Arts : Graphics : Alexandra Korsakova
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Stanislav Ivanitsky
BETWEEN LEGENDARY EPOCH AND MODERNITY

Worthy but during long time lost name of Alexandra Nikolaevna Korsakova (1904-1990) is returned to the Russian art in the end of ÕÕ century.
In 1920-1930 years she tries herself in different areas and genres of art: works in "Windows of ROSTA" of V. V. Mayakovsky, is engage in theatrical scenery, illustrates books, tries abilities in history of art and vanguard rhythmic ballet. Time of creative maturity comes to her rather late, in 1950-1980 years, when she wholly has devoted herself to fine art.
Figurative-plastic researches of A. N. Korsakova based on the aesthetics of art avant guarde of ÕÕ century and consequently could not receive acceptation in conditions of ideological dictatorship of communist system. Only now the importance of the creative contribution of this uncommon person becomes more and more obvious in panorama of national culture: it's right that her heritage is perceived as "string that binds times" - between legendary epoch of great solutions in art and modernity. For everyone, who knew her or only heard about her, A. N. Korsakova was an example of creative stability and high fidelity, but forbidden in that indistinct time, ideals of art skill.
She happily managed to avoid of epigonic following to creative precepts of great V. Å. Tatlin, which civil wife she was last decade of his life, she managed to create her own representation about beauty, original system of plastic receptions.
In painting and graphics A. N. Korsakova had refused from literal in treatment of plots, preferring creation of poetic images, is associative connected with represented collisions. So, in the figures on motives of novels of Dostoyevsky, Bulgakov, Rilke, which become widely popular, this principle of associative parallelism of graphic image and literary motive has received the most completed form. In reflection of moral-philosophical and art searches of these authors she achieved con-genius result.
An opportunity of art transformation of usual in unusual always attracted of A. N. Korsakova, therefore second plan, second meaning present in her works.
The significant part of her works appears as example of serious fantasy, as she uses an assembly composition in them. Creatively having acquired of lessons of neoprimitivistic stylistics, she loves rough simplifications of plastic, schematisation of form. Theme of broken social life of a man and loneliness in the world of lost illusions occupies central place in her creativity.
In complete contradiction with the directives of social realism A. N. Korsakova more "expressed", than "represented" the epoch. Her works are not the documentary-authentic comments of the social reality and her full of expressiveness images immerse in the atmosphere of drama experiences that adequate to the moral climate of tragical ÕÕ century. This is why the actuality for modern spectator immanent to them.

28.02.2001


Elizabeth Klyuchevskaya
INSTEAD OF WOREWORD

I'm in friendship with Alexandra Korsakova about ten years. We have met on plain-air in old Russian town Pereslavl-Zalessky. There ancient monasteries with magnificent frescos, half-opened of roots of original art of Korsakova, were saved till now. For me it was love from the first sight. Feeling of relationship of souls. Alexandra at that time was about seventy; I was twenty years younger. From our twentieth century I have acquired from birth only tragical experience: emigration and Second World War. Alexandra Korsakova has passed rough years of revolution, revolutionary rise and heyday of Russian culture. She personally knew Kozlov, Esenin, Meyerhold and Lunacharsky. She visited studio of Isedora Duncan, portraited Stanislavsky and Nemirovich-Danchenko. If she wasn't such brilliant beauty, she would pay attention to this mature man, Vladimir Tatlin, earlier. In 1944 she has become his learner and helpmate.
The cooperation with Tatlin on theatrical plays of the Leningrad director Georgy Tovstonogov has become for Alexandra the seed, fallen on fertile ground. And if during the life of Tatlin Korsakova stood as though in his shadow, after his death she has shown herself in full force of art person.
She has created large graphics cycle to novels of Dostoevsky, including portraits and compositions (1958). Moscow Pushkin's State Museum of Fine Arts, Leningrad Russian museum and others have got many from sheets of this cycle. A. Korsakova mostly works as cycles: to me the portraits and associations to the cycle on Zvetaeva's lyrics, series on motives of lyrics of Khlebnikov and Rilke, and also graphics memoirs about Tatlin are familiar. She has created a number of constructivistic sketches of Kalininsky prospect.
The intense political situation of the last years - appearance of laser and space weapon - has given a push to appearance of number of graphics sheets and gouaches, under the common name „Nuclear century".
I am obliged to Alexandra Korsakova that she has approached me to achievements of Russian art of soviet period of its history, in which she directly took part. She did not brave by professional knowledge and approaches - though she has passed rather quite good school: may be, it has helped to me to adopt a manner to work as cycles acquired from Korsakova. For me such approach keeps in itself large pleasure, as allows developing thoughts, interlacing them by itself and transferring from one works of a cycle in others.
Dostoevsky and Bulgakov opened for me silent whether Moscow. I have time to draw from a nature-decayed houses and ancient palaces. And I hastened to each such old, shabby house to embody it on a paper. It was two, three years ago. Today on their places there are comfortable new buildings, cold and official. Near to them old palaces look as museum things. In Moscow I could visit my secret places often. In Leningrad I hadn't such possibility. I worked from dawn to late night. Only so I could find contact with this city unknown for me. When the European capital of Peter I was planned and erected, it was similar to a reigning widow. Being in city centre, inevitably encounter on the bridge, lane or house connected with Dostoevsky or his novels. „Crime and punishment", „Idiot", „White nights" only some of them. There is „ an impasse of Raskolnikov with dim gate. There is a house on Podjacheskaya Street, when Dostoevsky worked on „Crime and punishment", he should know number of steps from Raskolnikov's house up to the stone, under which he has covered stolen after murder. This big stone is very much older, then times of Peter I - and it still lies on the same place. There is the bridge on Moyka River, near Podjacheskaya Street, to where Raskolnikov has come at night with Sonya Marmeladova. In „White nights" near gold lions on Moyka Netochka Nezvanova dreamed. The house of Rogozin („Idiot") also stood, and looked on "Five corners". Fortunately for History that Dostoevsky, living in St. Petersburg, per young years moved very often. He also settled almost always in angular houses and apartments. When wrote, he loved to look at a street, that it was best to do just from angular houses. For example at home on Majorovsky prospect, where he died in 1848, in Kuznechnaya lane, where he have been arrested, on the Vladimirsky prospect. Somewhere in gloomy houses of Kolomenskaya street young people of the Nechaev's circle had come together, and Dostoevsky belonged to them.
Nikolsky cathedral also having ratio to „Crime and punishment", was the sole temple of Leningrad, where the service passed from the first to the last day of blockade.
The past and modernity on graphics sheets make an interesting impression. Though, it happens from time to time, you see the kiss of Muse is very short…

1986