Valius V.P. Report on the conference «SCIENCE ART 2012» Moscow University

FROM PAINTINGS TO THE UNDERSTANDING OF THE REALITIES OF THE SYSTEM OF CULTURE

Not everything is obvious. Scientists have to experiment, create special conditions to become visible phenomena, which do not exercise themselves in normal circumstances. Moreover, significant phenomena. Despite the fact that they may not be visible in everyday life.

About one such experiment I want to tell. We can say that fate had put it on me. I‘ll describe conditions:

My father was an artist - Valius Pjotr Adamovich. Years of life 1912 - 1971.

A few words about him:

He was born, lived and died in Moscow. At the age of 35 years, he threw engineering and devoted himself to painting. He earned through the design of the books. As a painter stood up to his full growth in 50 years and was out of the framework of socialist realism, somewhere in the areas, which can be described by the words: expressionism, the emotional impact of color, frankness, confrontation creativity to ideological standards.

During his lifetime he made 2 exhibitions in research institutes. One 3-day exhibition in the Institute of Nesmeyanov, and another 10-day in the Kurchatov Institute of atomic physics. And one more in his Studio in the basement. He got this Studio shortly before his death, and could not work in it. For 2 months before his death, my mother, I and friends hung there his paintings and opened the doors for visitors. At first every day, then once a week. And so 4.5 years, until the authorities have not taken away the Studio. During this time the studio was visited by about 50,000 people. Without advertising. Without sponsors. So I became a PR - specialist who showed pictures to people.

The conditions of the experiment are:

1) Unofficial recognition of paintings. I.e. their humanitarian value is proved.

2) Impossibility to make them opportunistic or comfortable for sale. They have been already painted.

3) And this experiment lasts for 40 years. About a hundred exhibitions are over.  After my emigration in 1977 I organized his exhibition in the West, and after a 90-th again in Russia when I got back.

With this report, I'm not trying to arrange their destiny, I tell about the system of culture, what I learned about it.

What is the general purpose of showing the pictures viewers?

Well, it's food for the mind and hearts of the audience. Some people need it. Here we should look closer, because art has a lot of functions.

Let us take an example. One artist once painted a portrait of a woman. In the picture she's not too openly smiles, perhaps, she can not brush away some kind of thinking. Subsequently, the picture was reproduced infinitely many times around the world, a lot of people break their heads over her smile, looked at themselves, do they smile as Julia Roberts or like Mona Lisa. And why?  Seemingly, the picture provided food for the minds and hearts to the maximum. Worked out its resource. But, not became cheaper at this. Once it was brought to Moscow. Of course, I knew it from reproduction. I went to see the original and remember line from people to the Pushkin Museum. It was similar to line in the mausoleum. It is obvious that the Mona Lisa is not only food for the mind and heart, but also something else.

Some of the other functions of the painting are well-known. For example, in societies with heavy political regimes one of the functions of art is to demonstrate to people that everything is in order, worry and sadness have no reason. Everywhere are  beautiful landscapes, abundant still lifes, happy family, joyful work, great success, and portraits of leaders. Explain the Germans, what is socialist realism, very simply: "This is what's in your art was under Hitler".

This explanation may disturb someone. I do not care. Though I admit that there is probably some difference.

Represent and decorate life man can not only in severe circumstances. Range of manners and topics will naturally expands. On the other functions of the pictures I'll talk later.

Initially I had the illusion.

In relation to the father's pictures I thought: the pictures are wonderful, have a great spectator interest, hence you need quite a bit, one more show, another article to print, and people, whose profession is bearing culture to people, public relations, as now they say, would react and professionally take matters into their own hands. But it turned out that the organization of exhibitins in intended for this purpose places are not depends on pictures, but depends on something else that has nothing to do with the pictures. As a rule. Exceptions also have occurred, bright.

The places intended for the expositions of paintings, i.e. the place subordinate to the Ministries of cultures, whether in Russia or in Germany, were closed for works of my father .

In General, places, intended for an exhibition of paintings, i.e. the place subordinate to the Ministries of cultures, whether in Russia or in Germany, were closed for the works of my father. But nevertheless I made about a hundred exhibitions. Where? In scientific research Institutes, lobbies of theatres, libraries, clubs, cafes, recreation areas, etc. Hundreds of people helped me to do that. Not for money, but on the will of the soul. Sometimes spending their last. But artcritics among them were rare.

About the art critic.

Who are they, these critics? Well, people who wanted to live beautiful with beautiful things. Someone managed. Pictures of my father turned to them inappropriate for some concomitants even inaccessible my understanding. What kind of culture they themselves bring to people - it can be seen in the TV and at the exhibitions of contemporary art. Yes, it can be interesting. How often?

One should not think that they don't work. They are very serious. Because they manage most of art objects, that worked geniuses of all times all over the world! And the prices for these works are not small. Here is a link to a site in the Internet [1] (it is in Spanish): a number of works and their cost. From 50 to 150 million dollars per picture. There are Picasso, Van Gogh, Renoir... Thoughtless people such money do not manage. And no question about food for the mind and heart can not be here. With present technology. You can chick camera, put photo in the Internet, and everyone can see it! Free of charge.

One should not think that it is only somewhere abroad such prices. Here that is not weaker. The most popular commercial galleries called themselves “underground” and such exhibition areas snapped off in the vicinity of the Garden ring in Moscow, which shake. I talk now about the Winery. They have their own special language. In this language «underground» means the level of promotion, «non-conformism» - the ability to negotiate with the authorities, «avant-garde» - the art of a hundred years ago, "associative art" means that they expose only “their” people, etc.The impression is that the Russian language was preserved and even became the fashion, only one sincere expression – the sort of. It refers to the incomplete compliance of spoken words to reality. As Tyutchev wrote: «the spoken Idea is a lie». Sometimes, thank God, too, the sort of. I was recently in a queue at the Pushkin Museum to the exhibition of Picasso. Across the street is the house where was written: the workshop of Ilya Glazunov. Near even a small Palace built with announcement: here would be his house-Museum. It is in the centre of Moscow, near the Kremlin. In my opinion, it is not weak.

Letters up and reactions to them.

I also wrote directly to the top. In Germany at Federal Chancellor because there was TV sending that he loves expressionism. And in Russia I wrote at the Minister of culture. The reactions were similar, polite: letters lowered by the authorities and wished me luck. In Russia the last was phone conversation with a lady from the Ministry of culture, to which my materials were shifted. She said me among other things: «If you can receive a note from somebody from the government...» Another interesting feature of the system of culture is to serve the government. As if it is more competent in matters of culture, than its own Ministry.

And if she was talking about the authorities who are competent and informed, we should remember that their task is to search for enemies, well, in other times, if enemies cannot be found, then to create them. But task of exhibitions is, in particular, search of new friends and creation of friends. And I don’t like combine two opposite function.

Emotional impulses and real help came from less professional people, with whom I was dealing. Tell about them can be a lot, but the report is not about that. Of course, case is not only in peculiarities of the system of culture, but also in the properties of my character and my deceased mother. In fact other people are able to achieve their purpose!

Here is an example: Museum of Vadim Sidur. Sometime in the 70's, I've been in the basement of his workshop. And suddenly in the 90s after the return from exile I know that his museum exists in Moscow .

To let You know how I feel about his work, let me explain: in Italy was Michelangelo, in France was Rodin, in Russia - Siddur. Well, even the Venus de Milo is impossible to forget. I know that there were other sculptors, but for me it is not as meaningful.

In the Museum of Sidur I got a book of the son of the sculptor Mikhail Vadimovich, about the creation of this Museum, the effort it cost [2]. Of course, neither I nor my mother would not have made a tenth of such efforts for the pictures of my father. Do not even think. Start with the fact that Mikhail Sidur was trained as an art historian, became the Director of the exhibition hall, entered into the system! Etc. It happened in the 90s, when all was not grasped. I and the mother is no comparison

My mother was a writer, wrote books. I painted.

And forty years I looked at the cellars and attics - all remembered my father's Studio in the basement, had dreamed of it. Instead of having to deal with the case, make money, buy the attic in the end. Instead of that I arranged exhibitions and looked in the human eyes.

Then I went into the virtual world.

I made a site on the Internet [3]. Joint - father's and mine. In the most simple program. Put there everything that I wanted. Pictures, articles, video. No man bowed, and did not pay. Yes, electronic copies, not the originals, such a food for the mind and hearts of the viewers. Available. After all, the Pushkin Museum once thought of as a Museum of copies.

Summary:

Organization of exhibitions in the designated areas are not depends on what kind of picture, but depends on something else, that have nothing common with the paintings.

Exhibitions in other places depend on the people who head these places. Somewhere place makes the man, somewhere man makes a place.

The Internet has given freedom. To be precise, it greatly increased.

In conclusion, I will show the material that made ​​it possible to obtain knowledge described here - a 3-minute video sequence pictures of my father [4]. First, a few works of transition period from realism to expressionism, and then the main works.

Sources:

1. In the world of the most expensive paintings URL:
 http://www.authorstream.com/Presentation/guugli-1239250-pinturas-mas-caras-del-mundo/

2. M. V. Sidur. Museum of Vadim Sidur in Moscow: the posthumous fate of the artist in his homeland, 35, [1] S. Il. 20 cm, M. Moscow state Museum V. Sidur 1998

3. V.Valius. Picture of  Pjotr and Valery Valius URL: http://v-p-valius.narod.ru/

4. V.Valius. The works by Pjotr Valius URL: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0zPtV2HdiDg