Very Very Magazine - 2008
Following the success of the Belgravia Gallery's Russian Exhibition last year, 2006 saw a further foray into the world of both contemporary Russian Art and Soviet Era Social Realist works by one of our favourite galleries in town.
From the mid 18th Century onwards Russian Art followed all the European schools of painting but for obvious historical and political reasons has regrettably remained somewhat neglected in the West. Until now.
Whilst many in the UK are familiar with the great masters of Russian literature, such as Dostoyevsky, Tolstoy and Pasternak, and equally the great Russian composers, such as Tchaikovsky, Borodin, and Shostakovich, they might not yet be quite so familiar with Russian paintings and artists.
The team at Belgravia Gallery therefore took it upon themselves to exhibit these works by a small selection of artists, mainly from St. Petersburg. It seems that even since perestroika in 1991, there has been comparatively little contact or interaction between the British public and Russian artistic trends.
In the Soviet era art was of course positively encouraged, but only to the extent that it coincided with party ideology. Fittingly therefore, the art of propaganda is a highlight of this exhibition - with most of the artists featured coming from the Ukraine.
The contemporary artists exhibiting here in various mediums (oils, watercolours, pastels and drawings) have all graduated with Honours from the renowned Academy of Fine Arts in St. Petersburg, regarded as one of the best in the world. Some also have Distinctions from the Roerich Art College.
These paintings have been carefully selected by Belgravia Gallery and incorporate a wide cross-section of styles, from the relatively traditional to the semi-abstract.
With the present extraordinary interest in all things Russian, in particular at the London auction houses, it would seem that collectors are finally giving Russian art the recognition it deserves. We hope the gallery-going public soon follow suit...
