This is an example of an artist in the 1960's using contemporary material from film and history in a painting. The year is 1964, two years after the intensity of the Cuban Missile Crisis wore off, Russian filmmaker Mikhail Kalatozov made “I Am Cuba.” The film was co-written by Russian poet Yevgeniy Yevtushenko, who had a very influential voice come out of his poetry.
“I Am Cuba” is about the island culture of Cuba as it transitioned from being a post-revolution country. It documented the various levels of society, and went back and forth from the urban setting of Havana to the lush countryside. The film also examines the various problems caused by political oppression as well as by great discrepancies in wealth and power. The film starts off in the pre-Castro period when foreigners were found all over, not just in the resorts of today (Ernest Hemingway's “To Have and Have Not” also paints a vivid picture of Cuba before the revolution). Then the film flashes into the industrious time after the revolution. It shows workers in the city and how life was evolving for the people. The seemingly endless fields of sugar cane, and the farmers, are not ignored and we see the beauty of the Cuban countryside.
This plate, painted by Tatyana Televinova (now Khodova through marriage) shows the glorious portions of the film after the revolution. In the center are the guerillas who won the battle for control in Cuba. Surrounding them are workers in the fields, workers helping build in the city, and peasants celebrating. A work like this was common for its theme of glorifying communism, but it is rare that a Russian artist would find material half way around the globe on a small island in the Gulf of Mexico. The film, however, touched her in a way that she felt like painting it. The film is not without its portrayal of the hardships, but to appease the local chapter of the communist party, she painted the portions of the film that would find approval.
Egg-tempera paint is the main medium used to paint this composition. The primary source of color from the artist's palette is in the warm paints. This is due to the tropical setting of the island. A black background creates a bold separation from the elements of the painting, which makes everything seem to jump off the plate. Each character is drawn in an animated style that complements the structure of the composition. Gold and aluminum paints are used to detail the scene with great skill, and the application of these metallic paints creates depth, flashes of light, and brings the action to life.
The plate is made out of paper-mache from Palekh. Black lacquer covers the entire plate. Two holes in the lip, on the bottom of the plate, were drilled for easy wall mounting. The piece is in impeccable shape for its age, but has a few imperfections that do not detract from the value of the piece, and give an accurate representation of the work's age. Upon completing the work on this piece the artist writes Palekh, 1964, and signs her name along the bottom of the composition.
Materials: paper-mache, egg-tempera paint, gold, aluminum, and lacquer.
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About Artist Khodova, Tatyana Mikhailovana:
Born in on January 10, 1942, in the city of Shuya in the Ivanovo region. She has been a member of the Artists' Union since 1971. Studied at the Palekh Art School from 1959-1964. Themes of her work include folklore, literature, genre scenes, ("The Field", "The Spinner", "Dunya Kept a Railway-Engine", "Rada and Loiko", "Semik", "The Snowmaiden", "The Wedding", "Finist, teh Bright Falcon").
Has participated in exhibitions since 1966. Her works are held in the State Museum of Palekh Art, the All Russia Museum of Decorative and Applied Art, the State Russian Museum, and the Plyos State Historical-Architectural and Art Museum-Reserve.
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read about Khodova, Tatyana Mikhailovana
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Item Specifications:
- Title: "Viva Cuba - from I Am Cuba 1964"
- Weight: 4.3 oz 123 g
- Price: $2350.00
- This specific item is available as a single work.
We do not expect to carry this item in the foreseeable future!
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