AUTHOR OF THE SERIES MARIA CHEGODAEVA
ZURAB TSERETELI THE SECOND BOOK painting
glenart
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Tsereteli Zurab Konstantinovich
Born on January 4, 1934 in Tbilisi. He comes from the ancient Georgian family of princes Tserereli. In 1958 he graduated from the Tbilisi Academy of Arts . Since 1963, member of the USSR Union of Artists. Since 1988 - Member of the USSR Academy of Arts . Since 1994, the People’s Artist of Russia . Zurab Tsereteli is a Corresponding Member of the Royal Academy of Fine Arts of San Fernando (Spain); a Corresponding Member of the Academy of Fine Arts of France; UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador. Z. Tsetereteli has won many domestic and foreign awards: Commander of the Order of the Legion of Honor (France) since 2010; Cavalier King Cross - the Order «For Civil Merit» (Spain), in 2012; Full Cavalier of Order «For the Merit for Fatherland» (Russia), 2014; UNESCO Medal «Five Continents» for supporting young talent.
My Art Series 2
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THE RUSSIAN ACADEMY OF ARTS RESEARCH INSTITUTE FOR THE THEORY AND HISTORY OF FINE ARTS
THE RUSSI AN
ACADEMY O F A RT S
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ARTIST
ZURAB TSERETELI
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THE SECOND BOOK. PAINTING
ZURAB TS My Art Series
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Artist
ERETELI
AUTHOR OF THE SERIES Maria Chegodaeva
glenart 7
Cover design picture of Zurab Tsereteli: "Picasso and Pirosmani". 1993.
©Glen Art d.o.o., 2014. © Zurab Tsereteli © Maria Chegodaeva, 2014. © Dmitry Chegodaev - design, 2014. 8
ARTIST ZURAB TSERETELI
I Call Them By Name Maria Chegodaeva
11 Picasso and Pirosmani 21 My Angel, Comfort Me 49 New Times 75
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I CALL THEM BY NAME Maria Chegodaeva
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Painting is an absolutely original, singular area of Zurab Tsereteli’s artistic creativity, distinguishing him from any other contemporary artist. Each painting has been made “for himself”. His art of a painer depends neither on clients nor on social trends, the art market, the audience’s tastes nor on modern art styles and trends. Stylistically his painting manner only belongs to one style – that of Zurab Tsereteli. His paintings mostly live in his museum “running out” occasionally to personal exhibitions. The museum should be perceived as a whole: tapestries on the walls, long halls, alteration and combination of still lifes and portraits, sunflowers shining with gold and - plunged into darkness separate figures, faces, entire groups. Such abundance, which may sometimes seem excessive, in fact is the SPANLESS WORLD, a conceptual part of Tsereteli’s style.
Tsereteli’s painting engages
to draw by heart” Indeed, it is
to the full two or, perhaps, to be
very important to learn to draw
more precise, three elements.
by heart, from memory”.
The perfect academic
In the same way as
mastership, he had learnt from
Zurab Tsereteli has mastered
his teacher Vasily Shukhaev,
the techniques of drawing,
who was great at setting right
sculpture, mosaics, enamels
his student’s “eye and hand”.
he also is a master of painting
“Shukhaev, a wonderful Russian,
technique: he easily applies all
master of drawing, was my
the innovative achievements
teacher”, says Tsereteli. “He set
in of the “New Time”
difficult tasks before me saying:
painting, artistic discoveries
“You will thank God for learning
of impressionists and post-
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impressionists, he deliberately
easily put into words but at the
follows the laws of neorealism,
same time the titles he chooses
the art “on this side” of the
like “I call them by name”,
avant-garde of the 1910s,
“Sleep and Dreams”, “She hasn’t
enriched by the discoveries
come” etc. inevitably require
of futurism, cubism and
some special penetration,
suprematism…
thoughtful understanding. The
Yes, the art “begins with
artist invites us to share the
the law”, i.e. the skill, the
intuitive feeling dawned on
acceptance of the form. So
him, his emotional experience,
Tsereteli faithfully follows the
subconscious and quite real
laws of the dear to him XXth
simultaneously. It is embodied
century art, which has become
on canvas in the harmony
the undying classics. But it is
of precise brush strokes and
“performed in Grace: when
clear-cut contours. His ideally
the form becomes the content,
constructed compositions
reveals it to the end, actually
are far from being arbitrary or
is the content”*. Tsereteli’s
approximate.
painting it’s a true grace, full
“I call them by name”…
emancipation, liberation from
Brushes like bunches of flowers
“legalism”, “ the soul’s outburst,
with blue stems-handles and
an emotional, without limits LIFE
bristles like fluffy heads, white,
IN ART which for him equals life
thoroughly cleaned after work,
itself.
are in a transparent glass jar
Tsereteli’s paintings are very
and a golden metal pot against
difficult to analyze in terms of
a deep red background.
art critisism. They have no plots
After good work the resting
* Fr Alexander Schmemann. The Journals. 1973-1978. Moscow, 2005. P. 112.
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brushes, each with an individual
delishious brush strokes. As if the
character - are shown by the
checkered shirt splashed out
artist with the same careful
into the world, gained its own
attention and respect with
picturesque sound and filled the
which he treats people living on
entire space of the canvas.
the walls of his museum. They are great in number
“Pirosmani-Picasso”. Intense, menacing, cast in
– real men and women, old
bronze head of Pablo Picasso
and young, immersed in
with crazy huge black eyes… A
their activity, taking no notice
powerful sinewy neck, a bare
of either the artist or us, the
shoulder… The artist of the world,
audience, or stopping for a
the great Spaniard, Frenchman
moment to turn at us their calm
is moved by the power of art to
and wise, anxious or inquiring
a very specific, very Georgian
eyes.
reality of signboards made
“The Street Cleaner in
in the form of still-lifes by Niko
a Plaid Shirt”: a chunky old
Pirosmani (Pirosmanishvili): his
man, very characteristic and
bottles and jars, fishes and
lively, is turned anxiously to the
melon slices. He merges with this
painter. He does not let go
simple, naive, sensual world in a
of a huge broom in his hands
single colorful symphony of pink,
and seems to disapprove of
black and white combinations
the painter distracting him
so typical of Pirosmani’s palette
from work. From an extremely
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important, significant and
Such merging, juxtaposing
wonderful thing in his life - that
and perceiving as unity of
of cleaning his fairy world,
seemingly incompatible things,
scattered and gathered in an
themes, figures is very typical
exquisite symphony of colored
of Tseretely. And there is neither
checks, the squares of black,
the need nor the opportunity
white, pink and of strong, thick,
to explain why in the picture
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“Memory. Charlie. Zebra-Past-
compositionally. Together with
Rhino” Charlie Chaplin appears
the coloring of the painting
surrounded by some transparent
combining gray, brown and
colored balls in the sky , riding a
black with highlighs of pink they
cute striped zebra, and at the
create an atmosphere so close
zebra’s feet for some unknown
to Charlie Chaplin’s works: both
reason there is a small and quite
real and fantastic, ridiculous and
good-natured rhinoceros. What
tragic.
train of associations, which
Another from the earlier
memories of Chaplin’s films with
Tsereteli’s works – “Inessa”, a
their childish naïve magic, funny
portrait of a bygone beloved
absurdity, specifically Chaplin’s
wife of the artist, his Muse and
sense of humor have triggered
still his spiritual support. Among
such a bizarre twist in Charlie
the latest works is “Inessa’s
Chaplin’s theme, appearing in
Chair”: it’s a portrait of almost a
his works for years?
living being with curved handles
In his 2003 sculprture
like hands, in a light golden
Chaplin stands still in his black
dresslike cover as if keeping the
suit, his too well known bowler
“ghost” of a beautiful figure….
hat and ridiculous enlarged
While in a picture of the 1970-s
shoes. Charlie’s big face in the
a majestically beautiful woman
backrgound on the right looks
with a wave of dark hair, clad in
like a poster of his film; on the
a bright red dress to the floor, sits
left a dog’s muzzle stares at us
in profile, one leg over the other,
point-blank. And here is more
pensively staring somewhere:
to this; above there is a head of
maybe into Zurab’s studio whose
a woman in a cap, under the
work hangs on the wall next to
dog’s head there is something
Inessa’s head or in the depths of
like a cat’s snout…These
her soul.
seemingly randomly collected faces are firmly soldered
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“The elder brother”, “The Circus Director”, “Sandrino the
Builder”, “Both a pianist and a poetess”, “Zeniko”, “Afry”,
from the “Jerusalem” series. In 2014 Moscow hosted
“Coca”… Real people, friends
a major Tsereteli’s exhibition
dear to the artist, each of whom
“Moscow-New-York-Paris”.
he “calls by name”. He shares
Large in size, up to two to five
with them what they feel, he
feet, vertical canvases, created
understands the sentiment of
over the last three years filled
a stern man in rough working
several floors of the exhibition.
clothes standing with his hands
Often they made up dyptychs
in pockets near a tall sunflower
or triptychs. “The workshop
under a rope hung with linen.
without borders”. Wherever
Georgia… Rural, native land…-
Tsereteli happens to stay even
“The Return”
for a week he gets to work in his
He is carried away by the
mobile workshop. Occupied
motley brush strokes that are
with his monuments and
like sounds, visibly flying down
public activity he finds time for
from the violin of an old street
painting.
musician. Surrounded by the
The floors are the following:
music a boy seems to appear
“Moscow”, “Paris”, “New
from the sounds. He sits on the
York”. It is not about subjects,
cold stones of the pavement,
cityscapes or types of people
a hat for collecting money lies
of the three big cities, the three
before him. “The grandson”.
countries or the tree nations. It is
And alongside with
not Tsereteli’s Moscow, it is Zurab
people in the “Names” series
Tsereteli in Moscow. It is not
there are endless flowers
Tseretei’s Paris, it is Zurab Tsereteli
Tsereteli is so fond of , sunflowers
in Paris, in New York; always very
like golden suns, bright, rich in
individual, with his own outlook
color still lifes of southern fruits
of the world, his own unique
that surround “Afry” or “The
artistic “handwriting”. His stay in
Poet” or a group of black rabbis
one country or another, in this or
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that environment, atmosphere,
it’s a colorful combination of
rhythm of life on his canvases
brownish red and bright green
manifests itself rather indirectly,
squares, rectangles, something
implicitly, but realistically at
like fabric rags that look sewn
the same time, giving to each
and stitched with black stitches.
painting labeled as “Moscow”,
And in the center of this colorful
“Paris”, “New York” its own
and harmonious roundelay of
special mark. Three “workshops
picturesque color fills, strokes,
without borders”, or to be more
sharp black stitches is a sad lost
precise, “beyond borders”
face of a man in a bowler hat
make up one worldwide
with a red ball clown nose.
“workshop of Tsereteli”. Only
Parisian “Circus” : “Baba.
as such it should be viewed, in
Paris”. In the dark grey-bluish
its wholeness, abundance of
and black background
canvases,, alteration of portraits
crowded with blurred objects a
and dialogues, fantasies and
yellow-red clown flipped upside
genre scenes, still lifes and
down, leans on his elbows, his
flower bouquets. If only dull
head is so real, it’s just an old
terms of art criticism could
man’s grey head, it does not
express these bizarre, fancy and
look like a clown’s. And he looks
sometimes absolutely impossible
at us, a sorrowful question in his
combinations of forms and
eyes with a hanging tear..
subjects of Tsereteli. In “Moscow” Georgia is
“Temur. Paris”. Who is this stout man in a black undershirt
a constant subject: the series
and light blue loose pants sitting
“Dzhigits Invite to Dance”,
defiantly and casually in front
“Old Tiflis”. The series “Circus” is
of us, leaning on his knees with
present on all the “floors of the
his mighty hands and probing
workshop”, appears in Moscow,
us with his black, scary glaring
in Paris and in New York. From
eyes? How did this Georgian
the series “ Circus” New York”:
man end up in such an alien to
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him world of the voltage towers-
A dream about something
posts far away behind his head?
eternal and momentary, divinely
A truly French air is in
majestic and falsely accidental
“Valerian” depicting a golden-
…American incredible
haired musician with huge
contrasts…
sad eyes, playing the cello. He
Quit often animal inhabit
finds himself standing with his
his pictures: dogs, a cat (“The
miserable pathetic music stand
yellow eye”), deer, roosters.
in front of a house with lancet
“Khabuta and Babry”. An
windows. And “The Gossipers”.
elderly men leans sideways,
It is neither the subject nor
above him in a basket there is a
characters that matter. Two
huge, much bigger in size than
middle-aged corpulent women
the man’s head, muzzle of a
just have a talk. But there is
puppy with a piercing look of
something of Degas, of the
absolutely human eyes. Huge,
“blue” French Picasso coming
dark eye pupils, surrounded by
from a stunningly beautiful
the glaring white, look at us all
palette of blue, light grey and
along throughout the halls -
brownish red with flashes of
from people’s portraits, animal
white, in the play of picturesque
heads, from flower vases in the
strokes in this simple genre
form of a human head.
scene. The diptych “Had a dream.
“Zurab Tsereteli’s painting workshop” is not just a large
New York”. In the upper right-
collection of paintings by
hand part of the painting there
one artist . It is a huge human
is a huge bent head of a
world, lives, moods, feelings of
Roman-Greek antiquity God
hundreds of people, refracted
carved in stone, below , among
through the artist, through his
the rocks of the menacingly
soul, his imagination, his skill.
beetling cliff there are two
Life, real and mysteriously
fanciful blue face masks.
bizarre, combining wakefulness
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and dreams, real hopes and
living being, every animal,
impossible dreams. Joyful
flower, every things created by
as radiant colors and bitter
human hands, for his own brush
as tears of a frightened child.
on his palette with pastose tasty,
And all throughout Tsereteli’s
shining with all the rainbow
work, yesterday and today, his
colors swirls of oil paints…
unlimited selfless love for every
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“I Call Them by Names”
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PiŃ asso and Pirosmani
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1. To the memory of Vavi. 2009. Oil on canvas.
2. Grandson. 2007. Oil on canvas.
3. The Return. 2009. Oil on canvas.
4. The Street Cleaner in a Plaid Shirt. 1993. Oil on canvas.
5. Zeyko. 2008. Oil on canvas.
6. To the memory of Charlie. Zebra-Mimo-Rhino. 2009. Oil on canvas.
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7. I call them by name. 2008. Oil on canvas.
8. May 21. 2009. Oil on canvas.
9. Inessa's Chair. 2009. Oil on canvas.
10. Miracle! 2007. Oil on canvas.
11. Picasso and Pirosmani. 1993. Oil on canvas.
12. From the series "Jerusalem". 2009. Oil on canvas.
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My Angel, Comfort Me
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13. Afry. 2007. Oil on canvas.
14. Constantine. 2006. Oil canvas.
15. Wayfarers. 2010. Oil on canvas.
16. Magda, Both a Pianist and a Poetess. 2009. Oil on canvas.
17. The Director of a Circus Tent. 2009. Oil on canvas.
18. Ghera's Grandpa. 2009. Oil on canvas.
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19. The Dream. Athos. 2008. Oil on canvas.
20. The Elder Brother. 2008. Oil on canvas.
21. Sandriko, the Builder. 2009. Oil on canvas.
22. My Angel, Comfort Me. 2008. Oil on canvas.
23. Inessa. 1978. Oil on canvas.
24. The Poetess. 2009. Oil on canvas.
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New Times
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25. Baba. From the series "The Circus". 2013. Oil on canvas.
26. Baghebi. 2013. The lefet panel of the triptych. Oil on canvas.
27. Baghebi. 2013. The right panel of the triptch. Oil on canvas.
28. Speak, speak - you speak. 2013. Oil on canvas.
29. Valerian. 2012. Oil on canvas.
30. The sleep and Dreams. 2010. Oil on canvas.
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31. From the series "The Circus". 2011. Oil on canvas.
32. Likes, dislikes. 2012. Oil on canvas.
33. The Gossipers. 2012. Oil on canvas.
34. Temur. 2012. Oil on canvas.
35. Khabuta e Babri. 2013. Oil on canvas.
36. I had a dream. 2011. Oil on canvas.
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Z UR A B T S ER ET EL I
Z UR A B T S ER ET EL I
AUTHOR OF THE SERIES MARIA CHEGODAEVA
AUTHOR OF THE SERIES MARIA CHEGODAEVA
ZURAB TSERETELI
ZURAB TSERETELI
THE BOOK THREE
THE SECOND BOOK
DRAWING AND ENAMEL
painting
Academician Маria Chegodaeva
"Мy Art" Series Z UR A B T SE RE T EL I
ZURAB TSERETELI THE FIRST BOOK sculptures
AUTHOR OF THE SERIES MARIA CHEGODAEVA
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AUTHOR OF THE SERIES MARIA CHEGODAEVA
O LGA BULGA KOVA
PA UL N I KO N OV
PAUL NIKONOV
OLGA BULGAKOVA AUTHOR OF THE SERIES MARIA CHEGODAEVA
Academician Маria Chegodaeva
"Мy Art" Series L EV SH EP EL E V
IGO R PC H EL NI KOV
LEV SHEPELEV AUTHOR OF THE SERIES MARIA CHEGODAEVA
IGOR PCHELNIKOV AUTHOR OF THE SERIES MARIA CHEGODAEVA
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AUTHOR OF THE SERIES MARIA CHEGODAEVA
PET R GR I GO R I EV. C ATHER I N E K UD R YAV TS EVA
V I C TO R I A N I KO N OVA
VICTORIA NIKONOVA
PETR GRIGORIEV AUTHOR OF THE SERIES MARIA CHEGODAEVA
CATHERINE KUDRYAVTSEVA
.. "Мy ArtSeries
Academician Маria Chegodaeva
MARIA CHEGODAEVA
ALBINA AKRITAS
D MI T R Y ZH IL I NSK IY
AL B IN A A KRI TAS
AUTHOR OF THE SERIES
DMITRY ZHILINSKIY AUTHOR OF THE SERIES MARIA CHEGODAEVA
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Maria Chegodaeva
ZURAB TSERETELI KNJIGA JEDAN. SLIKE NA PLATNU
Serija "Moja umjetnost "
Nakladnik
Glen Art d.o.o. 51222, Primorje 43, Bakar, Hrvatska Lektura
Alicija Višnevetska Priprema, obrada i dizajn
Dmitri Čegodaev Tisak
Grafik, Rijeka
CIP zapis dostupan u računalnom katalogu Sveučilišne knjižnice Rijeka pod brojem 000000000
ISBN 123-4-567-89012-3
1 234567 890123 108
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Academician Maria Andreyevna Chegodaeva, the author of “My Art� series, presents: Zurab Tsereteli Pavel Nikonov Igor Pchelnikov Leo Shepelev Olga Bulgakova Dmitry Zhilinsky Victoria Nikonova Ekaterina Kudryavtseva Peter Grigoriev Albina Akritas
My Art Series 111
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