LEONID SOKOV | Yalta Conference

signed in Latin, inscribed in Cyrillic and dated '1995' l.r.oil and gold leaf on metalThe introduction of elements of folk art was Leonid Sokov’s major contribution to Sots Art - or Soviet Pop Art – a movement in Soviet art that appropriated Soviet symbols and used them in a subversive way as a reaction to the official doctrine of Socialist Realism and Soviet cultural myths more generally. His work, especially his wooden sculptures, have a handmade aesthetic to them, which sets him apart not only from American Pop Art with its emphasis on mechanical reproduction, but also from the highly polished style of his compatriots such as Erik Bulatov. Sokov left the Soviet Union in 1980 and settled in the United States. Working in a new cultural context, he continued to use the symbols and images of the Soviet Union, but also included references to American culture in his work. The likeness of Marilyn Monroe, America’s sex symbol of the 1950s who continues to be a major icon in popular culture, is often found alongside Joseph Stalin, who is popular among many Russians even today. The theme of the Yalta conference in the present work resonates with both the Russian and the American public, even if their assessment may differ. One of the three major wartime conferences between the Unites States, Great Britain and the Soviet Union, it came to shape post-war Europe and indeed the world for the remainder of the 20th century.Like his sculptures, Sokov’s paintings have a primitive, folk art aesthetic, which gives them a comical dimension central to the artist’s work as we see in the present depiction of Churchill, Roosevelt and Stalin, gambling with the future of Europe, and also in the animals that symbolise the three countries the leaders represent. During the Yalta conference it was declared that European countries had the right to establish their own democratic institutions. In particular, Poland was promised free election, a promise that would soon be broken by Stalin. While the English lion and the American eagle consent, the Russian bear shows its true intent by replying with the word ‘khui’, a commonplace of vulgar language which is usually translated as ‘dick’.

The artist
Sloane Gallery, Denver
Acquired from the above by the present owner in 2005

The gold leaf is applied to Stalin's epaullettes and buttons. There are some minor dents to the edges and a layer of light surface dirt. There is some craquelure to the white impasto of the playing cards and Roosevelt's face and other areas of white, with some associated paint loss to Roosevelt's hair and face and to the playing cards. There is some paint loss to the chairs and columns. There is some minor craquelure in places elsewhere. Unframed.
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