Date of Award

2023

Document Type

MA Project - Open Access

Project Type

MA Project - Curatorial Proposal

Degree Name

Master of Arts (MA)

Department

Art Business

First Advisor

Morgan Falconer

Second Advisor

Eric Wolf

Abstract

Revolution and Revelation: An Early Russian Avant-Garde Private Collection is an
exhibition proposal with accompanying essays that explore the value and influence of the Russian Avant-Garde art movement, highlighting its significance as a revolutionary force in early twentieth-century art. While the first essay provides a comprehensive overview of the Russian Avant-Garde art movement, the second one explores the considerations and advantages of exhibiting a private collection of early Russian Avant-Garde art, specifically Suprematism, in either a museum or a gallery. The first essay, A Look Into Russian Avant-Garde, delves into the value and influence of the movement acknowledging the challenge of capturing the entirety of the movement due to its vastness and the extensive bodies of work produced by the artists. Instead, it focuses on the period of Suprematism,
showcasing the pinnacle of non-objective Russian painting from 1915 to 1925. Renowned artists such as Kazimir Malevich, Ivan Kliun, Liubov Popova, Olga Rozanova, Natalia Goncharova, Mikhail Larionov, and Alexandra Exter are featured in the exhibition, with a focus on the Russian and Ukrainian artists’ interactions with European art centers, notably France, Italy, and Germany. The accompanying essay follows a chronological order, tracing the development of Russian Avant-Garde through different movements and exploring their
motivations, collaborations, and transitions. It examines the influence of European
avant-garde movements on Russian artists, the role of Sonia Delaunay in fostering exchanges, the emergence of groups like the Jack of Diamonds Society and The Donkey's Tail, the fusion of painting and performing arts, the significance of Zaum poetry, the rise of Fevralism as a transitional movement, and the advent of Suprematism until the arrival of constructivism. Overall, the exhibition and essay offer a comprehensive study of the Russian Avant-Garde, showcasing its artistic revolution that took place a century ago.

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