[Евгений]

Interesting article (2000., Journalists. "Our Heritage") on the works of a talented artist (EA)
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Weisberg is one of those artists who, as their removal from our present day are becoming more and more significant. Since the death of Vladimir Grigorievich thirteen years, but these years have shown that this artist has a strong place in the whole artistic culture of the twentieth century - not only Russian but also global. It seems to me that among our artists Weisberg has the strongest position in the twentieth century. He never hurried fashion, did not apply to those stylistic directions that have come and gone (they were in our century, especially a lot), and himself - from the very beginning - develop their own creative system that was extremely thorough. Starting from the creative concept of Cezanne - this cornerstone of the whole art of the twentieth century, he went his own way, consistently improving his technique. Anyone who watched the work Veisberg for decades, knows how difficult, how stubbornly he was moving in this direction, without deviating from it even a step, as he was faithful to his idea, and as consistently - a step by step - approaching the goal .

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VG Weisberg seems to me such an artist that organically comes in various contexts of the artistic culture of the twentieth century. You can not, for example, recall the facts Veisberg participation in exhibitions of so-called "Nine", which in the early 60's were among the most notable phenomena updated in those years of Soviet art. Weisberg was at the center of this movement, though markedly different from his adherents. At the same time formed non-conformist direction, which was later name the "other art". The exhibition under this name, held a few years ago, part Veisberg perceived as quite natural and obligatory. Just as naturally as possible to pass from our Russian measurements to the global. I quite clearly see Veisberg in a number of artists of the middle and second half of the twentieth century, which focused on the plastic values. In this series - Morandi and De Style, Rothko and Fontana and many other masters, as if pushing off different versions of the updated expressionism, pop art, conceptualism.

Touch and some other problems, put forward the art of the twentieth century, and every time especially in their own way, refracted in the works Veisberg. One of these problems - much valued in our century existentialism of artistic activity. Recently, the newly nominated thesis: the artist instead of a picture. At the forefront of imposed identity of the creator, not as works of his hands, an original creative concept. This is an old idea. Let us recall the Russian Symbolist poets beginning of the twentieth century - Andrei Bely, Aleksandr Blok, who sought to turn their lives into works of art. Recall how block primarily seen in the dignity Wrubel, serves as a model of creative existentiality for poets symbolist generation. But remember also that, and Block and White, and Vrubel not only worked out of his life a work of art, but also to create these works, which embodied the identity of the creator. Weisberg, perhaps like no other in our art, embodied as a personality in his works. Not an artist instead of a picture, and the artist in the film. Who knew Weisberg, who has watched him for many years, he could make sure that it has merged into a sort of personal integrity, fate and the arts.

In its own way embodies Weisberg that craving to conceptual art, which so obsessed the twentieth century. Conceptualism, as a trend, rather fruitfully past now completes the cycle of development, has been entirely focused on the concept as such, leaving aside the principles of traditional plastic expressiveness. Meanwhile, these two seemingly forever torn material trends, in fact quite compatible. In a fairly traditional hard plastic Veisberg lives its own concept. But she was not exposed, as in conceptualism, and fused with plastics, it is embodied. His concept - in the understanding of peace, world order, in the knowledge of the mysteries of human life. Weisberg is involved in the comprehension of the world, letting the endpoints being. It is as if there is in the process, which has no end.
The very nature of this process, knowledge of the world have Veisberg remarkable. In the Russian philosophical tradition, there is such a thing - "integral knowledge". This knowledge, which combines logic and intuition, insight and rigorous rational calculation. In an ideal point of this piece of knowledge converge science, philosophy, religion and art. On this solid piece of knowledge thought Kireyevsk and Vladimir Solovyov, Florensky Vernadsky and Losev. I think that Weisberg his artistic intuition approached this idea. Of his art he has made a science. His method had the features of pronounced rationalism. However, his artistic discovery is the fruit of almost a mystical revelation. Therefore, the deep mystery covers those creative processes that have resulted in higher achievement Veisberg and that seemed to have been so logically explained verbally by the artist.

Like many other great masters of the twentieth century, Weisberg was concerned about the problem of a new harmony. Has long been clear that this new harmony can not be like the old one. It is complicated by the unprecedented tragedy, precariousness of existence, severity and social and individual human contradictions. Veysbergovskie paintings leave an amazing impression of unity and inviolability of the fluctuation. Immutability - in the sense of the laws on which rests all the creativity, the stability of the method in blindly moving towards the goal. Fluctuation - a fragility to create a design, in an almost unreal purity of form. The harmony which arises at the intersection of these paths, exposed to the destructive forces, easily vulnerable. This harmony is on the brink. And the harder it is to achieve. And the more valuable achievements. The difficulty of this new harmony of the twentieth century also wrote Wassily Kandinsky. It was available a few artists of our century - thus, who appreciated the plastic tradition, albeit radically reinterprets them. Among these masters is VG Weisberg.

I want to touch upon another issue that is highly relevant for the future of art of the twentieth century - the problem of easel paintings. Today - for the umpteenth time over the past decade - re-sentenced the painting as a living art form, to achieve artistic progress. After the Russian Constructivists in 1921 solemnly vowed not to return more to easel art forms, painting fell under siege many times. Today, she threatened objects and installations, as previously threatened to design, assemblage or performens. But each time the efforts of world-class artists continued painting his life, revived, although many continued to seem an outdated form of creativity. Weisberg - one of those artists that pattern did not change and which prove their creativity its viability. It seems to me that the painting still lives and will live as a visual as well as in non-objective form, embodying the idea (again recalling Kandinsky) "great abstraction" and "the great reality." And it makes no sense and the need to oppose each other. Of course, the artists' right to choose and defend their own vision, rejecting the rest (as it did Weisberg). The right of the viewer - to choose one or the other, and perhaps both simultaneously. But the duty of art or criticism - to objectively consider the possibility of an artistic movement, letting them overlap and seeing each its value (if, indeed, this value occurs).
And finally, another quality art Weisberg, which I would like to mention. This art is highly moral and strict. In an age when many temptations of the artist's gone over the brink of good and evil, when such a path has already been explored and tested, it is not so easy to guard the moral purity of art. Weisberg is always kept strict rules. He never allowed any game giveaway with the audience, not trying to flatter him or to facilitate access to the empathy and he was not looking for easy victories in the works, choosing the most difficult and most arduous journey. This - a rare gift - especially in the artistic perspective of the twentieth century.

1. The track "Seven pillars. 1984. Oil on canvas.
2. Composition "Tanagra, columns, ball." 1983. Oil on canvas.
3. Composition "of six cubes. 1977. Oil on canvas.