There is such an artist PP Leonov

[Серж]

Was born in 1920. in the village Volotovsky Oryol region. In the late 30-ies. went to the city for work. He worked in factories, chopping wood, repairing the ships, built roads, a carpenter, plasterer, a stove, a tinsmith, a painter, a painter and decorator, but "for defending the interests of fairness, I ran with companies 12 times and 13 times I have driven," as he recalled artist later. During the same several stints in jail. In the 37 years of wandering Leonov traveled almost the entire Soviet Union. He lived in Orel, Ukraine, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Uzbekistan. But despite the drama of fate, Leonov did not forget about his dream - to become an artist. In 1960. he joined the People's Correspondence University in Moscow, where the "teach to the artist, but soon abandoned his studies. And only in 1968. Pavel Petrovich resumed his studies at the famous artist and teacher - Mikhail Roginsky. For the first time his works were exhibited in Moscow in 1970. This was the starting point of interest in his work. In his pictures was shown romanticized view of the world of this man: the stories began to dream of a country's prosperity, where there is violence and humiliation, where labor is glad and honored. Painting like emancipated Pavel Petrovich. However, to truly open up creatively in those years Leonov prevented all the same vagrants. Way to a Dream was a long and complex. Since 1991, after meeting with Olga Dyakonitsynoy, Head. Department of the Museum of naive art - in the age of 71, Pavel Leonov finally began to paint constantly. From that time to his village Mehovitsy (Ivanovo region.) Began coming artists, art historians, collectors. Domestic and foreign experts consider him one of the most prominent representatives of Russia's naive art. His name is included in the World encyclopedia of naive art (Belgrade, 1984). Member-Union and All-Russia Exhibition 70 - 80 years. In 1997, at the international exhibition of naive art "INSITA" in Bratislava awarded the Grand Prix. The next festival "NSITA 2000" was presented his solo exhibition. In the same year on the 6 th International Competition of naive art "Gallerie pro art Kasper" in Switzerland, awarded the Grand Prix. Member of traveling exhibitions of the Museum of naive art: images of Pushkin in the works of naive artists of Russia "(1999)," And I saw the sky "(2001). Participant of Moscow International Festival of naive art and outsider art" Festnaiv - 2004 "and" Festnaiv - 2007. The works are located in Vladimir-Suzdal Museum-Reserve, Russia's State House of Folk Art, State Museum Tzaritzyno, museum of naive art in Moscow, in private collections in Russia and abroad. "He (Leon) has always lived in an inverted world, Through the Looking Glass, which has everything - its laws, its sky, its own land. He was and is the Don - Quixote Soviet era ...." Michael Roginsky.