Russian pride

I caught a Semyon Faibisovich show at my school's art museum (Zimmerli Art Museum) not too long ago. I thought his work was whatever, but I was curious enough to learn more about him.


Soldiers (from Train Station series), 1989, Semyon Faibisovich

Turns out he likes to focus on the mundane tasks that we all do every day (riding the bus to work, waiting for a doctor's appointment, eating breakfast, and all that jazz), which is something I think about a lot, so after reading that, I interpreted his art a whole lot differently.

For years, Faibisovich, who graduated from the Moscow Architectural Institute, worked in design offices while he tried to establish himself as an independent artist.

And he certainly did. One of his pieces, an original painting commissioned by TIME magazine for one of their covers in 1989, sold for $120,000 on Ebay this past April.


Beauty (from the Cycle workers festive march), 1988, Semyon Faibisovich

The jury at the Moscow Architectural Institute said his work, "[combines] astute social criticism with a subtle and sophisticated visual poetry. The influence of [Faibisovich's] architectural education can be readily felt in his meticulously conceived paintings and series, which often subject a disquieting urban landscape to the gentle irony of a wise observer of Russian society."

Photos courtesy of artnet.com