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      (E-E) Evgenij Kozlov: exhibitions >> Leningrad 80s >>

PERESTROIKA IN THE AVANT-GARDE:
The New Artists at Liverpool

Bluecoat Gallery and Tate Gallery, January / February 1989

Research and Text: Hannelore Fobo, April / October 2020
Page 1: Introduction. From Stockholm to Liverpool. >>
Page 2: The New Artists exhibition at the Bluecoat Gallery >>
Page 3: The exhibition logo
Page 4: The Exhibition of Banners at the Tate Gallery Liverpool >>
Page 5 The Bluecoat Gallery press release >>



“Perestroika in the Avant-Garde” – the logoytype

А BBC documentary on the Leningrad festival shows musicians and artists on their flight to Liverpool, discussing the upcoming events printed on the Bluecoat festival poster. The poster's design is striking: against a black background, a red and white star set into a grid of stripes immediately attracts the attention of the viewer, who, in succession, will read the red bold type headline on top of the star: “Perestroika in the Avant Garde”.

The same red an white star was printed on the cover of Bluecoat‘s January/February zigzag fold (with a different lay-out of the stripes), giving it a distinct Soviet avant-garde appearance.

 Leningrad artists and musicians flying to Liverpool to perfom at the festival "Perestroika in the Avant-Garde". Video frame from a BBC documentary. Bluecoat‘s January/February 1989 zigzag fold featuring (E-E) Evgenij Kozlov‘s Star. Video frame from Kozlov‘s video taken at his studio in 1991.

Leningrad artists and musicians flying to Liverpool to perfom at the festival "Perestroika in the Avant-Garde". Video frame from a BBC documentary.

Bluecoat‘s January/February 1989 zigzag fold featuring (E-E) Evgenij Kozlov‘s Star. Video frame from Kozlov‘s video taken at his studio in 1991.




This red and white logo was a reprint of (E-E) Evgenij Kozlov‘s painting Star from 1987; its size is 207 x 225 cm more about the painting >>. Star, painted with white paint on red calico, was first exhibited in April 1988, during the New Artists exhibition and festival at the Leningrad Sverdlov House of Culture, where Star and two other paintings created in the same constructivist style framed the stage area of the exhibition hall, CCCP and Star. 6 Figures. more >>

It is interesting to have a closer look at the history of “Star” from its first public documentation at the Sverdlov House of Culture, Lenignrad, to the poster of “Perestroika in the Avant-Garde”. We will trace it country by country: USRR, Sweden, Denmark, England.

In the process of selecting works for the exhibition (around the time of the New Artists Sverdlov House of Culture exhibition), the Swedish organisers took pictures of both Star and Star. 6 Figures at Timur Novikov‘s Leningrad studio and gallery ASSA (CCCP, measuring 2 x 5.30 m, was too large for an indoor picture at Novikov‘s place).

(E-E) Evgenij Kozlov with Star. 6 Figures (1987, left) and Star. (1987, right) Galaxy Gallery, Peterhof, Leningrad, 1987. Photo: Andrey Fitenko  Exhibition Новые художники ("The New Artists"), Sverdlov House of Culture, Leningrad, April 1988. Three works by (E-E) Evgenij Kozlov "framing" the stage of the exhibition hall. Left: Star ; centre: CCCP ; right: Star. 6 Figures All works from 1987. Photo: A. Savatyugin, 1988

(E-E) Evgenij Kozlov with Star. 6 Figures (1987, left) and Star. (1987, right)
Galaxy Gallery, Peterhof, Leningrad, 1987. Photo: Andrey Fitenko


Exhibition Новые художники ("The New Artists"), Sverdlov House of Culture, Leningrad, April 1988.
Three works by (E-E) Evgenij Kozlov "framing" the stage of the exhibition hall. Left:
Star ; centre: CCCP ; right: Star. 6 Figures All works from 1987.
Photo: A. Savatyugin, 1988
more >>
Documenting (E-E) Evgenij Kozlov's painting Star (1987) for the exhibition De Nya fran Leningrad / The New from Leningrad Kulturhuset, Stockholm, 1988. The painting is turned 90 degrees to the left. The picture was taken at Timur Novikov‘s studio and gallery ASSA, Leningrad. Left: Timur Novikov. Standing on the ladder: Magnus Dahnberg, Swedish Consulate, Leningrad. Unknown photographer, 1988 Documenting (E-E) Evgenij Kozlov's painting Star 6 Figures (1987) for the exhibition De Nya fran Leningrad / The New from Leningrad Kulturhuset, Stockholm, 1988. The picture was taken at Timur Novikov‘s studio and gallery ASSA, Leningrad. Left: Timur Novikov. Right: Magnus Dahnberg, Swedish Consulate, Leningrad. Unknown photographer, 1988

Documenting (E-E) Evgenij Kozlov's painting Star (1987) for the exhibition De Nya fran Leningrad / The New from Leningrad Kulturhuset, Stockholm, 1988. The painting is turned 90 degrees to the left.
The picture was taken in Leningrad. Left: Timur Novikov. Standing on the ladder: Magnus Dahnberg, Swedish Consulate, Leningrad.
Unknown photographer (Olof Thiel?), 1987 or 1988

Documenting (E-E) Evgenij Kozlov's painting Star 6 Figures (1987) for the exhibition De Nya fran Leningrad / The New from Leningrad Kulturhuset, Stockholm, 1988.
The picture was taken in Leningrad. Left: Timur Novikov. Right: Magnus Dahnberg, Swedish Consulate, Leningrad.

Unknown photographer (Olof Thiel?), 1987 or 1988




In August 1988, the three paintings exhibited at the Sverdlov House of Culture –Star, CCCP,  and Star. 6 Figures – travelled to the Kulturhuset, Stockholm, together with a fourth painting from the same “constructivist” cycle, Smiling Sickle, and six (or more) of Kozlov‘s figurative paintings. Star, CCCP, and Smiling Sickle were displayed at the Kulturhuset, while Star. 6 Figures was reproduced in the Kulturhuset catalogue and in newspapers. more >>

De Nya fran Leningrad / The New from Leningrad, Kulturhuset, Stockholm, 1988. From left to right: works by Oleg Kotelnikov, (E-E) Evgenij Kozlov ( Smiling Sickle; the painting is turned 90 degrees to the left), Sergei Bugaev, (E-E) Evgenij Kozlov (Star) and Oleg Maslov/Alexey Kozin. Photo: Fredrik Vogel De Nya fran Leningrad / The New from Leningrad, Kulturhuset, Stockholm, 1988. Left: (E-E) Evgenij Kozlov (CCCP), right: Oleg Kotelnikov Photo: Fredrik Vogel

De Nya fran Leningrad / The New from Leningrad
, Kulturhuset, Stockholm, 1988.
From left to right: works by Oleg Kotelnikov, (E-E) Evgenij Kozlov (
Smiling Sickle; the painting is turned 90 degrees to the left), Sergei Bugaev, (E-E) Evgenij Kozlov (Star) and Oleg Maslov/Alexey Kozin.
Photo: Fredrik Vogel
more >>

De Nya fran Leningrad / The New from Leningrad, Kulturhuset, Stockholm, 1988.
Left: (E-E) Evgenij Kozlov (
CCCP), right: Oleg Kotelnikov
Photo: Fredrik Vogel
more >>

CCCP was part of the exhbition of banners at the Tate Gallery Liverpool see page 4 >>

Exhibition catalogue De Nya fran Leningrad / The New from Leningrad, Kulturhuset, Stockholm, 1988, p. 37. Top: (E-E) Evgenij Kozlov Star 6 Figures Bottom: Timur Novikov Photographer not identified Aftonbladet, Stockholm 26 August 1988 The article about the forthcoming festival of Leningrad underground culture announces the exhibition De Nya fran Leningrad / The New from Leningrad with Kozlov's painting Star. 6 Figures. The picture on top by Dmitry Konradt is from a 1985 Pop-Mekhanika concert at the Leningrad Rock Club

Exhibition catalogue De Nya fran Leningrad / The New from Leningrad, Kulturhuset, Stockholm, 1988, p. 37.
Top:
(E-E) Evgenij Kozlov Star 6 Figures
Bottom: Timur Novikov
Photographer not identified (Olof Thiel?)

Aftonbladet, Stockholm 26 August 1988
The article about the forthcoming festival of Leningrad underground culture announces the exhibition De Nya fran Leningrad / The New from Leningrad with Kozlov's painting Star. 6 Figures.
The picture on top by Dmitry Konradt is from a 1985 Pop-Mekhanika concert at the Leningrad Rock Club more >>




However, it was another one of Kozlov‘s paintings that was selected for the cover of the Kulturhuset catalogue and as exhibition logo for De Nya fran Leningrad / The New from Leningrad: Kozlov‘s Portrait of Novikov from 1985 Timur on Horseback. Ironically, this work was not shown in Stockholm; its whereabouts are unknown. (Perhaps it did travel to Stockholm and perhaps it was sold before the exhibition opened. But this is just a hypothesis.)

Exhibition catalogue De Nya fran Leningrad / The New from Leningrad, Kulturhuset, Stockholm, 1988 Cover with a reproduction of (E-E) Evgenij Kozlov‘s painting from 1985 Тимур на коне / Timur on Horseback  This painting was not shown at the exhbition, and its wherebouts are unknown. Exhibition poster De Nya fran Leningrad / The New from Leningrad, Kulturhuset, Stockholm, 1988, displaying (E-E) Evgenij Kozlov‘s painting from 1985 Тимур на коне / Timur on Horseback This painting was not shown at the exhbition, and its wherebouts are unknown.

Exhibition catalogue De Nya fran Leningrad / The New from Leningrad, Kulturhuset, Stockholm, 1988
Cover with a reproduction of
(E-E) Evgenij Kozlov‘s painting from 1985 Тимур на коне / Timur on Horseback
This painting was not shown at the exhbition, and its wherebouts are unknown.

Exhibition poster De Nya fran Leningrad / The New from Leningrad, Kulturhuset, Stockholm, 1988, displaying (E-E) Evgenij Kozlov‘s painting from 1985 Тимур на коне / Timur on Horseback
This painting was not shown at the exhbition, and its wherebouts are unknown.




So how did Star become the star at Liverpool?
The answer surely lies in the fact that Fredrik Vogel, who was in charge of the New Artists’ works after the Kulturhuset exhibition ended, made Star the logotype for De Nye fra Leningrad. / The New from Leningrad at the Kunstnernes Hus, Aarhus, 29 Oct – 13 Nov 1988, and probably for following exhibition in Copenhagen, too (at least, that would have been reasonable). We can definitely say that the Aarhus booklet, as well as the Liverpool poster and booklet, reproduced Vogel‘s picture taken at the Kulturhuset, because it is easy to recognise a particular feature of this picture in the printed poster. In order to pay attention to this feature, it helps to know some of the technical properties of Star.

(E-E) Evgenij Kozlov at his solo show USA-CCCP-CHINA, Egbert Baqué Contemporary, Berlin, 2018 Left: Star, white paint on red calico, 207 x 225 cm, 1987 Right: Star. 6 Figures, white paint on red calico, 211 x 230 cm, 1987 Photo: Hannelore Fobo

(E-E) Evgenij Kozlov at his solo show USA-CCCP-CHINA, Egbert Baqué Contemporary, Berlin, 2018
Left:
Star, white paint on red calico, 207 x 225 cm, 1987
Right:
Star. 6 Figures, white paint on red calico, 211 x 230 cm, 1987
Photo: Hannelore Fobo
more >>

Kozlov created the work with a elaborate, “inbuilt” frame. The contours of the painting are slightly zigzagging, which required a special sewing technique. To exhibit the canvas flat, without folds, the zigzag corners must be nailed to an even surface or wall. At the Kulturhuset, however, the work was suspended from the top, hanging loosely.
As the material is rather thin – Kozlov used red calico for banners – part of Kozlov’s signature disappeared in a fold in the lower right corner. The reproduction of Star on the poster displays this very fold, leaving some rudimentary white spots where the artist‘s signature should be.




/E-E) Evgenij Kozlov Star Exhibition De Nya fran Leningrad / The New from Leningrad, Kulturhuset, Stockholm, 1988. Fredrik Vogel‘s picture shows the fold on the lower right corner of Star, where some letters from the signature disappear.

/E-E) Evgenij Kozlov Star
Exhibition De Nya fran Leningrad / The New from Leningrad, Kulturhuset, Stockholm, 1988.
Fredrik Vogel‘s picture shows the fold on the lower right corner of Star, where some letters from the signature disappear. more >>

Booklet for De Nye fra Leningrad./ The New from Leningrad at the Kunstnernes Hus, Aarhus, 29 Oct – 13 Nov 1988, featuring (E-E) Evgenij Kozlov‘s Star. The picture shows the fold in the painting‘s lower right corner. Video frame from Kozlov‘s video taken at his studio in 1991.  Left half of the "Perestroika in the Avant-Garde" festival poster (Liverpool, 1989) featuring (E-E) Evgenij Kozlov‘s painting Star. The reproduction shows the characteristic fold in the painting‘s lower right corner.

Booklet for De Nye fra Leningrad./ The New from Leningrad at the Kunstnernes Hus, Aarhus, 29 Oct – 13 Nov 1988, featuring (E-E) Evgenij Kozlov‘s Star.
The picture shows the fold in the painting‘s lower right corner.
Video frame from Kozlov‘s video taken at his studio in 1991.

Left half of the "Perestroika in the Avant-Garde" festival poster (Liverpool, 1989) featuring (E-E) Evgenij Kozlov‘s painting Star. The reproduction shows the characteristic fold in the painting‘s lower right corner.

Unfortunately, the graphic designer forgot to mention Kozlov‘s name on the Bluecoat poster, and the poster has been reprinted since without referring to the author of Star. An example is Timur Novikov‘s exhibition catalogue at the Moscow Museum of Modern Art, 2013, p. 256.





Below are the Buecoat festival poster "Perestroika in the Avant-Garde" and various views of the zigzag fold.

 "Perestroika in the Avant-Garde" festival poster (Liverpool, 1989) featuring (E-E) Evgenij Kozlov‘s painting Star.

"Perestroika in the Avant-Garde" festival poster (Liverpool, 1989) featuring (E-E) Evgenij Kozlov‘s painting Star.




Bluecoat‘s January/February 1989 zigzag fold featuring (E-E) Evgenij Kozlov‘s Star. Video frame from Kozlov‘s video taken at his studio in 1991.

Bluecoat‘s January/February 1989 zigzag fold featuring (E-E) Evgenij Kozlov‘s Star.
Video frame from Kozlov‘s video taken at his studio in 1991.




 Bluecoat‘s January/February 1989 zigzag fold featuring (E-E) Evgenij Kozlov‘s Star. Video frame from Kozlov‘s video taken at his studio in 1991.

Bluecoat‘s January/February 1989 zigzag fold featuring (E-E) Evgenij Kozlov‘s Star.
Video frame from Kozlov‘s video taken at his studio in 1991.




 Bluecoat‘s January/February 1989 zigzag fold featuring (E-E) Evgenij Kozlov‘s Star. Video frame from Kozlov‘s video taken at his studio in 1991.


Bluecoat‘s January/February 1989 zigzag fold featuring (E-E) Evgenij Kozlov‘s Star.
Video frame from Kozlov‘s video taken at his studio in 1991.




Bluecoat‘s January/February 1989 zigzag fold with a picture of Sergey Kuryokhin standing before (E-E) Evgenij Kozlov‘s painting CCCP. The picture, taken at the Kulturhuset, Stockholm, 1988, is labelled "Pop Mekhanika". Kozlov was one of Kuryokhin‘s favourite artists.  Video frame from Kozlov‘s video taken at his studio in 1991.


Bluecoat‘s January/February 1989 zigzag fold with a picture of Sergey Kuryokhin standing before (E-E) Evgenij Kozlov‘s painting CCCP.
The picture, taken at the Kulturhuset, Stockholm, 1988, is labelled "Pop Mekhanika". Kozlov was one of Kuryokhin‘s favourite artists.
Video frame from Kozlov‘s video taken at his studio in 1991. CCCP was part of the exhbition of banners at the Tate Gallery Liverpool
see page 4 >>




Research and Text: Hannelore Fobo, April / October 2020
Page 1: Introduction. From Stockholm to Liverpool. >>
Page 2: The New Artists exhibition at the Bluecoat Gallery >>
Page 3: The exhibition logo
Page 4: The Exhibition of Banners at the Tate Gallery Liverpool >>
Page 5 The Bluecoat Gallery press release >>

uploaded 24 April 2020
last updated 30 November 2021