Gaiety Is the Most Outstanding Feature of the Soviet Union:

New Art from Russia is one of the current exhibitions at the Saatchi Gallery. Although the exhibition packs a punch in terms of its ability to shock, its arguably only the photography of Boris Mikhailov that really highlights the plight of the poor working classes in the former Soviet states since the break up of the USSR.

These are some of my highlights from Rooms 1 through to 10...

 

Think Steam Above The Wing Of A Sparrow, wood and paint, 2009, Anna Parkina

 

 

 

 

 

Wounded Deer, (lime wood, painted pine and iron), 2012, Gosha Ostretsov

 

 

 

 

 

 

Criminal Government, mixed media, 2008, Gosha Ostretsov

(detail below).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Bedtime Story, (glass, pvc and strings), 2012, Daniel Bragin

 

 

 

 

 

Untitled, acrylic on canvas, 2012, Janis Avotins

 

 

 

 

 

Principles of Surrender, mixed media, 2010, Nika Neelova

 

 

 

 

 

Heart, Organ Of Love (Sometimes My Heart Turns Into A Chicken), mixed media, 2011, Daria Krotova

 

 

http://www.saatchi-gallery.co.uk/artists/russia/

 

 

 

 

The other exhibition at the Saatchi is: Breaking The Ice: Moscow Art 1960-80's, which I personally prefer to the other exhibition. These are some of my favourite works from Rooms 11 to 14 upstairs...

 

Tramway in Moscow, oil on canvas, 1959, Oscar Rabin

 

 

 

 

 

Portrait And Flower, oil on canvas on plywood, 1962, Oleg Tselkov

 

 

 

 

 

Diptych, oil and mixed media on wooden boards, 1966, Dmitri Plavinsky

 

 

 

 

 

McLenin's, light box, 1990 - 91. Malevich - Black Square, oil on canvas, 1987, both by Alexander Kosolapov

 

 

http://www.saatchi-gallery.co.uk/current/breaking-the-ice.php