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A selection of the press coverage of Danusha Fine Art's promotion of Ukrainian Art since 1992 |
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Financial Times October 6/ October 7, 2007 - Jackie Wullschlager Grigoriy Shyshko Kryvih Rih is a mining town in Ukraine set on a broad, undulating river beneath scarred hills and clusters of trees. Its industrial plant is owned by Mittal Steel but from the 1940s to the 1980s its furnaces and shafts, roads and bridges, with their implications of reconstruction and human endurance, made it a classic subject for patriotic socialist realism. Yet in Grigoriy Shyshko, Kryvih Rih got something else: an artist who negotiated its towers, cranes and flat, block-like buildings into a post-Cezanne abstract structure of geometric shapes and vertiginous perspectives, empty of people, hallucinatory in its echoing sense of wide space, lyrical in its transformation of landscape into an inner vision. Under the cloak of a socialist realist subject, Shyshko painted the timeless central European experience of nature, evoking its extreme seasons in a high chromatic palette: Fauvish turquoises, pinkish clouds and violet-tinged greens depicting the blistering mine during brief, intensely hot summers: extravagant blues and golds for the layers of copper trees and cornflower skies in autumn: streaked creams and velvet greys, slapped on in fat gestural strokes, in works such as "River Sagsagan in Winter". To celebrate 16 years of Ukraine's independence, the United Nations in Geneva launched an exhibition of Shyshko's landscapes this week: the show comes to London next month. It is a revelation. Shyshko is a classic example of how an independent artist negotiated a path through Soviet realism, benefiting from the meticulous figuration and rigour of the training it imposed, but breaking free to use simplified forms, pictorial flatness and colourist distortions that owe a clear debt to modernism. The full history of Soviet art is still unwritten: shows such as this illuminate the diversity and surprises it contains. 'Modernist Impressionism by Grigoriy Shyshko', United Nations, Palais |
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Art Commerce Journal Issue 2 June/ July 2007 SEEING HOW THE LAND LIES by Elena Lipsos With such a tumultuous and complex history as the Ukraine’s – from early Soviet divisions, terrible losses during the Second World War, the eventual resistance to Soviet rule and the Chernobyl disaster – the projected image one would least expect of a nation that has endured so much, is one of ethereal nature, of a land at peace with the sky that reigns over it. The Ukrainian artist Oleksa Zakharchuk has, in his own words, been a first-hand witness to the bloodshed and tragedies that have befallen his homeland, his own personal experiences of such hardship stemming from his family’s partisan involvements and his admittance into an orphanage as a child. It is unsurprising therefore that Zakharchuk would look upon the realisation of his artistic talents as something of a sweet release from this harsh upbringing, as something sacred to behold in an uncertain and cruel world. The artist takes as his subject the Kharkivian landscapes of the Ukraine and through them idealises nature, presenting it as almost untouched, something that seems to imply wish-fulfilment in that part of Zakharchuk that is haunted by childhood realities, in effect simulating a hyper-real vision of a serene land that he wanted to have experienced as a child. Not that the landscapes are fantasy, they exist, but they are a pared down interpretation of the land, forging a Godliness out of nature by emphasising its simplicity. Art critic Olena Ivanova Solodovikova has likened the painter to a sculptor, “[cutting] off all that is superfluous, secondary, and incidental, retaining only what is fundamental”. ARTISTIC INFLUENCES The rudimentary style of Zakharchuk’s painting comes from a combination of expressionism and contour drawing. He has cited Cezanne, Gauguin and Matisse as direct influences, although it is apparent from his current exhibition that the evanescent skies and experimentations with light that Monet was famous for, have cast their influence here. “The artist is like a bee,” Zakharchuk has observed, “which gathers nectar from many flowers processing it into honey. For our creations to be original and distinctive, we also have to learn from many masters”. In Early Spring, we are presented with a linear landscape, almost inconsequential if it were not for the distant appearance of two buildings that point the way upwards to a clouded sky, which both absorbs and reflects the light from the setting sun. Shades of blue and lilac dominate within this painting, piqued with dabbles of amber and burnt orange. The painting is currently priced at £8,900 and measures 140cm x 190cm. “Behind all my works lies the first emotional shock at the pictures that I see in nature”. The artist’s inspiration tends to be expressed in a dualmanner, his works can evoke a lyrical romanticism: hazy hilltop views, a fusion of vaporous skies with barely perceptible signs of life (towns, mountains), generally keeping to a green foreground, whether valleys, hills, dirt-track roads or silvery streams of water, with attention to subtle tonal transitions in colour. Examples of such works, mostly in oils or pastels, include Morning Fog measuring 80cm x 100cm, A View of Podil, 95cm x 160cm, and Evening in the Poltava Region measuring 120cm x 142cm. However, such inclinations in his work are often tempered with very rational interpretations of nature, the use of solid forms and near enough block colouring, such as in Eventide, The River Snov, 90cm x 110cm, and Evening, The River Snov, 70cm x 120cm, A Blue Evening, 122cm x 123cm, and Evening on the Stuhna, 50cm x 60cm.
If a little prosaic, the titles of these works betray the sensibility of this artist which combines a classical attentiveness to the subtle variations of light with a non-compromising faithfulness to the landscape – often allowing the sky in its obtuse indifference to swallow up the land. At times, the formality with which the content is handled means that the compositions almost verge on the abstract. In whatever manner Zakharchuk chooses to paint, there is always an undeniable sense of silence emanating from the scene, which is present whether in depictions of desolate landscapes or in the run of herds of cattle towards water. These paintings are an investment in the beauty of nature divested of its drama, they are simply pleasant to behold and surely worth owning. These works range in price from as little as £1,600 for the smaller, simpler works to upwards of £14,000 for the larger pieces. The Mall Galleries’ exhibition in London was the first viewing of Oleksa Zakharchuk’s paintings for a British public, and was held from 10-19 April 2007. However, part of this collection can be seen at the exhibition ‘Born in the USSR’ at The Gallery 54, Shepherds Market, London from 4-10 June 2007 and at the Royal West of England Academy of Arts in Bristol from 30 September until 30 October 2007.
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Issue 1110 20 April 2007 UKRANIAN LANDSCAPES Phil Ellis Ukranian artist Oleksa Zakharchuk was born in 1929 and, like many of his contemporaries, was no stranger to tragedy. He lost his family in the early days of the Nazi invasion of his homeland and in March 1944, after service with the partisans, found himself in a children's home in the east of the country. It was here that he took to drawing profile portraits of his friends, and they were so impressive that it was agreed he should train as an artist. At the age of 15, he attended art college in Kharkov, from which he graduated with honours in 1950, before transferring to the Kiev Institute of Fine Arts. He was initially commissioned to make monumental works of applied decoration, the 'progressive' artistic genre in the Soviet Union of the time. However, he soon broke away to study and depict natural phenomena in large landscapes and is known today as a master of landscape painting. A member of the Ukranian Union of Artists since 1966, his works can be found in museums and private collections around the world, and now in London, where he will be represented in two exhibitions. The first will be at the Mall Galleries, The Mall, SW from 10th-19th April, and the second at The Arts Club, 40 Dover Street, London W1 from 16th-27th April. The exhibitions are sponsored by Scythian Ltd., a UK consultancy providing advice mainly to Ukrainian business, and the EU Ukraine Business Council, which promotes trade between the EU and Ukraine. Two of Zakharchuk's atmospheric works are shown here. Pictured 1 is Washerwoman, a 1974 oil on canvas measuring 108cm x 115cm (42 1/2" x 45 1/2") and pictured 2 is Rye Ripening, a 1982 oil on canvas measuring 90cm x 110cm (35 1/2" x 43"). |
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Galleries April 2007 pg. 20 TRIPLE VISION Oleksa Zakharchuk by Ann Kodicek "The artist is like a bee which gathers nectar from many flowers, processing it into honey. For our creations to be original and distinctive, we also have to learn from many masters" says Oleksa Zakharchuk, whose Ukrainian landscapes convey a universal vision, expressed in a uniquely personal language. (Danusha at Mall Galleries 10-19 April, Arts Club 16-27 April). His art continues to develop on the monumental scale which began on his graduation from Kiev Institute of Fine Arts in 1957. But he has left the ideology and empty rhetoric of socialist realism far behind in a profound spiritual odyssey of his own, evoking his country (landscapes) and his family (portraits). His smoothly textured pastels and luminous oils convey the intangible essence of creation. The mystery of Zakharchuk's art is mirrored in his life and career. When, aged 16, he enrolled at Kharkov Art School in 1945, he had already served as a partisan. His personal life has been studded with tragedy, first as a teenage orphan and, later, as a young widower. The combined intensity of an eventful existence, a demanding art training and a profound response to nature has informed his highly contemplative work, which he sees as "an emotional dialogue between myself and the world." |
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14 April 2007 The work of the Ukrainian artist Oleksa Zakharchuk (born 1929) can be seen for the first time in Britain at the Mall Galleries, SW1 (until 19 April), and at the Arts Club (40 Dover Street, Wl, 16-27 April). Zakharchuk graduated from art college in Kharkov in 1950, before transferring to the Kiev Institute of Fine Arts, where he studied for a further seven years. He is known above all for his landscapes, see 'Washerwoman', 1974, above; his paintings can be found in museums in Kiev, Moscow and Odessa. |
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The Spectator 17 March 2007 The Chambers Gallery (23 Iong Lane, London EC1) is holding its second exhibition of paintings by the Ukrainian artist Grygoriy Shyshko. He was born in 1923, and when the Naxis invaded the Soviet Union in 1941 he -- along with many thousands of his compatriots -- was imprisoned and taken to a labour camp in Germany. When the war ended, he returned to Ukraine and graduated from Odessa College of Art in 1953. Shyshko was a member of the USSR Artists Union, but never received any commissions from the state. He sold very few pictures during his lifetime (he died in 1994) and it was only after Ukraine gained independence in 1991 that his work began to receive international attention. Included in the show, which runs until 23 March, is 'Autumn. Dachas', 1961, above. 'EA' |
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RWA Friends Magazine Issue 40 Spring 2006 Book Reviews THE COLOUR OF ORE Roland Harmer Many visitors to the New Gallery at the RWA in May 2005 were fascinated by and enjoyed an exhibition by the Ukrainian artist Grygoriy Shyshko. The gallery that organised the exhibition, Danusha Fine Arts, have now published a book, Colour of Ore, which is lavishly illustrated with the works by the artist, many of which were on show at the RWA. An inspiring touch is that the end papers of the publication are decorated with comments from the visitors book from the RWA show. Grygoriy Shyshko grew up in a turbulent period in the history of the Ukraine. His life span (1923-1994) covered times that included the famine of the 1930s to the advent of the computer. During the Second world war lie was captured by the Germans. He was one of the few to be repatriated and he seized the opportunity of a post service course at the Odessa School of Art where he was given a classical art training. He completed the course in 1953, the year that Stalin died. Within, or possibly partly because of, the constraints and demands of Soviet Realism and with the influence of Impressionism and Post Impressionism he produced work characterised by vivid and fresh colours with sometimes sublime colour harmony, fluid and vigorous brush work and strong composition that sometimes verged on the pure abstract. Many of the paintings are of industry: mines, factories, and vast construction sites. These were no doubt demanded by the authorities, however lie brought to these subjects as well as others more conventional - to western European eyes - a beauty and a lyricism. One very small caveat. A few of the 65+ full colour illustrations are slightly bluer that I remember them as paintings (colour values are notoriously difficult to calibrate). Don't let that put you off a valuable record of a remarkable artist whose work was exhibited at the RWA in 2005. |
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Financial Times Magazine 19/20 November 2005 GRYGORY SHYSHKO Jackie Wullschlager (Critics' Choice) On the anniversary of Ukraine's "orange revolution", a celebration of the modernist impressionism of Grygoriy Shyshko. For four decades this original postwar painter went against the grain of Soviet realism. He depicted the industrial landscape at the economic and emotional heart of Ukraine, in bold colour-blocked tones, capturing the sumptuous, changing backcloth of the region's extreme summers and winters, and making lush, lyrical images out of ugliness. Air Gallery, London W1, 0207409 1255, Monday to November 26. |
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West End Extra 18 November 2005 GRYGORIY SHYSHKO by Barnaby Beveridge Ukrainian culture does not really get much press in London so it is good to see an exhibition of the excellent work of painter Grygoriy Shyshko. He died 11 years ago but his work is clearly still attracting fans and a full retrospective opens at the Air Gallery in Mayfair on Monday. His landscapes are especially evocative, capturing his surroundings with great touch and tender brushstrokes. Shyshko's canvasses have been exhibited across the world so it is about time we were given an opportunity to see this work. |
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Galleries July 2004 pg. 14 RUSSIAN SUMMER by Ann Kodicek Russian art specialists are ambivalent about the National Gallery's 'Russian Landscape in the Age of Tolstoy' show: "We've seen too much of it," they say, "it's too moralising, too nationalistic" - the 19th C. Realists were, after all, the benchmark for Stalin's Socialist Realist propaganda art. Most of London's Russian dealers confess that they "prefer Malevich" but what Britons seem to like (and buy) is not such highbrow avantgarde but the readable, well-crafted art of conventional figuration. Matthew Cullerne Bown, Director of the recently launched IZO Gallery in Mayfair, perceived the British penchant for realism two decades ago, though it helps that he admires it himself. A well known writer and aficionado of non-conformist, contemporary and traditional Russian art, Matthew is regarded as a touchstone of the current market, his shows combining displays from his socialist realist holdings with a varied programme of exhibitions. Many of his clients collect the now much- sought-after Russian art of the 1920s and 30s, though his own tastes are more eclectic. 'Although I'm a Russian art person, I don't think the contemporary art needs to be ghettoised. They hang together well. My last exhibition, 'White', was an entirely coherent show" and featured Russian and British art - including sculpture by Antony Gormley and photographs by Phil Klein - side by side. Also in Mayfair and specialising in figurative art (though styles and genres are diverse) is the Hay Hill Gallery, showing contemporary art from Russia and the Independent republics of the former USSR. Run by ex-mathematics professor Mikhail Zaitsev and his manager, Maria Ivashin, with stock preselected in Moscow by the Arts Service Centre (the trading arm of the Tretyakov Gallery and the Ministry of Culture), their clients are mainly British or Irish, though they have a good number of buyers and an enthusiastic Saudi following. 'Masha and Misha' as they are affectionately known, find that their clients are especially attached to art that is meticulous (still lifer by Georgy Kichigin) or dramatically composed and lit (Plutenko's historic, tribal and battle scenes), as well as imaginative paintings playing out surreal or fantasy visions (Timur Ahmedov). "I see what people like, what they want," says Misha. "That's how we managed to survive three years." Tucked away in a side street near Oxford Circus is the White Space Gallery, where Anya Stonelake shows the latest cutting-edge art from Moscow and Petersburg. "The most interesting contemporary Russian artists are rarely shown in Britain", Anya says. Her exhibition programme aims to reverse that trend, exposing the work of both new and established artists, mainly Russian but also British and, increasingly, international. Like Matthew Cullerne Bown, Anya is concerned to represent a comprehensive vision and has an educational agenda that is not concerned with sales. Avantgarde Gallery, which opened in September 2002, joined a constellation of distinguished galleries in St John's Wood's Boundary Road. Run by Catherine Marshall, previously curator at the Repin Academy of Arts in St Petersburg, she has shown ten exhibitions since March 2003. Representing about seven artists, whose style she broadly describes as "naive realism", Catherine now has 1500 clients, just under a third of whom are local. She also mounts exhibitions in association with Ben Uri Gallery, across the road and has shown at art fairs, notably the Affordable. She considers that her best successes have been with travelling shows, touring annually to Manchester and Liverpool. "I like to show what's interesting, what's attractive", she says. Tamara Demydenko. Director of Danusha Fine Arts, has been representing Ukrainian art internationally since Ukraine proclaimed its independence from Soviet Russia over ten years ago. This started with an overwhelmingly successful tour in Nigeria in 1992 and, more recently, a show at Mall Galleries as well as others in the Home Counties. Scotland and the Borders. Otherwise Tamara deals from her home in Maida Vale though her main London outlet is the Avantgarde. Representing half a dozen historic and established Ukrainian artists, including sculptor Valentin Znoba and painters Tetyana Yablonska, Petro Magro, Grigoriy Shyshko, and Tetyana Holembievska, Tamara finds that British audiences respond to the celebration of colour, light and folk tradition in which Ukrainian painters excel. Menier Gallery is rapidly achieving a reputation as more than a rental venue, being much favoured by Russian dealers, such as Irina Emtseva of Peace & Colour Gallery, who will be showing paintings (5 to 17 July) by Ukrainian artists E. Samoilik, S. Savchenko and G. Zaichenko in 'Emotions', which will be preceded by a showing at Cork Street's Gallery 27 (till 4 July). |
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9 December 2005 HE LIKED THE PLANT SO HE BOUGHT THE ART Clay Harris (Mudlark) Lakshmi Mittal, the steel magnate, has bought five paintings by Grygoriy Shyshko of Kryvorizhstal, a Ukrainian steel works, including Construction, Metallurgical Plant (above). The oils will go well with the steel works itself, which Mittal is buying for $4.8bn (£2.8bn). The paintings were part of a recent exhibition at the Air Gallery in Mayfair, a short walk from Mittal's head office in Berkeley Square (Mudlark, November 18). Mittal did not have time to visit the gallery in person, but sent a representative. So did his son, Aditya Mittal. The two agents found that they were both on the same mission. But no harm was done. Tamara Demidenko, the gallery owner, was delighted with the sale of five pictures for the Mittal corporate offices. |
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Galleries Thumbnails, November 2005 The prodigiously talented Grygoriy Shyshko hit London's art scene in 1993, the year before his death. Eminent collectors and writers, Brian Sewell among them, have been riveted to Ukrainian art ever since. This display represents the world debut of Shyshko's industrial landscapes, a virtuoso series of painterly responses to the iron ore mines at Krivyi Rih. Never seen during his lifetime, this work by an artist's artist (Danusha Fine Art at Air Gallery 22 to 26 November) must not be missed. |
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Financial Times 18 November 2005 STEELYARD BLUES Maggie Urry (Mudlark) Having recently bought the huge Kryvorizhstal steelworks in Ukraine for $4.8bn (£2.8bn), Lakshmi Mittal, the London-based steel magnate, might be interested in some pictures of his latest acquisition. He could do worse than pop into the Air Gallery, Dover Street, London, which is next week showing works by Grygoriy Shyshko, a local artist, who has painted scores of views of the plant and its iron ore mines. The publicity materials declare that Shysko, who died in 1994, has made "a very moving study of the poety to be found at the heart of ugliness." The blurb also discloses that the exhibition's sponsor is none other than SCM, the holding company of Ukrainian oligarch Rinat Akhmetov. Akhmetov was the co-owner of Kryvorizhstal until earlier this year when the plant was taken back into state hands by the new government of President Viktor Yushchenko. Akhmetov bought the mill jointly with fellow oligarch Viktor Pinchuk for just $800m under the corrupt regime of former president Leonid Kuchma. Akhemotv and Pinchuk are, to put it mildly, still quite sore at the loss of their bargain. But their loss is Mittal's gain. Should Mittal meet SCm representatives at next week's show, Mudlark would like to be a fly on the gallery wall. |
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Issue 2528 Easter 2005 PSYCHOTRONIC ART A new exhibition, PSIART (Psychotronic Art) by Ukranian artist, Andre Sidersky, opens at the Gallery in Sidersky was bom in 1960 in Kyiv, Ukraine. He studied at Naum Ostankinsky's School of Fine Art, and Kyiv Institute of Fine Arts. He started practising yoga in 1978, which greatly influenced his style of paintings, and has led him to develop this new style, which is dedicated to exploring the impact of different physical states and mind conditions on the perception of reality. According to the artist, 'Psychotronic Art is not something new. People did things like this before - Indian Mantra, Tibetan Mandala, Russian icons - the idea is the same. Those who did it on an appropriate level knew exactly what they did; they did it to influence the consciousness of people who lived there and then - with theirexperience and mentality'. 'The matter of fact is that through my yogic experience I know how to compose pieces of art that are not merely art but also extremely efficient and exact instruments for self-adjustment, psych- energy modulation, environmental energy corrections. Actually, under the condition that certain knowledge and ability to generate clear state of mind any kind of art can produce psychotronic items'. Sidersky's talents allow him to work in a wide range of styles for presenting PSIART, including paintings, video installations, PSI-musicand PSI-poetry. His book, The Third Discovery is being translated in English at Cambridge. |
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East London Advertiser 12 February 2004 UKRAINIAN ART HELPS PLANS FOR ST ANNE'S Paintings from the Ukraine went on show at St Anne's Church In Limehouse on Thursday to help towards the £2 million restoration appeal. But the Ukrainian Ambassador himself, Ihor Mitiukov, failed to arrive for, the opening.Instead, he sent apologies and his cultural attaché read a speech in his absence. The atmospheric in Hawksmoor's beautiful church included music from the Sonyashnyk choir, whose name means sunflower, in traditional Ukrainian dress. Rector Gordon Warren spoke about St Anne's major restoration programme and guests enjoyed food and Ukrainian vodka.The paintings on display in the.gallery have been chosen by Danusha Fine Arts to suit the low light and surroundings of the 18th century church. They range from Socialist Realism to traditional landscapes and still life oil paintings, and were painted between the 1960s and 2000. The eight artists have been honoured and officially recognised in the Ukraine and draw inspiration from the country's wildlife, industry and customs. St Anne's is one of the East End's three majestic Hawksmoor churches, together with St George-in-the East at Shadwell and Christ Church, Spitalfields, and was completed in 1725. The Grade 1-listed building includes the highest church clock in London, a prize-winning Victorian organ and a mysterious pyramid in the churchyard. Care for St Anne's has been working for 20 years towards the restoration and maintenance and now needs around £2.3 million for the fourth phase. The church and exhibition are open from 12 noon to 2pm and 5-7pm Monday to Friday as well as on Sunday mornings. |
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Oxford Times 18 September 2003 JOAN RODGERS/GRIGORIY SHYSHKO: WOTTON HOUSE, NEAR AYLESBURY Derek Jole All things considered, the fairy-tale descent of Joan Rodgers on Wotton House, and her performance of Russian and French songs with the pianist Roger Vignoles, must be rated the highlight of last week's entertainment offered by the house owners, April and David Gladstone. By a short head at least. The audience (about 150) had assembled with the general attitude of folk gathering for a Jamesean country-house weekend; there was some good talk, no hint of cliquishness, and the prelude took place in the orangery, a pleasantly decayed setting for paintings by Grigoriy Shyshko, a now deceased exponent of Industrial Art. David Gladstone's penchant for promoting art from the Ukraine is understandable; in 1992, he was appointed Britain 's first ambassador there. But the paintings here required more trained scrutiny than I could give them. If you envisage bold, mostly hot colour, near-brutal realism, and quasi-geometrical effects seemingly derived more from the hard-edged topics than Cezanne, you have the gist of it maybe -- pending a closer look. More in my backyard was the music which proved, thankfully, far from backyard music. Embracing Pushkin settings right through from Glinka to Rachmaninov, and then Verlaine settings by Fauré, Debussy and Hahn, it was no test of the scope of Joan Rodgers whose variety of colour, and instinctive response to literary mood, has triumphed in the best opera-houses for nearly 20 years. Top marks go, however, to the balance struck between voice and piano. Vignoles had many glories to celebrate, in the bitonal angst of the Medtner settings, for example, or in the melancholy, drooping sequences of the Rachmaninov, but even in the works most obviously 'accompanied,' like Rimsky-Korsakov's, the piano-part impressed you with its sensitive authority. One only wishes the singer had explored her softer tones a little more, her latent Innigheit, as she did in Fauré's En Sourdine, let's say. This gathering was arranged on salon lines, and the items often carried disconcerting weight, expressive of declamatory personal drama. What you missed, at times, was more shadow, and more intimate, shifting hues -- to suit the place, and the occasion. Industrial art ... Gregoriy Shyshko's 1967 painting Across the River is among the works on show in the exhibition Space, Colour, Expression and Romanticism of Iron Ore Mining Landscapes which can be seen at Wotton House, Wotton Underwood, until tomorrowfrom Ham until 4pm. Viewing is by appointment: tel. 01844 238363 |
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The Bucks Herald 20 November 2002 EXHIBITION FEATURES UKRAINIAN ART DANUSHA Fine Arts was founded in 1992 with the aim of promoting Ukrainian art and culture abroad. In addition it supports the Chernobyl Relief Foundation, a British charity set up to help the victims of the Chernobyl disaster. They are promoting an exhibition of Ukrainian art at Wotton House, Wotton Underwood, from Sunday November 24 to Sunday December 1, The opening hours are 11am to 4pm but since it is a private house, viewing is by appointment by ringing 01844 238363. David Gladstone, who is hosting the exhibition, was in charge of the organisation and opening of the first British Embassy in the Ukraine in 1991. Although not well known in the UK, the range of art, dating both from before and after the momentous break-up of the Soviet Union, has impressed both critics and audiences at previous exhibitions for its vitality and accessibility. On Saturday November 23 there will be a special viewing of the paintings, a piano recital by Nikolai Demidenko and a buffet supper. |
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Worcester News UKRAINIAN ART SHOWCASED 15 November 2002 Testaments that the impressionist form of painting flourished in the Soviet Union during the latter half of the 20th Century are to go on display in Malvern tomorrow (Saturday). The Lyttelton House Gallery is hosting a series of paintings by eminent Ukrainian artists that feature a range of styles including landscape, still life and figurative painting. Works by older, established painters such as Grygoriy Shysko and Petro Magro will be exhibited alongside those of up-and-coming young stars such as Panas Tytenko and Olena Yakovenko. "The former states of the Soviet Union may have emerged economically crippled, but in the world of art they remain on equal terms with the West," said the gallery's Margaret Edgar. "Despite state restrictions on artists and the 1934 imposition of Soviet realism, this exhibition shows that impressionism managed to flourish." The show coincides with a tour of the Boyan Ensemble of Kiev, which will be performing at Malvern Priory tomorrow (Saturday), as part of its established annual tour. The exhibition will be open from 10am-5pm Monday to Saturday at the Abbey Road gallery until Saturday, November 30. Enquiries can be made on 01684 574921. |
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10 November 2002 NIKOLAI DEMIDENKO: WOTTON HOUSE Hidden in the countryside on the border between Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire is the wonderful Wotton House and hidden in the house is a wonderful architectural secret — though not for much longer. But first, the music. A recital in an 18th- century country house is possibly a rare but very joyful occurrence. Live music, usually a repertoire originally written for just this style of surroundings, often sounds so good. Here it was exceptional. Nikolai Demidenko played a programme of Chopin and Beethoven that was electric in its intensity and passionate in its execution. The piano, the music and the catalyst, Demidenko, were made for the room. The notes rose to fill all the space, to continue to be present long after they had ceased to be heard. The fabric of the walls imbibed it all and now holds it, in perpetuity, an acoustic reminder of the evening and adding yet more warmth and texture to the fabric of the building. If Demidenko was a feast for the ears and the soul, then the concurrent opening of an exhibition of oil paintings from the Ukraine was a feast for the eyes. This collection from established artists was vibrant, bright and full of life. The application of large splodges of colour, the seemingly random application of strokes, the peaks and troughs of the tex- tured medium all defy the eye to make something of it. But the eye does. You can smell the freshness as you watch the duck walk down the recently puddled lane. You can hear the ballerinas chatting away in the corner. You can bask in the dappled sunlight under the vine. And if all this food for the ear, the eye and the soul were not enough, an excellent buffet supper rounded off the evening with an opportunity to take a good look at the house. Built in 1704 it was re-built by John Soane following a fire in 1823. Soane's fine work was completely masked in 1929 in a more conventional Georgian interior which resulted in the loss of the full height atrium or Tribune. There is, alas, no extant example of this Soane trademark feature, but it is the hope of the owners, April and David Gladstone, that funds may eventually be raised to re-instate the Tribune at Wotton. The concert and exhibition are two of the ways the message about the house is being transmitted. The exhibition continues until Sunday. Viewing is by appointment on 01844 238363. |
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Telegraph Weekend 8 September 2001 SIX VISIONS OF BRITAIN Julian Barnard Inspired by a childhood spent in the dramatic scenery of the Russian steppes, Tamara Demydenko, an art agent who now lives in Liphook, Hampshire, has spent much of her career promoting the art and culture of her native Ukraine . Beginning in Nigeria 10 years ago, she has exhibited her stable of artists in Dublin , the United States and all over Britain . Until recently, the paintings have mostly depicted the landscapes of the Crimea and much of the Ukraine 's romantic Cossack history. Her next exhibition, which will take place in London on Thursday, will be rather different. It will be held jointly in aid of the Countryside Alliance's rural campaign fund and the victims of the Chernobyl nuclear disaster and will include many scenes of the British countryside. "It all happened purely by chance," says Tamara. "About eight years ago, I organised an exhibition in Leicestershire and was approached by Barbara Rich, a local horse-dealer. She wanted me to go with her to the Ukraine to try to buy some Cossack horses." Despite knowing nothing about horses, Tamara managed to arrange the trip, which turned out to be, as Barbara described it, an "epic journey".
Not long after, Barbara invited two Ukrainian painters, Panas Tytenko and Andriy Yalanski, to an autumn meet of the Quorn hounds. The artists were enthralled. They were fascinated by the English early morning light and the drama of the hunt. Since then, the pair have made regular trips to Britain , where they have painted classic rural landscapes of - among other places - Ullswater and Lake Windermere in Cumbria , of scenes around Buckinghamshire, and seascapes near Portsmouth . The artists follow the Impressionist tradition of painting out in the open, and quickly discovered that capturing an English landscape between rainstorms and gales require a deft hand and quick legs. The Ukrainian weather is more predictable, Panas explains through an interpreter, so here they have to "paint like fury". But he has been captivated by the beauty of our undulating hedgerows and trees: "The steppes are much flatter," he says, "and it is less wild in this country. A big difference is that the agriculture is more advanced here. There is much the Ukrainian farmers could learn from the British." Hens, horses, goats, pigs, peasants - few aspects of English farming life have escaped their canvases - and they are shortly to attempt deer, which they hope will be easier than in their native country, where they are more widely scattered. The link with the Countryside Alliance came when Tamara met Peter Malmstrom, chairman of foreign exchange dealers Exchange Direct, who has considerable business links in the Ukraine . Keen to help out with the current rural difficulties, Peter agreed to part-sponsor the exhibition at the Ukrainian embassy in London. Several artists are to exhibit at the embassy, representing three generations of Ukrainian painters. The oldest and best-known is Petro Magro, who was born in 1918, just one year after the Russian Revolution. The next generation, represented by Panas and Andriy, will be also have their work shown; as will be Panas' wife, Olena, and daughter, Oksana.
At the bottom of Tamara's garden, Panas and his family are concentrating on the canvases in front of them. Having arrived in England a couple of weeks ago to attend the London exhibition, they are not wasting a minute of painting time. · The exhibition 'Art from the Ukraine ' is at 6.30pm on Thursday at the Ukrainian embassy in London . Paintings are between £500-£2,000. Tickets are available from Angela Egan at the Countryside Alliance for £20, 020 7840 9225. · Petro Magro's 'Spring in the Crimea' is currently being auctioned online, the proceeds of which will also go to the Alliance. The auction closes October 27. |
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Hawick News 27 April 2001 FROM THE UKRAINE TO WILTON LODGE PARK A retrospective exhibition of paintings by Soviet artist Grygoriy Shyshko (1923-94) is currently on show at the Scott Gallery in Wilton Lodge Park. The exhibition which opened on April 7, will run until May 23 and has already attracted more than 100 visitors. Shyshko graduated from the Odessa College of Art and was an officially recognised Soviet artist. Organised by Danusha Fine Arts, a London based company, who specialise in promoting art from the Ukraine, the exhibition aims to contribute to British cultural diversity by introducing Ukrainian Realism and Impressionism to a broad range of audiences. Shyshko's work was previously exhibited in March at the Mall Galleries in London and will tour Britain throughout the year. On show are works which demonstrates the artist's professional skills and bold use of colour including paintings of industrial scenes, which were specially commissioned by the state. However there was also a clandestine Shyshko, who had his own subjective vision, and this is clearly and ably demonstrated in poetic landscape paintings of his native Ukraine. |
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This is London Issue 2318 9 March 2001 GRYGORIY SHYSHKO AT MALL GALLERIES The Mall Galleries are currently hosting an exhibition of the Ukrainian artist Grygoriy Shyshko's work. Within the post- Soviet world, the emergence of Ukraine as an autonomous European nation seems to have stimulated hybrid art practices which blend the shifting traditions of Soviet Socialist Realism with modes of western modern art. Grygoriy Shyshko was an officially approved and recognised artist of the Soviet Union and had risen to the top of his profession with his accurate renderings of the 'beauty of work in the service of the State'. However, there was also a clandestine Shyshko with his own subjective vision, who painted the personal and poetic landscape of his native Ukraine . A beautiful colour book accompanies the exhibition. Continues until 18 March |
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This is London Issue 2316 February 2001 GRYGORIY SHYSHKO The Mall Galleries will host an exhibition of the Ukraine artist Grygoriy Shyshko's work between 4 and 18 March. Within the post-Soviet world, the Grygoriy Shyshko was an officially approved and recognised artist of the Soviet Union. He had risen to the top of his profession with his painterly but accurate renderings of the 'beauty of work in the service of the State'. There was, however, a clandestine Shyshko with his own subjective vision, who turned the hard won skills and disciplines of official depictions to painting the personal and poetic landscape of his native Ukraine. Presented by Danusha Fine Arts, the exhibition of Shyshko's work will be held in close cooperation with Chornobyl Relief Foundation in the UK, a charity aimed at promoting aid to those people of the Ukraine who suffered as a result of the world's greatest nuclear disaster in April 1986. A part of the exhibition proceeds will go to the charity. Danusha Fine Arts specialises in promoting art from the Ukraine in London and can be contacted by telephoning on 020 7286 4832. |
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West Sussex County Times 23 June 2000 ART THAT STAYED HIDDEN BEHIND THE IRON CURTAIN Jamie Bartle The exhibition charts Socialist Realism works from the 1960s to the more Western style of fin de siecle Ukrainian art. EAST meets West in a rare exhibition of Soviet and post-Soviet paintings at Horsham Arts Centre. Art from Ukraine comprises works from three distinguished painters from the Kiev and Dnipropetrovsk regions of the country which broke free of Soviet rule in August 1991. Together the works of Petro Magno, 82, Panas Tytenko, 38, and Grygoryi Shyshko, who died in 1994 aged 74, span a period from the 1960s to the 1990s. The mixture of landscapes, still life and figurative pieces which adorn two floors of the venue in North Street have been described by exhibition promoter, Tamara Bassi, curiously as both "living" and "dying" art. The managing director of London-based Danusha Fine Arts said the painters' manipulation of light and colour brought images to life -- "There is no better wonder in life than a sun," she said, quoting Tytenko. But the reference to a painting style in decline stems from the changing historical context in Eastern Europe. Prevailing ideology in the USSR dictated that art should reflect Socialist Realism, as art co-ordinator at HAC, Sharon Trott explained: "Communism Tamara concurred: "Art was to point to the reality of the state and the ideas, the realism of real life.'' In the latter half of the 20th century, when Western art was becoming more modem. Soviet artists were trained classically to preserve a school of realism. In a global context this meant the works they produced were unique.Tamara said years of training preceded any artistic career in the Soviet system: "To be artist in the Soviet Union you had to bea member of an association and to do that you had to obey the rules. This was when the state was the main buyer of art." Naturally, some artists reacted against these controls and the exhibition includes examples of previously hidden works. Shyshko's Soviet-era paintings of churches for example had to be kept private in a society where religion was considered to be the opium of the masses.Tamara said: "Shyshko was a great man who was trying to find something new. He tried to break free but his paintings were not shown to anybody." Referring to the associations to which all state artists had to belong, she said: "He would not be a member, he would have been excluded if thesepaintings were known." The break up of the Eastern bloc and the new artistic freedoms that coincided with political change witnessed a move from the strict Soviet Realist model.Tamara said the current state of Ukrainian art was typified by a growing infusion of Western influences as indicated in the more impressionistic style of some of the post-1991 paintings on show. And the culture in the Ukraine was changing too, she said. Businessmen in the new free market economy had become the largest purchasers of art and with no controls over training, teaching standards in art "Now many artists are changing to contemporary art, it is easier really to be a contemporary artist. '"The school of realism is going away, there are only a few that still stick to that -- they are a dying breed. It has a historic representation though which is why a lot of the people buy the art." The exhibition, which supports victims of the Chernobyl nuclear disaster, runs until July 3 and admission is free. |
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Horsham Arts Centre Spring/Summer 2000 ART FROM UKRAINE 31 May - 3 July Capitol and Ritz foyers Horsham Arts Centre is proud to collaborate with Danusha Fine Arts in presenting a collection of Art from Ukraine. This exhibition will stand as another step towards raising public awareness in the UK about Ukrainian Art and its history. In this case; landscape, still life and figurative painting by Petro Magro, Grygoriy Shyshko and Panas Tytenko have been selected. Danusha's Art collection is described as a mix of original Impressionist and Realist painting, (influenced by Western culture inspite of the restrictions on artistic creativity by Communist ideology in the former USSR). The work of Magro, Shysko and Tytenko not only tell there own story but stand to represent the larger plight of Ukrainian Art, that until recent years has not been well known to our Western culture. When discovering Ukrainian Art for the first time, it is clear why its diversity has growing In support of the Chernobyl Relief Foundation |
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Centre News: Aberdeen Arts Centre Association August/ September 1999 Front Cover The peaceful landscapes and delicate still-lifes in this exhibition belie the turbulent past of the country of origin, the Ukraine. While the disintegration of the USSR has left the former states economically and politically fragile, their previously repressed cultures have now finally found their voices. Art |
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Horizon: News of the University of Hertfordshire May 1999 A VIEW OF THE BORDERLANDS What are borderlands? Areas of demarcation, the difference between geographical areas and cultures or spaces characterized by debate conflict and contradiction.An exhibition at the new Gallery from April 28 to May 30 will display impressionist and realist paintings from the Ukraine, a country with a long history, whose very name signifies borderlands to many people. The exhibition also puts forward the view that in borderlands meanings are constantly destabilized and questioned and that art galleries are potentially such spaces too. The exhibition was opened by His excellency Volodymyr Vasylenko, the Ukrainian Ambassador. The works of artists like Tetyana Yablonska (the Ukranian Artist Laureate), Petro Magro and Tetyana Golemievska who have received recognition for their work from both the old and the new state are featured. Also displayed are up and coming artists like Andriy Yalanskyi, Panas Tytenko and Gayane Atayan. The works dating from the mid 1960s to the late 1990s exemplify a range of artistic styles. Matthew Shaul, Exhibitions Officer said: "Within the post- Soviet world, the emergence of the Ukraine as an autonomous European nation in 1991 seems to have stimulated hybrid art practices which blend the shifting traditions of Soviet Socialist Realism with modes of western modern art."
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Daily Post, Liverpool 24 April, 1998 PICTURE OF THE WEEK T'HE art of the Ukraine has not played a major role in European art movements. It's a sad situation for a country that offered some excellent art in earlier centuries. But Communism in the 20th Century put the blocks on many of the new ideas and artists were forced to paint works that celebrated the Socialist ideal. Now freed from such constraints, the Impressionist-styled works have started to emerge into the West where they have become highly commerical. 'Going to Church' is a typical landscape from veteran artist Petro Magro and is among the works from the Ukraine currently on show at Liverpool's Hanover Gallery. |
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February 1996 VICTORY OF RUSSIAN IMPRESSIONISM The disintegration of the former USSR is, without doubt, one of the most momentous events of the millennium. The former States of the Soviet Union may have emerged economically crippled, but in the world of art they remain on equal terms with the West. Despite the state restrictions on artists and the 1934 imposition of Social Realism, this exhibition of art from the Ukraine shows that Impressionism managed to flourish. Realism & Impressionism from the Ukraine is at the Hanover Gallery in Liverpool until end Feb; travels to the Hanover Fine Art Gallery in Edinburgh for Mar; and will be at Aberdeen City Arts Centre in Oct. For more details contact 0171 286 4832. |
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Aberdeen Evening Express 7 March 1995 PAINTING A BRIGHT FUTURE Ukrainian works of art boost VSA appeal Janet Christie A UNIQUE chance to own a slice of world history will be on offer in Aberdeen. Paintings from behind the former Iron Curtain are going on sale to boost the VSA's 125th Anniversary Appeal. The works are by six Ukrainian "Socialist Realist" artists and were produced between 1950 and 1970 when the Soviet State still practised artistic repression. The paintings -- priced from £270 to £1,800 -- will be included in a sale and exhibition, in the Music Hall, Union Street, from Friday to Sunday, April 7-9. The prestige show, organised by Junior Chamber Aberdeen, will also include works by well-known Scottish artists Barbara Balmer, Bob Batchelor, Bill Foreman and Eric Auld. "The Ukrainian works are highly collectable and I think they will sell well in the North-east because a lot of them are studies of nature which is close to people's hearts," said Tamara Bassi, a & rector of art importing compan Danusha. Artists will keep two-thirds c the price paid for the picture: with a third going to VSA's care paign to raise £125,000 to fund SPE cial projects for the elderly, youn people with special needs an families in crisis. The art sale an, exhibition is supported by Abei dee p District Council, Mike Fis Design and Oasis Frame Design. Three VSA prints — two limite, edition by Bill Foreman and on by local artist Mike Robertson -are available from Oasis Fram Design, Thistle Street, who wil give a donation to the charity fo each one sold. Entries for the sal will be accepted until Friday March 17, with a £2 fee each. • Entry forms for the art shoe are available from Maureen Arthu at VSA, 38 Ellon Road, Aberdeen AB23 8EX, telephone 708200. |
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Arts in Westminster Number 37, November/ December 1995 REALISM AND IMPRESSIONISM FROM THE UKRAINE A major event in the promotion of Ukrainian Art will take place from November 6th to 18th at The Gallery in Cork Street (see listings). The exhibition is partly sponsored by the Kiev's State Department of Culture and will be opened by the Ukrainian Ambassador in the presence of the Duke of Gloucester. There will be a comprehensive selection of art works in an exhibition titled "Realism and Impressionism from Ukraine". During the opening ceremony a few paintings will be auctioned with full proceeds to the Charity "Chernobyl Relief Foundation in the UK".. |
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ResCard Issue 19 Autumn Edition 1995 The Gallery in Cork Street; 28 Cork Street, W1X 1HB Realism & Impressionism from Ukraine 6-28 November The exhibition is organised by Danusha Services Ltd in collaboration with the Ukranian Ambassador in the UK, Prof S V Komisarenko and Kiev's State Department of Culture (Ukraine). Its aim is to contribute to the cultural diversity of the metropolis and the British public in general, promote art from Ukraine and raise funds for the Chernobyl Relief Foundation in the UK. It gives a rare chance to glimpse into Ukranian art which throughout the centuries has been strongly influenced by Western and Oriental cultures. This created a remarkable blend. Works of T Yablonskaya/ T Golimbievskaya, G Shyshko, B Tulin, 0 Artamonov, sculptor V Zhoba and others are represented at the exhibition. Admission: free. |
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Matthew does not see his gallery as exclusively a sales outlet. "Not everything I put on the walls I expect to sell," he says firmly. 'White' featured live performance in the gallery window on the opening night and included borrowed and video work. He is buoyant about the future of the Russian art market, believing that the art of the 1950s and 60s is the next growth area. 
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