Ilya Kabakov

Estimate

8,000 - 12,000 GBP

bidding is closed

Description

Ilya Kabakov
The Flying Komarov
number 8 of 15 copies printed by the artist, comprising 31 colour and 1 black and white photocopied prints mounted on cardboard and paper, 8 prints signed in Cyrillic l.r. in the plate and dated 74, 2 prints signed in Cyrillic l.r. in the plate and dated 73; each print signed on the mount in Cyrillic, dated 87, and inscribed 8/15
prints, paper, pencil, pen
image size: 46 by 31cm, 18 by 12 1/4 in.

Condition

Some sheets with light creasing to the corners. Two sheets with some minor surface scratches in places. Held in matching wooden frames and under glass. Unexamined out of frame.
"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

Kabakov initially made his living as an illustrator of children's books, traditionally one of the very few official niches where the remnants of the avant garde could survive.

From 1972-75 he produced a series of 10 albums each centred around one character, recounting through text and drawings a fictitious story about artists on the margins of society whose work is misunderstood. The final page closes with a statement about their death and includes the commentaries of other fictional characters.

Their design is typical of Soviet children's literature, conventions which had remained unchanged since the nineteenth century, and gives the albums a harmless, naive appearance which is at odds with the rather more unsettling issues they raise. Kabakov experiments with 'personazhnost', the use of fictional personae allowing the artist to assume different attitudes, and assess the circumstances in which art is created, for example the artist's hopes, self-deception, disappointment. The 'death of the author' parallels the shift in focus from the production of art to its context which was occurring in West during the mid twentieth century.

The albums themselves aestheticise the incapacity and failure of their unfortunate protagonists and, with the accompanying commentaries, Kabakov creates an imaginary audience for this unofficial art, compensating for the lack of a real one. The characters recall the heroes of 19^th century Russian literature, the Little Man of Gogol and Dostoyevsky's novels, who are literally consumed by their own obsessions.

In The Flying Komarov, the main character steps out onto a balcony to get some air after an argument with his wife. He sees people hovering in the air alongside everyday objects such as mugs, tables and beds. Komarov tries to join them on their aerial adventures.