(E-E) Ev.g.e.n.i.j ..K.o.z.l.o.     Berlin                                                  


      (E-E) Evgenij Kozlov: Exhibitions >> Leningrad 80s • No.114>>

АРТ-РОК-ПАРАД «АССА» / Новая живопись 1980-х годов
ART ROCK PARADE “ASSA” / The New Painting of the 1980s


Palace of Culture of the Moscow Electric Lamp Plant (ДК МЭЛЗ, DK MELZ), Moscow • 25. 3. to 17. 4. 1988


Artists: From Leningrad
«Новые художники» — Тимур Новиков, Сергей Бугаев-Африка, Инал Савченков, Евгений Козлов, Владислав Гуцевич, Вадим Овчинников, Иван Сотников, Андрей Крисанов, Евгений Юфит, Олег Котельников.
New Artists: Timur Novikov, Sergei Bugaev-Afrika, Inal Savchenkov, (E-E) Evgenij Kozlov, Vladislav Gutsevich, Vadim Ovchinnikov, Ivan Sotnikov, Andrei Krisanov, Evgeny Yufit, Oleg Kotelnikov.

From Moscow:
Сергей Шутов, Юрий Аввакумов, Аркадий Петров, Юрий Петрук, Георгий Пузенков, Мария Серебрякова, Алена Кирцова, Константин Латышев, Константин Звездочетов, Михаил Рошаль, группа «Чемпионы мира», Георгий Острецов, Георгий Литичевский, Наталья Логинова, Светлана Виккерс, Александр Мясников.
Sergey Shutov, Yuri Avvakumov, Arkady Petrov, Yuri Petruk, Georgy Puzenkov, Maria Serebriakova, Alena Kirtsova, Konstantin Latyshev, Konstantin Zvezdochetov, Mikhail Roshal, "The Champions of the World" group, Georgy Ostretsov, Georgy Litichevski, Natalia Loginova, Svetlana Vikkers, Aleksandr Miasnikov.

Source: Юлия Лебедева, Асса в массы. / Yulia Lebedeva, ASSA to the Masses.
First published in АРТХРОНИКА (ART KHRONIKA, Art Chronicle) 7-8, 2008.
Republished 16.04.2018 in АРТГИД / Artguide, external link >>




Introduction

In her article from 2008, written on the occasion of the twentieth anniversary of the release of the Sergey Solevyev's cult film “ASSA", Yuila Lebedeva describes how the film‘s premiere – originally set for November 1987, but then shifted to the end of March 1988 [1] – was promoted not only with with merchandise items, a novelty for Soviet cinema, but also with a large festival called АРТ-РОК-ПАРАД / ART ROCK PARADE, which included concerts, an exhibition, and a fashion show.

The movie “ASSA" features the music of Aquarium and Bravo, two Leningrad and Moscow rock bands that had already gained much popularity at that time. Most importantly, it ends with Viktor Tsoy and his band Kino performing Tsoy's emblematic song "We want change", which became the unofficial hymn of perestroika (see also: ASSA on Wikipedia external link >>). It also features artists from the Leningrad New Artists group, in the first place Sergei Bugaev, who played one of the leading roles. The festival, however, presented not only musicians and artists performing in the film, but also many others from the Leningrad and Moscow underground scene, thus creating a celebration of counter-culture.

Moscow photographer Sergei Borisov, who was himself related to both Leningrad's and Moscow‘s sub-culture, filmed the opening of the ART ROCK PARADE exhibition "The New Painting of the 1980s", as well as Irene Burmistrova’s "Fashion Show”. The video is available on Misha Buster kompost project’s YouTube Channel External link >>. It displays a large number of exhibits (although by far not all) and some interviews. With regard to the New Artists, the video documents works by Timur Novikov, Inal Svachenkov, Vladilslav Gutsevich, Oleg Kotelnikov, Sergei Bugaev, and two paintings by (E-E) Evgenij Kozlov, “CuCsCaP (One hundred questions and answers)”, a work on paper, and “I want her (and I I)”, painted on textile, from 1987 and 1988, respectively.


[1] «Ассе» вдруг отказали в «Ударнике». Ведь все было готово: напечатана рекламная продукция, придуманы выставка и музыкальная программа. Только не было места, где это показать. Пытаясь спасти дело, Яна Либерис рассказала о проблемах в программе «Взгляд». И через пару месяцев один из «взглядовцев» Дмитрий Захаров подкинул уже отчаявшимся рекламщикам и несколько загрустившему Соловьеву идею с помещением ДК МЭЛЗ, где была театральная сцена. Тогдашний директор ДК Александр Вайнштейн не побоялся у себя молодежной тусовки, в отличие от директора «Ударника» Людвига Ваняна, за три дня до премьеры отказавшегося от показа «Ассы» под предлогом того, что «на правительственной трассе», «прямо напротив Кремля», намечается какой-то непонятный ему шабаш. В итоге вместо ноября 1987-го фильм вышел лишь в конце марта 1988 года.

Yulia Lebedeva, ASSA to the Masses, 2008 external link >>




(E-E) Evgenij Kozlov’s Paintings

Both “CuCsCaP (One hundred questions and answers)” (1987) and “I want her (and I I)” (1988) combine some typical features the artist used and developed around that time – irregular borders of canvas or other surfaces breaking the monotony of rectangular shapes, constructivist elements inspired by the early Soviet avant-garde, stencilled lettering, and graffiti art techniques like spray and motion lines. But they do so in quite specific ways.




CuCsCaP (One hundred questions and answers)

(E-E) Evgenij Kozlov CuCsCaP (Сто вопросов и ответов) / CuCsCaP (One hundred questions and answers) Mixed media on paper, 171 x 354 cm 1987. Exhibition ART ROCK PARADE “ASSA” / The New Painting of the 1980s Left: Unknown visitor. Screenshot at 7:34 min from Sergei Borisov's video of the opening, 25. 3. 1988, Moskow, DK MELZ


(E-E) Evgenij Kozlov
CuCsCaP (Сто вопросов и ответов) / CuCsCaP (One hundred questions and answers)
Mixed media on paper, 171 x 354 cm 1987.
Exhibition ART ROCK PARADE “ASSA” / The New Painting of the 1980s
Left: Unknown visitor.
Screenshot at 7:34 min from Sergei Borisov's video of the opening, 25. 3. 1988, Moskow, DK MELZ
External link >>



(E-E) Evgenij Kozlov CuCsCaP (Сто вопросов и ответов) / CuCsCaP (One hundred questions and answers) Mixed media on paper, 171 x 354 cm 1987. Inv.no E-E 187012

(E-E) Evgenij Kozlov
CuCsCaP (Сто вопросов и ответов) / CuCsCaP (One hundred questions and answers)
Mixed media on paper, 171 x 354 cm 1987.
Inv.no E-E 187012



The following text is is a fragment of chapter four from "White on Red", describing, in the main, the painting “Star. 6 figures” and comparing it to works using a similar motif, such as “CuCsCaP (One hundred questions and answers)”. I published the article in 2020 more >>

    A large multicolour painting on paper from 1987 displays another combination of one large figure and a group of smaller figures, similar to Star. 6 Figures. Its size is 171 x 354 cm, and it is entitled CuCsCaP (Сто вопросов и ответов) / CuCsCaP (One hundred questions and answers). Evgenij Kozlov’s sketch for this work shows the large figure to the left. We only see its mighty legs, suspended in mid-air, as the rest of the body is beyond the format of the paper. Behind its left leg a skyscraper appears, which helps us to assess the size of the single figure: it must be gigantic. To the right, four smaller figures point towards it.

    To transfer this sketch to a painting, Kozlov created a surface consisting of approximately 250 of his vintage prints of Leningrad artists and musicians. He covered these photos with translucent magenta, blue, and yelllow ink, turned the paper upside down, and framed it with strips made from black photo paper bags.

    Using a large variety of techniques – flat silhouettes, thick filled or unfilled one-colour outlines, dripped or dotted lines, and stencilling – he then applied the figures as described above, completing them with a zigzagging pattern of stars along the upper border, several arrows, stencilled lettering on the lower border, and some other elements. As a result, and despite its formal similarities to Star. 6 Figures, CuCsCaP is much closer to American graffiti art than to Russian constructivism, although we might just as well say that in CuCsCaP, these two styles form a new style. The title might give us a clue. CuCsCaP can be deconstructed as CCCP and USA, and the letters are rhythmically intertwined.

    (E-E) Evgenij Kozlov Untitled Pencil on paper, 18.5 x 25 cm, 1987 Inv. no. E-E-187068 (E-E) Evgenij Kozlov CuCsCaP (Сто вопросов и ответов) / CuCsCaP (One hundred questions and answers) Mixed media on paper (vintage prints), 171 x 354 cm, 1987 Detail of the lower border, inverted, displaying a picture with Valery Alakhov and Igor Verichev of the Leningrad electronic music band New Composers Inv. no. E-E-187012 Photo: Hannelore Fobo

    (E-E) Evgenij Kozlov
    Untitled
    Pencil on paper, 18.5 x 25 cm, 1987
    Inv. no. E-E-187068

    (E-E) Evgenij Kozlov
    CuCsCaP (Сто вопросов и ответов) / CuCsCaP (One hundred questions and answers)
    Mixed media on paper (vintage prints), 171 x 354 cm, 1987
    Detail of the lower border, inverted, displaying a picture with Valery Alakhov and Igor Verichev of the Leningrad electronic music band New Composers
    Inv. no. E-E-187012
    Photo: Hannelore Fobo

Because the photographs of “CuCsCaP” are arranged in the opposite direction to the motif, the painting can be displayed inverted, with the pictures showing correctly and the composition upside down. This is how Kozlov displayed it in his Leningrad studio “Russkoee Polee / The Russian Field” in 1989 more >>.




I want her (and I I)

 (E-E) Evgenij Kozlov Хочу Е Я (и ЯЯ) / I want her (and I I) Mixed media on canvas, approx. 189 x 109 cm, Exhibition ART ROCK PARADE “ASSA” / The New Painting of the 1980s Right: Unknown visitor. Screenshot at 7:34 min from Sergei Borisov's video of the opening, 25. 3. 1988, Moskow, DK MELZ


(E-E) Evgenij Kozlov
Хочу Е Я (и ЯЯ) / I want her (and I I)
Mixed media on canvas, approx. 189 x 109 cm,
Exhibition ART ROCK PARADE “ASSA” / The New Painting of the 1980s
Right: Unknown visitor.
Screenshot at 7:34 min from Sergei Borisov's video of the opening, 25. 3. 1988, Moskow, DK MELZ
External link >>



(E-E) Evgenij Kozlov Хочу Е Я (и ЯЯ) / I want her (and I I) Mixed media on canvas, approx. 189 x 109 cm, Inv.no. E-E 188007

(E-E) Evgenij Kozlov
Хочу Е Я (и ЯЯ) / I want her (and I I)
Mixed media on canvas, approx. 189 x 109 cm,
Inv.no. E-E 188007




In 1988, Kozlov's painting ”I want her (and I I)” was shown twice: In March / April 1988 in Moscow at “The New Painting of the 1980s”, a section of the festival ART ROCK PARADE “ASSA”, and again in August / September 1988 at "The New from Leningrad", which was part of a large New Artists festival at Stockholm's cultural centre "Kulturhuset". The exhibition displayed a total of seven of his paintings more >>. Most of these works travelled further to New Artists exhibtions in Denmark and Liverpool more >>, although ”I want her (and I I)” remained in Stockholm, where it was included in the December 1988 exhibition “Russian Artists from Leningrad at Pierre Munkeborg's antique store more>>. Its wherebouts are unknown, but the design for the upper part of the compostion has been kept in Kozlov's collection.




Untitled drawing for “Хочу Е Я (и ЯЯ) / I want her (and I I)” Pencil on paper, 60 x 84 cm, 1988 Inv.no E-E-188008

Untitled drawing for “Хочу Е Я (и ЯЯ) / I want her (and I I)”
Pencil on paper, 60 x 84 cm, 1988
Inv.no E-E-188008



The constructivist drawing reveals an unusual combination of different perspectives. The buildings, presenting a large factory, are shaped according to the principle of projective geometry, with two vanishing points left and right, while the cars are seen in linear perspective, with one central vanishing point. Yet taken as a whole, the opposing perspectives create a natural effect. Kozlov used the motiv of the factory again in "Love for Woman” from 1989, from the cycle "New Classicals” more >>.




(E-E) Evgenij Kozlov Untitled (Любовь к Женщине / Love for Woman) Mixed media on wood, two-sided, 42.5 x 59.9 x 2 cm + pedestal, 1989 Inv. no. E-E-189003 (front)

(E-E) Evgenij Kozlov
Untitled (Любовь к Женщине / Love for Woman)
Mixed media on wood, two-sided, 42.5 x 59.9 x 2 cm + pedestal, 1989
Inv. no. E-E-189003 (front)



With its play with letters, the lower part of the painting “Хочу Е Я (и ЯЯ) / I want her (and I I)”, refers to a large painting called Я-Я (Ya-Ya or "I-I”) more>>, thus taking up a comic and graffiti style Kozlov had started to develop since 1985 in numerous sketches more>>.




(E-E) Evgenij Kozlov Untitled ((Токио и Талия / Tokio I Talia) Felt-tip pen on paper, 19 x 13 cm, 1985 Inv. no. E-E-185015

(E-E) Evgenij Kozlov
Untitled ((Токио и Талия / Tokio I Talia)
Felt-tip pen on paper, 19 x 13 cm, 1985
Inv. no. E-E-185015



To create irregular borders for the canvas required a technique Kozlov worked out in 1987 for the paintings “Star” and “Star. 6. Figures” with the help of a piping he sewed to the canvas, a piece of textile more>>. In this way, the piping takes over the function of a frame for the composition. Starting in 1988, he applied a ground coat to the surface before applying the composition itself. The artist used these technique mainly up to 1990.

Hannelore Fobo, 26 October 2022




(E-E) Evgenij Kozlov  Искусство Любви / The Art of Loving  Oil on canvas, two-sided, 185 x 155 cm, 1990 Inv. no 190011

(E-E) Evgenij Kozlov
Искусство Любви / The Art of Loving
Oil on canvas, two-sided, 185 x 155 cm, 1990
Inv. no 190011



Uploaded 26 October 2022

Last updated 28 March 2023