Romance in Soviet Art
Contact:
John Dunne
External Relations Associate
612-821-9045
Opening April 4, 2015
Romance in Soviet Art
MINNEAPOLIS (March 17, 2015)
The Museum of Russian Art presents the exhibition Romance in Soviet Art in its Main and Mezzanine galleries. The exhibition will feature approximately forty paintings covering the themes of love and marriage reflected through the lens of art. Dating predominantly from the 1950s and 1960s, the paintings depict young couples, weddings, family scenes, and, more often than not, scenes of collective work as sites of courtship. Romantic relationships occupied a markedly secondary position in the Soviet hierarchy of human pursuits. In many Soviet paintings, romantic exchanges between men and women were presented against the background of a broader social and economic context. They were part of the social mechanism, but not its most important part. Collective work to accomplish the grand goals of the Soviet project was presented with more glamor than the isolation of a private romantic life. The exhibition also includes works of the late Soviet era reflecting the changing realities of the period of collapse.
Invoking elements of wedding rituals and glimpses of amorous exchange amidst the hustle and bustle of industrial work, these paintings afford an unparalleled insight into representations of private life in Soviet Russia. This rare selection of works by major Soviet artists derives from the comprehensive collection of TMORA founder Ray Johnson. Among the artists included in this exhibition are Geli Korzhev, Vladimir Nekrasov, Mai Dantsig, Vasili Nechitailo, Igor Razdrogin, Oleg Lomakin, Valerian Formozov, and other artists.
Romance in Soviet Art will be on view through September 20, 2015.
About The Museum of Russian Art (TMORA)
The Museum of Russian Art, a non-profit, educational institution, is the only museum in North America dedicated exclusively to the preservation and exhibition of all forms of Russian art and artifacts from many eras. TMORA is located in a state-of-the-art, historical building at 5500 Stevens Ave. S. (intersection of I-35W and Diamond Lake Road) in Minneapolis. Museum hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. (Monday-Friday), 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. (Saturday) and 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. (Sunday). Admission is $9 for adults, $7 for seniors, $5 for children 14 and up, as well as university students with ID; children under 14 are free. Museum members receive free admission. To learn more about the Museums exhibitions, events and history, visit http://tmora.org/ or call 612-821-9045.
Russian American Artists in Minnesota is made possible by the voters of Minnesota through a Minnesota State Arts Board Operating Support grant, thanks to a legislative appropriation from the arts and cultural heritage fund, and a grant from the Wells Fargo Foundation Minnesota.
