Dubossarsky & Vinogradov

Fine Arts Gallery, Moscow
Acquired from the above by the present owner in 2005

Vladimir Dubossarsky and Alexander Vinogradov have been defined by art historian Victor Misiano as the true “artists of a generation”. Their works simultaneously reflect the realities of the Russian consciousness of the nineties, internalise and criticise it. The exposure to international media, advertising and consumerism instilled a new sense of freedom in the minds of post-Soviet men and women. Nurturing heretofore unknown dreams and desires, the brave new world promised to be sweet, colourful and larger than life.

Dubossarsky and Vinogradov apply the grandiose style of Socialist-Realism to portray an idealised picture of Capitalism, in pastiche like collages incorporating Russian and Hollywood heroes, “Western” commodities, orgies, and children as epitomes of spotless happiness.  Nature often enters their work as a setting for the constructed spectacle. Harking back to freedom aspirations of the hippie movement, flowers, fields and trees not only reference the blooming Russian landscape but also indicate release from inhibitions and boundless possibilities. 

The presented lot depicts a close view of peonies. Growing in a field the flowers are by definition wild, yet can also act as coveted decorative arrangements. Usually appearing as part of the backdrop, in this painting flowers come to the fore. As suggested by the artists themselves, Peonies is homage to Ilia Kabakov's series of Holidays paintings (Lot 135). The series reference Soviet candy boxes, which had small pictures depicting idealised images of Soviet life inside the lid that one could remove and put on a wall. The candy in the box was the only consumer good that was plentiful at the time. Dubossarsky and Vinogradov substitute the candy wrappers with flowers, which themselves are the only freely available objects of beauty and desire.