[Vladimir]

Yakovlev, Vladimir I. (1934-1998)

One of the most significant figures in the Russian postwar art. Works of Vladimir Yakovlev unwittingly became the banner of the Russian artistic nonconformism with all of hopelessness in their search for a political component and express dissent. Born in Gorky region in the family servants. Vladimir Yakovlev - self-taught. Address the brush he decided in 1957, inspired by exhibitions of foreign artists who were in the VI World Festival of Youth and Students. His work late 1950's and early 1960's - is mostly experimental abstraction, irrelevance. Distinctive creative style of the artist was formed later - in the early 1960's. Then came his expressive-primitivist portraits of sad and, of course, the famous "flowers" made in the artist's favorite technique - gouache on paper. Until the end of life, they remain the main themes in the artist.
Believed that fame came to Yakovlev from the exhibition in the House of Culture "Friendship" in 1962. For people interested in the unofficial art of such a miracle missed by the authorities of the exhibition were a real event. Later, Yakovlev was involved in most of the major exhibitions of non-conformists, as well as in the resonance shows an alternative Soviet art in foreign galleries and museums. Despite that Yakovlev did not seek political confrontation with the authorities, useful for future immigration. In 1976 he even managed to join the city committee of graphic artists. A quiet man, he simply painted what pleased. Life is slowly trickling down the route home - hospital - home. "Gannushkina, 15 Psychiatric Hospital, psycho boarding number 30 - in 1960 Yakovlev was part of their patient, and in contrast to many not for educational purposes. Interestingly, the memories of those who knew him, a hospital for an artist had not been tested.
At the clinics, the artist seemed to rest from the world and drew a staggering in its energy belongings.
The tragedy in the artist's work, in addition to mental illness, and adds a physical ailment: he quickly lost his eyesight (acuity which in some periods fell to 10%of normal). And Yakovlev while managed to draw, with bright and piercing.
Recent years in the life of the artist - is a history of domestic oblivion against the background of dozens of international exhibitions, retrospectives from Paris to New York (during the life of even held a retrospective at the Tretyakov Gallery). Only toward the end of Yakovlev's life began to take care of friends. He died of pneumonia in the psycho-neurological boarding school 9 years ago.
The most valuable period of Yakovlev's works are 1960's - 1970's. However, for this artist rather conventional periodization: developing creativity, quality, homogeneous, except for the pilot of the late 1950's. Strong expressive things are found throughout his work - until the early 1990's. Repeating the artist's favorite subjects - flowers, a cat who caught a bird portraits. I drew a lot, sometimes a dozen works in the day. By some estimates, his legacy has more than 10 thousand paper.
Prices work Yakovlev today is rapidly growing. Symbolic sale took place at Sotheby's in May 2005. Most meter gouache "cat with a bird" in 1981, with an upper Estimé 20 thousand dollars was sold for 48 thousand dollars