(E-E) Ev.g.e.n.i.j ..K.o.z.l.o.v Berlin |
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(E-E) Ev.g.e.n.i.j ..K.o.z.l.o.v Berlin |
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(E-E) Evgenij Kozlov: Exhibitions >>
| (E-E) Evgenij Kozlov's Participation in the Second TEII Exhibition (1983) in His Diary and Photographs  Text: Hannelore Fobo, 2021 Chapter 11: Work in process 1982-1987. House / Minor Target Shooting and Double Painting / Oile previous page: Chapter 10: Searching for the language of the future next page: Chapter 12: Closing comments Table of contents: see bottom of page >> |
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Chapter 11: Work in process 1982-1987. House / Minor Target Shooting and Double Painting / Oile
Although ‘House’ and ‘Double Painting’ are both from 1982, they are very different in terms of style, composition, and subject matter – yet they share the same biography. Both follow a work on paper, both were removed from the Second TEII Exhibtion, and both were repainted later to a considerable degree in at least two stages and given new titles. Each work is documented in four succeeding steps, starting with the work on paper inspiring the respective painting. Two of the pictures are from the municipal archive of the city of Stockholm, since 'Minor Target Shooting’ and ‘Oile’ were among those works preselected for the New Artists exhibtion ‘The New from Leningrad’, 1988 more >>. These two ‘sets’ of four pictures each offer a unique opportunity to follow works in process. However, if the reasons for removing ‘House’ and repainting it can be gathered from the diary entries, no such information is availabe for ‘Double Painting’. But perhaps Kozlov fulfilled his own demand to ‘Make colours in a painting more intense, and render specific areas more beautiful in accordance with the sense they express’ (p. 4-41 ). House / Minor Target Shooting The table below shows the genesis and development of ‘House’ in four stages, the second stage being the work discussed in the diary, that is, the one Kozlov referred to with the sentence ‘This is not the language of the future and not even of the presence’. Accordingly, the third and fourth stages show what Kozlov perceived as better expression of contemporary art.
The first picture is a drawing from 1981 carried out with colour crayons, perhaps also with wax crayons. The second picture shows the painting presented on an easel. Kozlov adapted the composition almost unchanged. In the picture, the colours have a violet tint, but are still fairly true. The third picture, from 1987, documents the composition with some important changes. It keeps the compositional ‘grid’ division, but in the place of prisoners there are soldiers carrying guns shooting at a cardboard character – hence the new title ‘Minor Target Shooting’. Peterhof has several military schools, and in a park near Kozlov's flat and studio Galaxy Gallery, a stadium and an obstacle compound were set up, where young conscripts could be seen training more >>. Around 1987, soldiers appeared in some of Kozlov's works.
The fourth and final version displays more intensive background colours. White areas are now black, and instead of a target there are four large irregular letters – ‘ARMY’. The letters spill into the composition, creating a graffiti-like effect of spontaneity contrasting the geometricity of the composition. The M and the Y are separated from each other, which makes it difficult to read the word at a glance.The ‘accusing’ tone of the earlier painting has given way to a powerful affirmation – of the composition, not of the army.
Double Painting / Oile The history of ‘Double Painting’ follows a similar process and is also documented in four steps. The painting from 1982 is an enlarged version of a work on paper, more exactly of Folio 1, Милости, ‘Kindness’ or ‘Grace’. Again, the reproduction displaying the work on a easel has a brownish tint – by all accounts, it was taken during the same photo shoot as ‘House’.
Likewise, the painting was given a different title with its later version –‘Oile’, a new inscription in the lower section. It is a reference to the oil pumping station next to it, plus the letter E, which was particular significant to Kozlov. Although the changes are less significant than those in ‘House’ in relation to the composition, they are still remarkable regarding colours. The colour picture from 1987 shows the painting with bright magenta prevailing in the upper section, where it fills in the figures. It is obvious that Kozlov must have considered the colours from the previous version too flaw. A black and white picture still displays some white areas in and around the central figure in the upper section. By logic, the black and white picture shows an intermediate stage and was taken before the colour picture, although it cannot completely be excluded that the artist again covered some of the magenta spots with white. The reproductions are not dated, and the whereabouts of the painting are unkown. Research / text / layout: Hannelore Fobo, June / July 2021
Uploaded 18 July 2021 |
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