David Davidovich Burliuk

Collection of Joan and Lester Avnet, New York
Harbor Gallery, Cold Springs, Long Island
Private Collection, New York, 1974
Thence by descent

London, Grosvenor Gallery, David Burliuk Paintings 1907-1966, March-April 1966

E. Lucie-Smith, "Judgement and Identification," Studio International, March 1966, Volume 171, no. 875, illustrated
Grosvenor Gallery, David Burliuk Paintings 1907-1966, London, 1966, no. 18, illustrated
M. Burliuk, Color and Rhyme, Hampton Bays, New York, p. 6, no. 62, illustrated

This painting has never been removed from its original stretcher. The paint layer has probably never been cleaned, however it does not appear to be particularly dirty. There are no visible losses or restorations. The picture is in beautiful condition. The following condition report has been provided by Simon Parkes of Simon Parkes Art Conservation, Inc. 502 East 74th St. New York, NY 212-734-3920, simonparkes@msn.com , an independent restorer who is not an employee of Sotheby's.
"This lot is offered for sale subject to Sotheby's Conditions of Business, which are available on request and printed in Sotheby's sale catalogues. The independent reports contained in this document are provided for prospective bidders' information only and without warranty by Sotheby's or the Seller."

David Burliuk fled Russia after the Revolution and traveled to Japan via Sibera in 1920. He spent the next two years in the Far East, campaigning for artistic revolution and taking an active role in the creative culture he found there. Burliuk enjoyed great success in Japan, selling enough paintings to fund his move to America in 1922. Japan and America is an exquisite example of Burliuk's individual style during that year, when he was at the height of his fascination with Cubo-Futurism, the distinctly Russian offshoot of Futurism.

The present composition divides "Japan" at left from "America" at right, creating an interesting dichotomy of imagery that reflects upon the age-old question of Russia's position between East and West. Japan is represented by a nude female figure, classical architecture, curved planes and softened palette, while America is represented by a man (possibly the artist himself) in contemporary suit, modern architecture, sharp-angled planes and pure pigment. Such juxtaposition emphasizes the timeless spirituality of the Far East clashing against the industrialized modernization of the New World, as well as the vast array of historical and geographical influences that figure in Burliuk's oeuvre.