Minas Avetisian

Just as over the black forest on a dark sky suddenly appear the first evening stars - and we were born in the last half-century a constellation of talent - outstanding, bright individuals who have been called to be bearers of national culture, it heralds the revival and a new upsurge. Although it was prepared for a difficult fate, though they deserve to have carried his cross through the darkness and confusion era and have stood the test of time.
One of the first among them was undoubtedly the painter Minas Avetisyan.
***
Minas Avetisyan was born on July 20, 1928 in the village of Jajur, into a peasant family. His father - Karapet son Avo Darbinents of a kind - was an ordinary farmer, mother, Sopho - a simple peasant. Originally they were from Mush, from obscurity inconspicuous village called COPD.
The childhood and adolescence of the artist held in his native village. Minas is one of those of our artists, whose art and worldview was formed under the strong influence of the nature of Armenia. The hard life of the family, and the Armenian village at all, harsh Jajur with his strict and austere mountain nature left its mark on the formation of personality and character of the future artist. Indeed, Minas has a strong, low-key, focused and purposeful nature - in harmony with the nature of their native land.
And because Jajur - one of its inconspicuous corners - left a huge mark on the life and work of the artist. It is safe to say that the main theme of the painting and maintenance of Minas, to receive academic education, an apologist of the newest artistic thinking became Armenian and Armenian nature to his fate, historical past and present, with his everyday worries, with his own attitude toward the world and the special, distinctive aesthetic views.
Special education Minas was quite late: in 1952 he graduated from the Yerevan Art College named Phanos Terlemezyan and entered the Yerevan Fine Arts and Theatre Institute. For two years he studied at the department of painting. However, a sense of inner dissatisfaction, and the spirit of contradiction has awakened in him, and he departed from the Yerevan Institute, he went to Leningrad and entered the Academy of Painting, Sculpture and Architecture named after Ilya Repin. We began the long, hard years of academic study. In Leningrad, Minas had to experience severe hardship and privation. At night, he worked as a loader at the stations and in the port, was a laborer, fireman, took on any job for livelihood and the opportunity to continue their studies. He studied Minas with great diligence and zeal, as if in anticipation of the enormous importance of the mission, he was called upon to perform. He eagerly learn the lessons of their famous teachers, among which highlights the famous artist Boris Johanson. Teachers noticed a talented young Armenian, to be treated with special care and attention. In Leningrad Minas gained wonderful friends in the face of physics Boris Zakharchenya - next major scientist, academician, and the future of the doctor of physical and mathematical sciences, professor Ruben Seisyan, as well as many others. At the Minas studied who later became famous artists Tselkov, wonderful children's writer Victor Golyavkin other gifted people. Golyavkin Victor was one of the first friends of Minas Leningrad remained the most loyal and faithful among them, have survived to this day, his special relation to Minas. In Leningrad Minas met and made friends with the famous physicist and an avid art lover Eugene Gross. This man became an ardent admirer and promoter of art, not only of Minas, but also other talented Armenian artists from Minas one generation. Young Armenian artist is always with love and warmth, and treated himself to Eugene Gross and his family. Today the house Gross kept several dozen works of Minas. Some of them belong to the middle and the end of the 50s, that is, to the years of study at the academy, and today the existence of student work Minas we owe a great scientist and a wonderful person, who recognized the growing talent in the students who came to Leningrad from the remote Armenian village He believed in his talent and bought the first work of young artists. Throughout his life Eugene Gross with a special love and affection belonged to Minas and his paintings.
In Leningrad Minas met and became friendly with Armen Tahtadzhanom. The further fate of Minas significant role played by the attitude of this brilliant scientist and a wonderful person to the young artist and his art.
A huge role in the life of Minas in the years of study in Leningrad, played by our great compatriot Academician Joseph Orbeli. He was very fond of Minas, patron of young talents, followed the development of his work. One of seven young artists - students of the Academy of Fine Arts (among them were Minas Avetisyan and Tselkov) organized an unusual exhibition in the open air: they hung their paintings directly on the walls of buildings on the Nevsky Prospect. In those years it was unheard of audacity, this rebellion, and all seven expelled from the academy. At the time, fall into the "black list" meant to spoil your future forever. It is well aware connoisseurs of Minas talent, and with the direct intervention of Joseph Orbeli Minas - and only him - restored at the Institute ... But rebellion left the position of this group of young artists throughout their further creative life.
Even in years of study Minas attracted the attention of professionals and art lovers. By the time the end of the academy in 1960, Minas was already mature, to issue an artist, bright talent with accentuated distinctive personality. It was at this time the staff of the famous New York Museum "Metropolitan" from the artist acquired two of his works: a few years later they would be published in a voluminous book-study "unofficial art of the Soviet Union." The author, speaking of the artist's canvas titled "Three Armenian women," notes a clear picture of the expressionism, endowed with powerful inner strength, and finds common ground with the German expressionism, in particular, with the painting of Hoffmann. Meanwhile, according to Minas, he had no idea who the Hoffmann. In Armenia a book with reproductions of these works brought outstanding scientist Artem Alikhanian, but in our libraries and could not find any information about the painting of Hoffmann or his biography.
At the end of the Academy of Minas some time lived in Leningrad rather in its surroundings, in the village with the name of Lisy Nos. He took off a corner here, and went to work. Under gloomy skies of the Baltic Sea, in a cool, diffused light northern Minas day creating delicious southern landscapes, lustful sunlight, ringing and shimmering colors, each one more surprising - the bright visions of his fabulous Armenia ...
Naturally therefore, the artist could not live without their homeland, and in 1961 he returned to Armenia. From this moment begins the countdown of the first period of the artist. Rather, it has been a still earlier, in the last two years of study at the academy, but by 1961 he finally mark. The return of the artist to the south, Armenia, brought him back into the elements of their native colors, themes, and characters of their own artistic attitude. He came to this world to create another world, though this reality - the unique world of artist Minas Avetisyan. The hard, incredibly hard fate was destined to the young artist. In those years, the Armenian horizon the sun was shining great Saryan - the artist's strong and boundless power, giving endless and fascinating beauty, creating the world of fairy tale, a beautiful and immortal, like the earth itself ... And Armenia has recently declared itself the artist was dare to exhibit their work next to the paintings by the master ... It was not enough to have talent, you had to have the audacity ...
In Armenia Minas head goes into a painting. The artist officially recognized narrow rigid frame, "gray" and binding. Dull drawing the object, meticulous photographic approach and reject them soulless precision image he contrasts the bright local color, large and loose brushstrokes, pooled volumes, clean, simple and bright colors are. Critics rushed to pick his way elements of imitation and borrowing and got in his quest to Fauvism and Matisse. While I had only to turn to the art of Saryan, in particular, to the early period of his or look back at our past - medieval literature and art, in particular, to the splendor of the Armenian miniatures with its unique, monumental and epic. The first canvases, be it rings ("Seasons") or individual work ("Jajur", "Mountain village" and others.), The artist unfolds before us some wonderful stories, immortal saga heroic and poetic story about the country and the person , country and the world.
In "Still Life with Watermelon" (1960), "Jajur" (1960), "Self-Portrait in a Hat" (1960), "August" (1961), "Armenak Portrait" (1962) and other fully manifested the basic principles of artistic thinking of the author, his ability to create wonderfully expressive and harmonious combination of bright, juicy, clean colorful spots, the ability to solve problems and build the color composition, it is extremely simple in objective terms, but extremely sophisticated in color respect, the gift to transform your inner will, energy and vision, emotions and temperament of the main factors of artistic influence. Finally, in these paintings the artist confides art lovers boundaries of his artistic world: Armenian village, native nature and people of Armenia - ordinary workers and intellectuals, artisans and peasants, scientists and art historians.
An important milestone of creativity Minas becomes 1962, when he participated in the famous "Exhibition of five" (Arpenik Kapantsyan, Minas Avetisyan, Lavinia Bazhbeuk-Melikyan, Aleksandr Grigoryan and Henry Siravyan). Before fans of art appear five young artists, completely original, possessing own position and artistic vision with a unique handwriting style and manner, as well as a special look at the world and man. For the first time I had the opportunity to show Minas immediately a number of his works. It is no coincidence after this exhibition the five artists, and especially the Minas became indisputable authorities in the Armenian painting.
A true artist constantly opens up the world. In an era of change '60s, when it became noticeable social changes not only in the city but in the countryside, when the post-war Armenian village began to change its image and become unsightly overlooked by many events of our recent past, Minas Avetisyan its modern outlook and inimitable painting glorified boundless beauty and poetry of Nature Protection of Armenia, human and spiritual aspect of the Armenian peasant. In countless "thematic" exhibitions that time hundreds of paintings were exhibited, representing Armenian village and its everyday life. However, this series stands out epic Minas Avetisyan "My parents" (1962), recreates the deeply humane, exciting and poetic picture of Armenian village, embodies the image of the Armenian worker. Among the bare, sun opalёnnyh mountains are two of them, as well as the mountains, not similar to each other and at the same time complement each other: it is - a strong and rough peasants with large and strong hands of the worker, and she - the Armenian peasant, patient and thoughtful, gentle and submissive, with the face of the Virgin and the earth feminine beauty. Are the parents of the artist - our parents, Armenian and Armenian woman. Instead decorative robots Hammers c powerful, sinewy arms, Illustrative heroes of labor, Luciano gratuitous happiness ordenonosnogo milkmaids and tobacco pickers, metallurgists and brave shepherd theme and subject paintings are people, at first glance, quite simple and ordinary. What thinks the artist with the appearance of a European, but with a huge Armenian and sad eyes looking at us from the first self-portraits Minas? What a fabulous image of poetry in the village of squat houses with open doors, mountain landscape with few trees, brush masters robbed in screaming from the sun red, hot orange, bottomless blue color!
Cloths "Bake bread" (1963) and "Hnotsi" ("churn") (1964) written in fresco technique. The first of these poeticizes ritual bakery - here everyday peasant labor is presented as a festive ceremony. Other transfers with deep lyricism romantic images of three young girls, churning butter. Underlined smooth lines, planar images of bodies and volume, smoothness and uniformity of color create the impression of a wonderful mural in the spirit of the ancient Armenian miniatures. The same approach to the canvas "Birth of Toros Roslin" (1965) takes on more complete artistic expression. Poetically perfect harmony between man and nature in the composition of "Morning in the Country" (1965) turns the color harmonies in true music paints. The depth of the sky, his purity ring in blue clothing city girl sitting by the window. Even though the sky is not blue ink written, by some miracle, it seems to us blue and paintings by blowing cool freshness and purity of the early autumn morning in the village ...
In 1962, Minas suddenly drawn to the theatrical art. It appears, due to the fact that in the 60 years theater has found new breath in Moscow and Leningrad, which had been the main cultural centers of the Soviet Union and in other major cities, including Yerevan and society It was with special attention to the theater. Theater - Drama and music - becomes an arena for a great manifestation of the new artistic thinking.
In just a few years - from 1962 to 1966 - Minas created the scenery for a number of performances: "Three Ballet Novella" (1962, "The Spanish woman: Bolero" by Maurice Ravel, "The Negro quarter of" George Gershwin, "In the world of dolls" Gioacchino Rossini ), "Cinderella" by Sergei Prokofiev (1963), "Three ballet-poem" (1964, "Three Palms" Alexander Spendiaryan, "Heroic Ballad" Arno Babajanyan "Blue Nocturne" Edgar Hovhannisyan), "Three ballet legend" Grigor Hakhinyan (1966, "Loretsi Sako", "Akhtamar", "Willow"), "Ring of Fire" Avet Terteryan (1966) at the Theatre of Opera and Ballet after Alexander Spendiaryan, and "Ara the Beautiful" Nairi Zaryan (1964) at the State Academic Theater named Gabriel Sundukyan.
The scene has opened up new possibilities to the artist. There coloristic paintings organization needed to be combined with color and volume ordering stage space. Theatre expands volumes and the boundaries of painting; Decorator transfers his artistic principles to the stage, the arena of theatrical activity - movement and music, dance and elocution. Here Minas managed to say its a new word: it sets for many productions are masterpieces of Armenian, and not only Armenian, art scenography.
In the mid-60s the artist turns to figurative manner of expression stressed. By refusing, in his own words, from "unimportant, cold words," by Minas maximum typing image managed to achieve in numerous portrait works of this period authentic incarnation of the true nature of their models in art and in the subject plan. In this vein, the work performed "Portrait of Mother" (1965), "Portrait of father" (1965), "Portrait of the writer Kostan Dawn" (1965) and others. The captivating artistic and compositional static like forever captures the charm of the beauty of a young girl from the canvas "Girl with a handkerchief" (1966), created by ordinary at first glance, the combination of light and dark shades of gray and green tones.
By this time the artist's palette, too, is undergoing a curious and significant changes. Prevailing first halftone colors: blue - light blue, azure to a thick indigo, rolling in black; orange - from light yellow to scarlet; all imaginable shades of red - give way to gray and brown, to create a solid, uniform color spots and planes. In the mid 60's in the artist's canvases appear black, silver gray, reaching as far as the white and blue with a dramatic black tide ... This coloring made the painting "Women in the trees" (1966), "The Road. Remembering parents "(1965-67).
Creative aspirations of those years resulted in the creation of the famous minasovskogo "Self-Portrait with thorn" (1967). On the web looking at us marked, alas, the seal of death man holding in his hand a flower prickly thistles - as a sign of the inevitability of fate. Surrounded by native mountains it is like defying nature - a proud, stubborn, proud and determined people.In the autumn of 1968 in the House of Artists of Armenia opened a personal exhibition of Minas Avetisian, which was the result of early and, in fact, the most productive period of activity of the painter. This first major artist and expanded opening day showed that in the Armenian fine arts lives a powerful talent, skill is emphasized individually permeated with a deep sense of the world and the national spirit of modernity. Striking association of art with the artist and the reality of their time - a deep, meaningful, direct.
After this show in the works of Minas begins a new stage. At first glance it seems that the artist's favorite themes remain the same, designs and composite solutions are repeated, but in fact it is not. Painter now turns to the underlying processes, to complex relations of artistic forms, following the path of enriching visual language. In place of the bold, broad strokes, pure, saturated colors come carefully researched background and a wealth of textures, colors generous scale interpenetrating, dramatic tension and emotional depth of the content of the web. In an unexpected manner, the artist combines techniques of abstract sound and some of the principles of Cubism, in particular, the method of dissection of volumetric forms. This time, perhaps, can be called a period of analytical research. It is very interesting and significant in terms of creativity Minas as a whole and its individual operations ("Woman with a lamp" 1969 "Artist and Model" 1969 "Portrait of the master Gevorg", 1970, "The girl with the book" 1970 "Game of Chess", 1971, etc.). It seemed as if the art of the painter finally found something deep and quiet channel, which dreams of every artist seeks.
And suddenly, as if by the canons of theatrical drama, there is something unexpected and sudden, radically altering the usual course of events, overturning all previous human life. December 25, 1971, Minas and his family moved to Jajur to spend New Year holidays in the family home. On the night of 1 January 2, 1972 in the city the artist mysteriously caught fire, and the fire has destroyed everyone in the studio working on canvas paintings, graphic works, theatrical sketches, all correspondence and the archive of the artist. It burned almost everything that the artist has created over the past ten years - the most fruitful period of his activity. The tragedy was compounded by the fact that it was then Minas ready for the big solo exhibition in Paris and gathered in the studio because most of his best works, including many paintings from private collections. It was a huge and irreplaceable loss. The artist passed bumpy, arduous creative path, was in ashes. We had to start from scratch ...
And Minas found the strength to start all over again. After the fire, the a