45. Viacheslav Vasilevich Kalinin (Russian, 1939-2022) Conteur à Moscou/ Storyteller in Moscow signé en cyrillique et daté "1972" (en bas à droite) huile sur toile 80 x 65cm (31 1/2 x 25 9/16in). signed in Cyrillic and dated "1972" (lower right) oil on canvas Provenance Acquired directly from the artist by Franco Miele Acquired from the above by a private European collector Thence by descent Exhibited Venice, La nuova arte sovietica. Una prospettiva non ufficiale a cura di Enrico Crispolti e Gabriella Moncada (Il Dissenso culturale [the Dissident Biennial]), 15 October - 17 November 1977, (according to label on verso) Torino, Palazzo Madama, La nuova arte sovietica. Una prospettiva non ufficiale, April - May 1978 Rome, Bruno Tartaglia, Mostra Sul Dissenso Culturale (according to label on verso) Venice, Ca'Foscari, Russie! Memoria mistificazione immaginario Arte russa del '900 dalle collezioni Morgante e Sandretti, 22 April -25 July 2010 Literature Franco Miele, L'avanguardia Tradita: Arte Russa Dal 19. Al 20. Sec. Carte Segrete, 1973, p. 480 illustrated Exhibition catalogue La Nuova Arte Sovietica, La Biennale di Venezia, 1977, p.216 listed Exhibition catalogue La nuova arte sovietica. Una prospettiva non ufficiale, Torino, 1978, illustrated. Russie! Memoria mistificazione immaginario Arte russa del '900 dalle collezioni Morgante e Sandretti, Treviso 2010, p.265 illustrated, p. 258 listed N105 The phantasmagorical and original language of Vyacheslav Kalinin has become one of the most recognizable among the group of non-conformist artists. Despite the uniqueness of his artistic style, the master's work undoubtedly embodies the common principles of unofficial artists: ability to go beyond the ordinary and reinterpret reality through painting. Unlike other unofficial artists, such as Nemukhin, who engaged in an "endless dialogue" with Malevich, or Weisberg, whose creative principles were influenced by the metaphysics of Giorgio Morandi, Kalinin was less attached to the avant-garde movement of the early 20th century. His paintings are a kaleidoscope of elements of cubism and the phantasmagoria of Filonov, inspired by the Old Masters, primarily Bruegel the Younger and Bosch. Kalinin himself defined the direction of his art as follows: "I wanted to capture the fleetingness and theatricality of our life. I didn't care at all about style or fashionable trends in painting. Everything emerged spontaneously, what I saw once was refracted in my imagination." The theatricality, sarcasm, and grotesque style of Kalinin can be defined as "carnivalism". The leitmotif of the carnival is abundance and utopianism, which are characteristic of many of Kalinin's paintings. Through the carnival, he rejected commonly accepted norms and created his own 'ideal' society. Reality in Kalinin's paintings is refracted through mysticism, becoming a mosaic of different images, some of which hint at the artist himself or his friends. In the offered "Storyteller in Moscow" a couple are performing on the streets of the capital, however they are depicted in a comical way, visibly playing the violins incorrectly, their proportions are exaggerated, and expressions are grotesque. The painting resembles a kaleidoscope, with the composition built from numerous refracted forms of recognisable buildings. In "the Storyteller in Moscow", Kalinin created an allegory that transcends time and place, a half-dream in which the viewer cannot distinguish reality from imagination. The warped perspective and segmented sections make the piece appear to move like a wave, creating a sense of instability and fluctuation. The atmosphere of the painting is filled with a sense of mystery and surrealism inviting the viewer to enter the fantastical world of Kalinin's unique artistic vision.