTONICA.com
He died in 1970 at the tender age of 46, after years of drug and alcohol abuse, but apparently he remains a figurehead in the history of Estonian modern art.
“It seems that not only Sooster’s art but his entire personality has become an integral part of a powerful mythology, which still remains so vividly in the minds of the people who were touched by his presence.” (pg. 48. Eda Sepp, Estonian Non-Conformist Art from the Soviet Occupation in 1944 to Perestroika.)
Feb 3, 2009
Estonians Love Holes in the Ground
Amazing article here about Estonian mysticism. Thanks to Harvey via Dad.
"The famed Witch's Well of Tuhala erupted last week for the first time in three years, attracting pilgrims from all over Estonia. Exhaling puffs of vapor in the slating light, the visitors dangled pendants to test energy fields and held arthritic fingers perfectly motionless over stones."
"The famed Witch's Well of Tuhala erupted last week for the first time in three years, attracting pilgrims from all over Estonia. Exhaling puffs of vapor in the slating light, the visitors dangled pendants to test energy fields and held arthritic fingers perfectly motionless over stones."
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