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Viktor Pavlov. Reflections. Paintings and Drawings
24 January, 2002 - 24 February, 2002
On 24 January, 2002, an exhibition of works of Viktor A. Pavlov, Senior
Designer of the State Hermitage Museum, opened in the museum. Over 120
works by the master are on display.
Viktor Aleksandrovich Pavlov, born in 1934, graduated from the Department
of Art Theory and History of the Repin Institute of Painting, Sculpture
and Architecture in 1962. He has worked at the Hermitage for over forty
years designing all temporary exhibitions since 1961. In 1988 he received
in his charge the new Exhibition Design Department, in 1992, was appointed
Senior Designer of the museum. Viktor A. Pavlov has taken part in the
organization of over 500 exhibitions held at the Hermitage and other Russian
museums. He designed many books and albums about art history, as well
as brochures, booklets and bills. In 1996 Viktor A. Pavlov was awarded
a medal for his contribution to the country's culture.
Viktor A. Pavlov has been displaying his works at the Hermitage since
1957 when he took part in the first exhibition of the museum's restorers.
This new exhibition shows the master's various talents. Both in painting
and in drawing, one can see Viktor A. Pavlov's interest in the international
art development. Since recently he has been attracted to the Eastern culture
(mainly Japanese) with its easy pace, subtlety and sophistication. Despite
these attractions, he has remained intimately connected with the culture
of St. Petersburg, the city where he was born and educated and survived
the Nazi siege.
His basic artistic preoccupation is drawing. Viktor A. Pavlov keeps on
experimenting with various techniques. In the 1970s this artistic quest
resulted in the method of applying lead pencils to thin paper sheets put
on wooden boards. Varying wood texture provides the effect required to
create an image. In the early 1990s, he invented the technique of "xerography":
the artist makes a photocopy of varying density from a drawing and then
applies Indian inks or colors to the picture or sometimes scratches it.
His experimenting with drawing techniques has something in common with
the World of Art. However, one can also see avant-garde ideas in his works.
Lately, Viktor A. Pavlov has been painting again. The exhibition shows
the output of the artist's several decades of creative efforts. His latest
works are starkly different from the works executed in the 1960-1970s.
He abandons pure representation but, despite playing with spatial volumes,
views of St. Petersburg are easy to recognize. Whether drawings, xerographs
or paintings, Viktor A. Pavlov's works are all distinguished by fine artistry.
Catalogue Viktor Pavlov. Reflections. Paintings and Drawings is published
for the exhibition. Introduction written by the Hermitage Director Mikhail
B. Piotrovsky opens the catalogue. The artist's creative achievement is
described by G.I. Chugunov.
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Smolny Cathedral
1993
Larger view
St. Petersburg Charon
2000
Larger view
Ready to Go
1995
Larger view
Exhibition catalogue
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