Unknown - Unrecognized
My father is an artist, a self-made artist. An artist by birth and spirit, not by education. An artist who was the founder of a popular art movement in my native city in the 80ies of the last century which was really a breath of fresh air in the ocean of official Soviet art...
I was a small boy then but remember quite well the exhibitions that took place in my town and a very exceptional atmosphere associated with it. It was fragrance floating in the air, filling the environment with suspense and expectations.
At that time in the 80ies the ART- FACT movement was somethingout-of-place and really sensational for a sleepy provincial town. A group of artists were united by the idea to create, develop and declare their principles and perception of art and beauty through their works by expressing themselves in a revolutionary way. Such art groups were popular in Russia during the rule of Gorbachev. A similar art group called Art- Fact was founded in the late 1980ies by my father Evgeniy Kuznetsov and one of his colleagues. Soon the first exhibition was held in the city cultural centre. The show was eclectic because all the artists participating in it followed their own styles. It was a truly impressive event in the life of the community which attracted public attention and caused heated discussions. The artists were not driven by the idea to become popular or sell their works, they meant it as a treat to the public. The exhibition was an exploration and discovery of new ways in art and new names of young artists who were introduced to a big audience.
The movement grew, developed, matured. The exhibitions of the Art -Fact members turned into an annual art festival looked forward to by the citizens. The Art -Fact group began to expand. It was really a well - organized system functioning rather smoothly. It didn’t have any leader or administration control, it was guided entirely by inspiration and cooperation. The only criterion for participating in the exhibitions was creativity which meant presenting something innovative, original and special. At such displays you wouldn't come across any portraits of politicians or any other official themes. With time some artists from the Art- Fact group organized their own exhibitions abroad, in Germany and Poland, in particular. The situation in Belarus at that time was not simple. Due to some political and economic reasons many artists from the Art- Fact group left the country. They immigrated to the USA, Israel, Germany. Only a few artists (my father among them) have stayed in Belarus and continue working in the sphere of art. Time passed and many things changed. The Art-Fact movement was forgotten and quietly disappeared from the social life of the city. It vanished like figs of imagination.
Last year Art- Fact was reborn- that was what the official media informed the citizens about. But as I see the situation, it was nothing more than an attempt of some artists to remind of themselves in the media. They managed to hold only one exhibition which showed the works of some of the founders of the Art- Fact movement. A few of them arrived at the exhibition. But most did not.
After the Art- Fact members separated and most artists left the country, my father continues working for art’s sake which, in fact, he has always done. He strives for perfection in his art work. All his life he has been trying to discover new shades and colours, original solutions to common things, being a very strict judge and always arguing with himself. He possesses the intuitive sense of style and the superb handling of paint, a very good memory and profound knowledge about world art history though he has never received any specialized background education. He is a man of great erudition, a walking encyclopedia who keeps in his memory a lot of facts, dates, names and events as far as art and artists are concerned and can easily reproduce episodes from the biographies of painters. His interests are diverse including philosophy, sport, wood carving, drawing and painting, of course, books and music. He is a very able and talented person, extremely capable with his hands. He is very vulnerable and therefore often retires into his own shell, hiding from reality. He believes that genuine art shouldn’t be commercialized. That is why he doesn’t sell his works and therefore the world doesn’t know him which is a great pity.
Victor Glodev
