- 61
Semen Faibisovich
Description
- Semen Faibisovich
- on the moscow street
- signed and titled in Latin and dated 1991 on the reverse
- oil on canvas
- 200 by 170cm., 78 3/4 by 67in.
Provenance
Condition
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."
Catalogue Note
Moscow based artist and writer, Semen Faibisovich initially graduated as an architect. In the 70s he became acquainted with American contemporary art, and in this found a strong affirmation of his own artistic vision: as a painter he is primarily a photorealist. For a decade (in 1995 he abandoned painting to work in multimedia) he produced large scale images of everyday Soviet life, the most emblematic being images taken of people on the streets of Moscow or on her transport system, metros, trams and buses. In the 80s he came into contact with Western collectors and gallerists who visited his basement apartment on Malaya Gruzinskaya selecting works for export. This led to significant exhibitions in the US, Germany, as well as Moscow. The slightly out-of-focus, yellowish tint to his paintings is employed as a conscious effort to imitate the low-grade quality of Soviet film reel.