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| "I feel sorry for them" |
An exhibition by the (unknown in the west) Russian artist Viktor Popkov (1932 - 1974) is to be seen at Venice's Ca' Foscari until 27th April 2014. Admission is free. In May it will transfer to the UK, and afterwards will be seen in other countries.
I was most impressed by the work of Popkov and have chosen a couple of paintings to share with you.
In view of the chaotic situation in the Ukraine, these paintings are most suitable and timely.
My hope is that the message of the paintings by Viktor Popkov will be received by the representatives of Russia, USA, EU and Ukraine, now meeting in Geneva, to discuss the developing situation.
The message is: Conflict, military interference and civil unrest in this poor divided land dotted with many more Chernobyls-in-waiting is not what we need.
The refugee problem, should the Ukraine go belly up, would be far worse than Syria. And that's just one small aspect.
The message is: Conflict, military interference and civil unrest in this poor divided land dotted with many more Chernobyls-in-waiting is not what we need.
The refugee problem, should the Ukraine go belly up, would be far worse than Syria. And that's just one small aspect.
The poet or the painter may be found in the corner, his voice not so loud as the bellow of the cow wanting to be milked or the roar of the warplane low overhead or the tumult of the symbols of civilized behaviour being torn down, but often he or she is the only person with balls enough to carry the ball for civilization going forward.
The genius of Viktor Popkov was tragically lost to the world when his life was cut short by a fatal shooting accident at the scene of a road traffic incident in 1974.
The genius of Viktor Popkov was tragically lost to the world when his life was cut short by a fatal shooting accident at the scene of a road traffic incident in 1974.
Jockum Nodstrum, a Swedish artist, not sure if spelling is correct, but this work reminded me visually of his although I can see that Popkov, the Russian, is in a different league and you are thinking about the Ukraine and what is happening. Last year at this time I was in Russia. I wish that all the problems could be solved by art.
ReplyDeleteThanks Rachel. I'm about as close to Ukraine as you are to Scotland. The place is almost totally corrupt. The situation is fraught with danger. The Russians are more than welcome to it, is my opinion. But I don't think even the Russians want it. So why we, that is the EU, should want to mess around with it is a total mystery to me.
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