When I Grow Up

Vladimir Dubossarsky is a famous Russian artist, whose works are on a display in the State Russian Museum, the State Tretyakov Gallery, the Centre Georges Pompidou, Avignon Museum of Contemporary Art and in many other museums and galleries.  He collaborated with Alexander Vinogradov, they founded a gallery "Art-Strelka" and a festival "Art-Klyazma".  

"When I grow up" is an exposition that presents vibrating paintings in our memory from dream, childhood memories, details from everyday life and invisible changes in our life.

The exposition features works based on the illustrations by Vladimir Konashevich, a Soviet artist. In one of the illustrations, called "When I grow up", Vladimir Dubossarsky fills black and white pictures with colours and creates an insight into history from his book for children.

The exposition consists both of the early artist's works (the end of 80-s of the XX century) and the new works (2013-2015).  The exposition is mainly connected with the childhood of the artist, but at the same time it is in tune with the works of Andrey Platonov, especially the works created on the decline of the USSR. There are paintings connected with peasants' history "Ground (Great-grandfather)", "Funeral" and "A Girl with a Hen" referring to the rough style of the 60-s. There is also a new painting "A Toy-soldier of Fortune" (2015) that depicts a toy, which arouses memories of war and orphanage.  Intonation and images from these paintings are in tune with the mood of Platonov epoch.

 "Glass-holder" and "Burner" are images of household items and symbols known subconsciously by people from some generations.   They are depicted without any piety or nostalgia, but they seem to be important enough to be saved in paintings.  "Party" and "Postcard" are family photos and illustrations transmitted to canvas and artifacts valuable for the artist. "Flag" is a memory about the time in the army, "Window" and  "Bird-Sirin"   are images of something ancient seen in childhood in the countryside. The paintings shown at the exhibition are different in their style, some of them were created in different time periods, but all of them are connected with the inner logic and make a panorama of the artist's life.

"There is a phrase "I am from the childhood". This exposition is to some extent a way in which a child looks at things: a big flag, big glass-holders, big postcards and a small child who is looking at all this. We will never grow up in a way. We live in the world of illusions: we think that we can become cleverer and stronger, but this does not happen.  We have grown up, but we haven't changed … I thought that I had made a long way but I realised that I was practically where I had started with some slight changes. An artist has a lot of thoughts but only one remains forever with me"

Vladimir Dubossarsky