Exhibition of October 2014

“Remember, admire, love!"
On the 100th anniversary of the artist

"Sometimes I'm almost ready to give up everything for painting" - Winston Churchill once said, being saved by art from depression after the failure in politics and this passion has never left him no longer. This remarkable property of the painting is known to all the artists - it gives the opportunity to create own world, where you do not need to bow to reality, to play by others rules, often those that are contrary to your beliefs, makes it possible to maintain harmony in the soul and independence of external circumstances.

Exact this was a painting of Alexander Baturin, which this year marks one hundred years old and was a worthy disciple of fine artist Vladimir Sterligov. Vladimir Sterligov never gave up at the mercy of reality - not then, when he was in the torture chambers of the NKVD and was not broken; nor when his painting, together with Malevich’s one, challenged the imitation of nature; or when in the end of life was in the Soviet dull walls and covered them and furniture with frescoes - bright colors, the bowl of land, the dome of the sky.

Alexander Baturin, being his disciple, but only ten years younger, took the best qualities of the teacher; coupled with the undoubted original talent, they gave to the art powerful, extraordinary artist, entraining into his world of "geometric landscape" even the most ignorant of the painting, an unprepared audience, and this despite the fact that his art is, strictly speaking, can not be considered realistic.

It may well be that his role in the perception of painting by Baturin plays the role of his personality, his character that subtly shine through in every picture. He was a man, if I may say so, unbending cheerfulness. No sorrows and hardships, no blows of fate could not deprive him smile with which he looked into the face of life. It was not frivolous, it was true wisdom. He never, even in his old age, no whining, no complaining, no grumbling... Communicate with the person was easy and pleasurable.

Despite the grand opening of its nature, Baturin had no pedagogical vein, he had no pupils. He, who has always welcomed new talent, with keen interest visited exhibitions Sterligov’s other students, does not have own followers, what makes his work even more unique. Each of his exhibition becomes an event in the art world, and each year, taking into account the fact that the pictures ends up in the private collections, carrying up such an exhibition more complicate.

Jubilee exhibition of paintings by Alexander Borisovich Baturin, dedicated to his century and gathered on the walls of the gallery beautiful pictures - it's final bow, sunny smile of artist, who passed away more than ten years ago, but the memory of which not only does not tarnish, but over the years more and more carefully preserved in the hearts of fans of his talent.

And it may very probably that this exhibition will bring the joy of exploring the creativity of Baturin people who have not seen his paintings, but light mystery of his art subdue them, too.

ALEXANDER BATURIN

BIOGRAPHY

1914 Born in Helsingfors (Helsinki), Finland.
1914 - 1930 Living and studying in Shadrinsk, Russia.
1930 Moved to Leningrad, USSR.
1931 Met Vladimir Sterligov (Malevich’s student), visited his studio regularly.
1932 Enrolled the Rabfak IZO, Labor Department of Fine Arts Section, Academy of the Arts, but was expelled soon because of his aristocratic roots.
1934 Sterligov and his students were arrested; Baturin was kept in prison for eight months.
1935 Was exiled to the city of Ufa.
1938 Was arrested again and sentenced to eight years in prison in Usol Concentration Camp.
1956 Was rehabilitated and returned to Leningrad.
1973 Member of the Soviet Artist’s Union.
1994 Was awarded with Punin’s prize.
2002 “Alexander Baturin” book was published
2003 died in St. Petersburg, Russia

COLLECTIONS

The State Russian Museum, St. Petersburg, Russia
Museum of the History of St. Petersburg, St. Petersburg, Russia
Archangelsk Museum of Fine Art, Archangelsk, Russia
The State Tretyakov Gallery, Moscow, Russia

SOLO EXHIBITIONS

1978 Leningrad Artist’s Union, Russia
1979 Graphic Arts, Central Exhibition Hall Manege, Leningrad, USSR
1991 St. Petersburg Artist’s Union, St. Petersburg, Russia
1993 Blue Exhibition Hall of St. Petersburg, Academy of the Arts, St. Petersburg, Russia
1994 “Guild of Masters” Gallery, “S.P.A.S.” Gallery, St. Petersburg, Russia
1994 Anniversary Exhibition, “S.P.A.S.” Gallery, St. Petersburg, Russia
1996 Mairie du 7e arrondissement, Paris, France (The Institute of Alexander Baturin was founded)
1997 “Neva” Publishing House, St. Petersburg, Russia
1997“Licon” Gallery, Germany
1997 Pastels and Drawings by Alexander Baturin, “ S.P.A.S.” Gallery, St. Petersburg, Russia
1998 To Malevich. There and back. “S.P.A.S.” Gallery, St. Petersburg, Russia
1998 Noname, Rotterdam, Holland
1998 “Guild of Masters” Gallery, St. Petersburg, Russia
1998 “Vyritsa. 1998 year”, “S.P.A.S.” Gallery, St. Petersburg, Russia
1999 Anniversary Exhibition, Blue Drawing Room, St. Petersburg Union of Artists,St. Petersburg, Russia
2000 “Guild of Masters” Gallery, St. Petersburg, Russia
2000 Pushkin Hills, Mikhailovskoe, Russia
2000 “The Landscapes from Vyritsa and Mikhailovskoe”, “S.P.A.S.” Gallery, St. Petersburg, Russia
2001 “S.P.A.S.” Gallery, St. Petersburg, Russia
2004 “S.P.A.S.” Gallery, St. Petersburg, Russia
2014 “S.P.A.S.” Gallery, St. Petersburg, Russia “Remember, admire, love!" On the 100th anniversary of the artist

GROUP SHOWS

1988 “Sterligov. Students and Followers”, Central Exhibition Hall Manege, Leningrad, USSR
1990 Sterligov’s Group, The State Museum of History of Leningrad, Leningrad, USSR
1991 “Contemporary Art and K.Malevich”, The State Tretyakov Gallery, Moscow, Russia
1994 Petersburg Biennial, Exhibition Hall Manege, St. Petersburg, Russia
1995 “Sterligov Group. Painting from Russia”, Neuhoff Gallery, New York, USA
1996 “Near Sterligov”. State Russian Museum, St. Petersburg, Russia
1996 Exhibition of “S.P.A.S.” Gallery, Brussels, Belgium
1996 Exhibition of “S.P.A.S.” Gallery, Washington D.C., USA
1996 Exhibition of “S.P.A.S.” Gallery, Paris, France
1996 Exhibition of “S.P.A.S.” Gallery, Utrecht, Holland
1997 Exhibition of “S.P.A.S.” Gallery, Oberhausen, Germany;
1997 Exhibition of “S.P.A.S.” Gallery, Huizen, Holland
1998 Exhibition of “S.P.A.S.” Gallery, Brussels, Belgium
1998 Exhibition of “S.P.A.S.” Gallery, Apeldoorn, Holland
2000 Exhibition of “S.P.A.S.” Gallery, De Wijk, Holland
2001“Sterligov’s Space” - group exhibition of Sterligov’s school artists, St. Petersburg, Russia
2002 exhibition of “S.P.A.S.” gallery, “Harmony” Salon, Moscow, Russia
2002 “Personalities” - exhibition of “S.P.A.S.” Gallery in Geelvinck Hinlopen Huise Museum, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
2003 exhibition organized by “S.P.A.S.” Gallery, the State Tretyakov Gallery, Moscow, Russia
2003 Exhibition of “S.P.A.S.” Gallery, De Wijk, Holland
2004 Exhibition of “S.P.A.S.” Gallery, Apeldoorn, Holland
2005 Exhibition of S.P.A.S Gallery, De Wijk, the Netherlands
2005 Exhibition of “S.P.A.S.” Gallery, Geelvinck Hinlopen Huis Museum, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
2005 Exhibition of “S.P.A.S.” Gallery in Turku, Finland
2005 exhibition of “S.P.A.S.” Gallery in International Information-exhibition center “Info-Space”, Moscow

Uniformity of space is central for Baturin. He subscribes to the supremacist interpretation of surface and space, it’s use of multiplayer drawing and shadings and it’s conjuring of mystery by energetic impressions, which appear to emanate from the surface of the canvas itself.

Baturin, far from denying reality, accepts the power of the natural. At times nature is a real motif for him but more often it is induced by an ideal reality, which leads the viewer to higher spheres of spiritual lucidity. Baturin has an enduring love for nature and channels it through the laws of art and his own vision