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OBER GALLERY PRESENTS A MAJOR SHOW ON RUSSIAN NONCONFORMIST ART. FIVE OF THE MORE THAN 15 ARTISTS WERE FEATURED IN THE 2005 GUGGENHEIM SHOW, RUSSIA!

February 4  - April 15, 2012
Mickiey & Minni


Early Morning






 Non-conformist emerged in the Soviet Union after the death of Joseph Stalin in 1953. Any artist whose work did not conform to the principles of Soviet Socialist Realism, or did not advance the Communist ideal was considered a non-conformist by the Soviet regime. Three categories were especially deemed unacceptable: religious, pornographic, and formalistic art, the latter referring to styles and movements such as Cubism, Futurism, Constructivism, Dadaism, and Surrealism. These artists were denied studios, materials, and public exhibition space.

Inspired by their exposure to Western artistic trends at the Sixth World Festival of Youth and Students in Moscow in 1957, and their interaction with surviving students of Kazimir Malevich and the Russian Avant Garde artists of the 1920s, nonconformist artists began working in a variety of styles from the late 1950s.

Censorship was renewed after Stalin’s successor, Khrushchev, attended the Moscow Manezh exhibition in 1962.  He was infuriated by the near-abstract works. He threatened and humiliated several artists present, including the sculptor Ernst Neizvestny.

World awareness of Russian non-conformist art began with the Soviet Government’s response to the first Fall Open Air Show of Paintings on September 15, 1974. Bulldozers and water cannons demolished the exhibition and destroyed several paintings; numerous arrests, forced hospitalizations, and discharges from work followed. In Soviet artistic circles the exhibition became known as the Bulldozer Exhibition.

After the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, many of these non-conformist artists emigrated to Germany, France, and the United States where they continue to work in a variety of styles. Many more of these artists remain in Russia.

In 2005, the Guggenheim Museum featured the works of Russian nonconformist artists in their show Russia! 

I am please to present this major show on the Russian Non-Conformists, featuring works by more than 15 artists.

The show runs from Saturday, February 4 – April 15, 2012. The Opening Reception is Saturday, February 4, from 4-7 pm. The film, Black Square, an introduction to the Russian Nonconformists, will be shown at 3 pm.

Rob Ober