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Petr
Kuzmich Stolyarenko

Russia • born in 1925

Biography and information

Ukrainian painter, landscape painter, marine painter, master of still life. Born in the village Chestnuts, Crimea. He studied in the Studio of fine arts at Feodosia KG im. I. Aivazovsky M. Barsamov. People's artist of the USSR since 1985. Lives and works in Yalta.

The land of ancient Cimmeria — the so-called Crimea, Voloshin — mountains, hills, steppe and coast, the people of Crimea: fishermen, sailors, soldiers — this is the world of the artist; and the world is exceedingly diverse, because not only geographical and ethnographic framework defined by its coordinates and characteristics, and air time, such a tragic and controversial, deep furrows of historical events, characters are always strong and whole, which in the paintings of P. Stolyarenko as natural, as inseparable from the land of the Crimea and the time of the sea and mountains...

He was born in Kerch on July 13, 1925 in the family of a fisherman. The father was the organizer of one of the first fishing collective farms in the Crimea. With the approach of the Germans evacuated with his family to Siberia, but without the son, who at this time was at the opposite end of the Peninsula the resort, which had to be evacuated to the North Caucasus, in Teberda. But it, in October 1942 was occupied by the Nazis. Communication with relatives was interrupted.

Live not just starving — starving. But the worst thing was not it... Went to the sanatorium salesi hearing: here, in the North Caucasus, experiencing the Nazi gas chambers: the last word of the fascist "technical progress", material for experiments the most suitable: orphan, starving and sick children-non-Aryans.

Without waiting for confirmation of the rumors that Peter had gone into the woods. So he became the liaison between the guerrilla unit. Under the guise of a beggar and made his way to Cherkessk, to the safe house, then back into the forest.

After recovering in the hospital, already released in Cherkessk, having disability of 2nd group, went to Siberia, to the father. Settling in as the head of the house-Catalina, worked part-time as a graphic designer. The fate of the artist he chose long ago, before the war. Painted ships, fishing boats, people, sea. He was an artist in the sanatorium, making Newspapers, slogans, posters — it was necessary, he did it quite skillfully, but without enthusiasm. A very different artist, he saw himself in dreams...

Soon the father was summoned to the Kerch — had to restore the fishing industry. And Peter again at the cultural-educational work. This time, head of the library of anti-aircraft artillery regiment. And again — the slogans, the posters, fighting sheets... But it is a native of Kerch, the sea, the land of the Crimea.

It was the fall of 1945. Former soldiers returned to civilian occupations. In the village of Trap, near Kerch was revived largely by the efforts of father — Rybka-khoz. It started to work, and Peter.

But the dream that real, serious, professional — woke up in their native land with renewed vigor. It grew and spread, stood out of pencil and watercolor drawings on paper. We must learn! This idea has long recognized, burning soul. And so much time lost! And it was finally decided that determined his fate — he went to Feodosia.

There is no need to tell what the Feodosia art gallery, founded and donated to the city of the great Aivazovsky. Under the leadership of its Director Nikolai Stepanovich Barsamov — a great artist, a connoisseur of art and — which was crucial for the young Stolyarenko — a wonderful teacher — she became one of the artistic and educational centers of Soviet Russia. School-Studio Barsamov deserves special study and methods of teaching it, are inextricably linked with the education of the student of human qualities, and the students themselves — many of them skilled training — education revealed agranulo bright personality.

While in the Studio, Peter, as tuition fees and to be near masterpieces, performed in the gallery of the function of a caretaker, the janitor, the fireman, the floorwalker, the night guard, the commandant...

A great influence on him had a meeting with famous artists, friends of the gallery and its Director, who brought the practice to the Crimea their Pets from the Leningrad Academy of arts, Moscow Institute. Surikova, or just come to wander around the Crimea with a sketchbook behind — each of them visited Theodosia, not to mention the ever living there K. Bagaevskom. Came Kuprin, I. Grabar, E. Moiseenko...

He eagerly observed their work, listened to their instructions to students. But, nevertheless, Stolyarenko am convinced that his true teacher was Barsamov. "The rest I have not studied painting, and watched and learned their methods, principles, etc.".

In a specially dedicated Stolyarenko section of his book "45 years in the gallery Aivazovsky" N. Barsamov writes that he advised the young artist to go after Studio in art school because I thought it is prepared for independent creative work.

About the first steps to independent creative path testified his painting Studio exhibition, 1948, the 30th anniversary of the Soviet Army. Increasingly, it creates a boldly original compositions. No wonder in the questionnaire, which is stored in the Union of artists, the beginning of his career he believes 1949.

In 1951 he acquires a family. Returns to Kerch and, like any other, feeling the responsibility of the head of the family, was adopted for procuring the means of life: comes in a net-making workshop, again becomes a fisherman. Close and seriously take up self-education.

His creative experience is still not commensurate with life — a contradiction that is common to the generation who survived the war in the age of reason, have completed their education and moved on to independent creativity in the post-war years. Life experiences — serious, often tragic — waiting for reflection, rushed to the canvas. And he writes — sketches, landscapes, portraits, still lifes. Pencil doodles the composition of future paintings. In mind already looming plot twists, dramatic characters.

The experience of war and wanderings, today's the intricacies of a peaceful life with her for the first time are experiencing the difficulties and joys surrounding his human characters, the dialectic of which is to transfer much more difficult than the nuances of States of sea, sky, earth, seasons — all this was of course crowded in the landscape motives.

Somewhere in the late 50's-early 60-ies the young artist creates his first narrative paintings.

Pyotr Kuzmich Stolyarenko is the type of craftsmen, creative way which are not amenable to division into "periods". The reason for this is probably rooted in the biography and character of the artist. He became a painter in spite of life circumstances — have earned their place in art is not only talent but also determination. And he himself felt in every sense of the word a professional artist, age, when it is risky to change the path, which was still so much unresolved problems. Only improving times in the chosen direction it was hoped that some important skill peaks will be conquered, some of the main ideas implemented.

The process of improving his talent is obvious: over the years, the composition Stolyarenko becoming more internally free and at the same time — all precise functioning on the idea and mood in the paintings deepen and become more diverse characters. Acts peculiar system.

Painting Stolyarenko traditional valeur, but if you compare, for example, marine painters of the last century, color relationships and contrast it polychromie, sea quite "illusory", but it is "concentrated", the "thick" nature, that is, frankly is the emotional and psychological task of sensitively responding not only to the state of the weather, the time of a day, but on the state of the inner world of the artist. In addition it is also the sea, some see it not sitting with a sketchbook on the shore, not with the high deck of a yacht or passenger ship, and — with the fishing boats or fishing boat — and not just in distance, which consider the wave, and in relation to the sea — as a very diverse and menacing-the perfect element, and how to the environment of human habitation, the breadwinner, courageous friend, although sometimes cruel and treacherous...

Anyway painting Stolyarenko "gusta", it's not as caressing as captivates the eye power nepriglazhennyh the truth and sincere feelings, which is useless to engage in overly-subtle nuance — refined sense of drowning... First of all, the artist needs an emotional color accuracy that retrieves an experience of the inexhaustibility of nature, and that's endearing to the viewer.

However, this "skusenosti" painting has its limits, dictated by the taste and features of talent. She never seems to have Stolyarenko deliberate, as if specially injected. In other words, does not turn into too explicit of fine hyperbole — in principle has the right to exist in art, but alien to the creativity Stolyarenko.

The only exception here is the last great painting masters "Atlanta". However, it is primarily about the hyperbole figurative meaning, and not picturesque. But more on that later.

The plot, development of characters and ideological scale of generalized images, pictures Stolyarenko can be thematically divided into three groups: MoE-ryu and fishermen, the events of the war — and revolution. We deliberately leave aside the purely landscape paintings, although they certainly deserve careful analysis. But it is not possible to consider the development of "picture" vision of the artist methodically, in chronological order. Let us outline the some common fundamental traits and characteristics of his narrative paintings.

No matter how skilful paintings on military and historical-revolutionary themes, the most sincere, heartfelt, direct paintings on the life of fishermen.

Here is one of them — the fishermen return home after days of fishing. Not only fatigue, but confident force emanates from the figures, from the broad shoulders on which rests a heavy burden fishing... Another picture — "the Past and the future." Images of grandfather and grandson here — not abstract symbols, as you would think, based on the name. They are very specific, life-reliable, they invested a lot of warmth and heart-centered meditation is about a lot of suffering and loss of life going on unknown to the storms and dangers of the future life — and it is this content — and not straightforward opposition to temporary vectors — paradoxically makes these images symbols. We mention here another "the fourth Life" — a picture full of multivalued lyricism, as if reminding us that moments is life, and sealed by the artist of the moment can be fraught with drama, joy, and sorrow...

"Severe style" in Soviet art at the end of the 50's — early 60's- was just in its infancy and if in Moscow someone has already noticed his appearance in "the province" on it and had never heard of. To the "harsh style" of the first painting Stolyarenko does not belong. But like any talented, serious artist — he despised the stifling "socialist realism" paintings, speculating on the "romance of labor", "the optimism of builders of socialism". Before him was the very life — why would he need anemic scheme? Therefore, it is the black knights believe they of life, and their "optimism" is just a natural awareness of the working man that the world is, and if he stands firmly on the ground and on the deck too — can stand and the world. The characters in his paintings are harsh and rude, but "severity" is not style, and of life itself.

The military theme has great power over the master. This topic opens the artist's work. At the first show with his participation, he showed a small battle Marina "Attack of torpedo boats". It is, in fact, it would be possible to start the countdown independent creativity. But as you know, school and student exhibitions in offset does not go. The first major work of such a plan was apparently diorama on landing in Eltigen (Eastern Crimea), made in collaboration with sculptor R. Serdyuk. Stolyarenko, however, does not like to remember this is not a very successful one it work.

On military subjects he works a lot, strongly and almost continuously. It seems that the most done is distant and immediate approaches, options for the future are quite mounted, but full of dignified monumentality and the true tragic nature of the triptych "Ivan da Marya". It is written in the best traditions of Russian realistic school — including vereschaginskiy tradition. The plot, the basis of which a genuine could be the core of folk legends about how he had gone to war a fisherman, became a marine corps fighter, on a single day of war brought him home to long-suffering wife and little daughter, and again took — forever — to last fight to the death... And after death, already in the land of peace of the Crimea, he and his wife forever was reunited in the flower that people called "Ivan-da-Marja"... No, the last story-metamorphosis is not captured by the artist. But he very naturally "vybivaetsya" epic-song sound painting, which is as it should be in the art — life itself, passed through the heart masters implemented unique, its specific language.

We have already mentioned a picture of "Atlanta." It shows the growth of the beautiful craftsmanship in it attached great sincere feeling — all this strongly distinguishes it from a poster-craft in the spirit of "cult" pompous paintings of recent times. However, seduced by the spectacular architectural and mythological metaphor, the author is so "monumentalization" their characters, so "dramatised" action that expressive pictorial language resonate with grandiloquence, the art composition is too pathetic theatrical mise-EN-scene, the romantic elation of images of men-"Atlantis" that held on giant shoulders collapsing from explosions stone arches — modulesto that displays the greatness of the feat beyond the bounds of truth.

A few words about the picturesque language of the artist. He is a native of Eastern Crimea, the climate, and hence the color of which is sharply different from its southern part. Because of the proximity krutogorovo of the sea of Azov places here poor vegetation and hot summer heat to bladesaint sandy yellow. The best thing about it it is told in M. Voloshin — in many verses. We will quote just one line: "the Surrounding hills vytorin Prickly sun."

Although the coloring of the Eastern Crimea — is not only glowing yellow sand is pale and the green of the hills, and turbulent spot fades bushes, and pinkish-gray-brown tone quick-drying coastal pebbles — defining summer of color "note" of the Kerch Peninsula — some almost frenzied raskalennoi vyzh-why should it be, Golden whitish.

Yes, the summer sun here is harsh, it is not so warm, it burns. Melt this scorching sun of gold ever entered the painting Stolyarenko. They painted burnt earth, grass, air, and early, made when he after lived in Feodosia, Kerch, and recent. Unique — "stolyarevska" Eastern-Crimean sun, having lost his "prickliness", but retaining naxalnosti hidden, permeates most of his South-Crimean landscapes and still lifes — it spilled on him, then thickly beaming, barely otsvechivaya as it is not gold, old bronze, sometimes took pinkish warm, and sometimes chilly-silver-tone.

And it is quite amazing — it shimmers even in his historical-revolutionary paintings, which takes place in far from the Crimea to Petrograd, Moscow. The history of these paintings ("For Soviet power", "Ordinary revolutions", "Eve", "Lenin goes to Peter", "Lenin in Kremlin", "1941 year", "Komsomol ' 42") is difficult, and sometimes has a bitter aftertaste... Despite all the difficulties of collection and exploration of the material, far from his usual reality, despite the complexity of the compositional and psychological issues, could give him no less, and maybe even great joy (because a hard-won victory joyful light)than usual subjects. But... the joy was thoroughly marred by endless amendments cautious and chicanery of the arts Council — both real and expected (as if programmed internal censor).

And yet the artist has every reason not to be ashamed of these works. They are distinguished by the amazing diversity and richness of people's characters and emotional States, a sense of common organizing of rhythm, coming not only from linear-figured compositions, and color and tonal organization of the canvas, from the right angle of view — the artist is always close to the characters, sometimes quite close — almost like a character...

In life as in art, Stolyarenko difficult compromises. When absolutely no other choice concessions to its minimum. Their likes and dislikes to hide does not want and can not. And the latter does not depend on the rank and position of the person concerned. All this greatly complicates the existence, sometimes pushes to the sidelines of public life, and sometimes creates financial difficulties. So the high title of honored artist of the Republic is a tribute to the talent and integrity of the artist — and nothing else.

...Peter Kuzmich works in his large workshop at the 2nd floor of the Yalta house. Often there and spend the night in a small room to stay behind the workshop. But the day comes — and it comes often, the artist opens the garage door immediately, in the yard, opposite the Studio — and it derives from neuspevshih stagnate "zhigulenka". Loads the trunk and back seat canvases, albums, paints, easel, a sketchbook and other seat next to his grandson — also with the obligatory sketchbook and starts to wind the speedometer serpentine mountain roads — whether up in the mountains, AI-Petri, the Sevastopol, whether to Feodosiya and Kerch native...

(Author: 3. Vogel, art historian)