Page 41 - Studio International - July August 1973

On a different level it is important to note that and East (1912/1913) and in his illustrations to such gifted artists as Boris Gurvich, Evgenii
both artists were influenced profoundly by his `transrational' drama, Song of Universal Kibrik and Yuliyan Koltsov (Yuliya Arapova),
Byzantine and early Russian art, and, in the case Growth of 1913,6 was his first, unpublished staged a group exhibition at the Press House
of Filonov at least, the crowded imagery, version of the Theory of Analytical Art and the (Dom pechati) in Leningrad in April/May,
inverted perspective and parallel motifs owed Principle of Madeness formulated and written 1927, although without Filonov himself. The
much to the methods of icon and fresco in 1914/1915. The eschatological concepts of accommodation was appropriate not only
painting: there is a remarkable similarity, for `universal flowering' and man's regeneration because the Press House was a main cultural
example, between some of Filonov's Heads and essential to the philosophical basis of Filonov's centre of Leningrad during the mid- 1920s, but
the former frescoes in the Cathedral of the art were, of course, shared by many artists and also because it contained Igor Terentev's
Annunciation in the Moscow Kremlin, intellectuals of the time, not least Malevich — experimental theatre which had been decorated
photographs of which Filonov undoubtedly although Filonov's pecularily biological and by Filonov and his students. Altogether,
saw2. Dissatisfaction with the Academy and physiological interpretation of the imminent thirty-one artists were represented at the
confidence in his own artistic maturity drew cosmic transformation of the organic and exhibition by paintings, painted sculptures and
Filonov, naturally, to the highly influential and inorganic worlds was alien to the mystical stage designs, an impressive display which
progressive cultural society, the Union of `white, free depths'? of Malevich's Suprematism added meaning to the large notice over the
Youth, of which he became one of the first or to the optical platform of Larionov's entrance proclaiming 'Make Way for
members in 191o. It was within the framework Rayonism. This is not to say, of course, that Analytical Art'. Moreover, while the exhibition
of this enterprise, financed by the wealthy such systems left no trace in Filonov's general was in progress Terentev staged a futurist
businessman, Levkii Zheverzheev, that Filonov world-view. We have only to perceive the production of Gogol's Revizor with costumes
came into contact with most members of kinetic force of many of Filonov's pictures designed by three of Filonov's pupils. But the
Russia's literary and artistic avant-garde — the rendered by the multiple repetition of certain sign in front of the exhibition proved to be
Burliuk brothers, Velimir Khlebnikov, forms to realize that Rayonism and Futurism, an ironic gesture since later that year
Aleksei Kruchenykh, Dr Nikolai Kulbin, as interpreted by Goncharova and Larionov, Filonov and his School were ousted from the
Kazimir Malevich, Mikhail Matyushin, Ivan were at least in evidence. This orbit of influence Academy, a move which prompted an indignant,
Puni (Pougny), Olga Rozanova, et al. It was can be expanded to include the Neo-primitivist but impotent, protest from the OBERIU
through his association with the Union that painting of Goncharova, Larionov, Malevich writers a few months later (see below). The
Filonov was invited to contribute to two of its and Aleksandr Shevchenko which played such administrative action taken against Filonov and
St Petersburg exhibitions in 1912 and 1913/1914 a vital role in the evolution of Russian art his disciples was, of course, symptomatic of the
and that he was commissioned to design between roughly 1908 and 1912. increasing public intolerance of non-realist
costumes for Mayakovsky's tragedy, Vladimir Filonov's service on the Rumanian front in groups and the increasing political interference
Mayakovsky, staged by the Union of Youth in 1916/1918 interrupted his easel work even in art affairs particularly noticeable after 1925.
December, 1913 — the same month in which the though his experiences provided material for In Filonov's case this state of affairs reached a
Kruchenykh/Malevich/Matyushin opera, a few water-colours and drawings of military culmination in the procrastination and eventual
Victory Over the Sun, was produced also under life. On his return from duty Filonov expressed cancellation of his one-man exhibition projected
the auspices of the Union of Youth. his support for the Revolutionary government, early in 1929 and scheduled to have opened in
Mayakovsky's play with its emphasis on the feeling, as he always did, an emotional the Russian Museum in 193o. The pictures
monstrous and nightmare reality of the big city attachment to the working-class, as, of course, were, in fact, hung and the catalogue, with
was entirely in keeping with Filonov's notion did many of his colleagues, Malevich and excerpts from the Theory of Analytical Art, was
that the world was chaos and could be overcome Tatlin among them; indeed, the reason why printed, even though the initially moderate
only by a supreme intellectual effort; he Filonov hardly ever signed his pictures and introduction was replaced by a highly critical
therefore extended his conviction into his refused to sell them was that he thought of them text by Sergei Isakov who declared that 'Filonov
costume designs which, as one of the actors as universal symbols and hence as popular in no way can be acknowledged as the bearer of
recalled, 'had only madness and terror, nothing property. The direct result of Filonov's the proletarian world-view'.9 Ultimately, the
else.'3 Filonov's membership of the Union of proletarian allegiance were pictures such as exhibition did not open because of pressure
Youth enabled him also to contribute illustrations Formula of the Petrograd Proletariat (1920/1921) both from the administration and from
to the miscellany, Futurists: Roaring Parnassus, a exhibited at several Petersburg exhibitions realist artists such as Isaak Brosky, members
booklet published at the beginning of 1914 during the 192os and Entry into Universal of AKhR (Association of Artists of the
which contained verse by Khlebnikov, Flowering (1919/192o) shown at the big Russian Revolution). Filonov and his group, however,
Mayakovsky, et al. and drawings by Puni and exhibition at the Van Diemen Gallery in continued to exist, albeit precariously, for the
Rozanova as well as by Filonov — although the Berlin in 1922. In that year, on the invitation of next two years, as their collective illustrative
latter was censured for his alleged pornography.4 Malevich, Matyushin and the critic, Nikolai contribution to the Academy edition of the
As a direct result of his connections with, on the Punin, Filonov joined the newly opened Finnish Kalevala published in 1933
one hand, Malevich and the painter and Petersburg affiliation of the Moscow Institute demonstrated so well. From 1933 until his
theoretician Vladimir Markov (pseudonym of of Artistic Culture (INKhUK; but INKh in death Filonov was not represented at any
the Lithuanian Waldemars Matveis) and, on Petersburg), and a little later he published his official exhibition and his 'pathological . . .
the other, his familiarization with such diverse Declaration of Universal Flowering in the decadent expressionism" was subjected to
masters as Bosch, Dürer and Michelangelo journal, Life of Art.8 At the same time Filonov violent attacks in the press. Filonov died of
during a trip to Western Europe in 1912,5 began to rework his Theory of Analytical Art pneumonia during the Leningrad blockade in
Filonov came to study the problems of form and and Principle of Madeness particularly within 1941.
composition in even greater detail. the context of his teaching activity in the Recent years have seen a partial revaluation
Consequently, the purely decorative features reorganized Academy of Arts where he of Filonov in the Soviet Union, although he is
identifiable with much of his very early work disseminated his ideas among his students; still in many eyes a bete noire. During the
and recalling the stylized pictures of the World some of these were shortly to join him in mid-1960s several events helped to focus
of Art artists soon gave way to a more ascetic establishing the so-called Collective of Masters attention on this solitary and unique member
and cerebral approach to the canvas. The of Analytical Art or Filonov School which of the Russian avant-garde: in 1966 the first
logical outcome of Filonov's intense concern lasted from 1925 until 1932. Many of these monograph on the artist appeared in. Prague,11
with form, mirrored in such paintings as West devoted students and auditors, who included in 1967 the first one-man exhibition was staged
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