From ancient times art has been an indispensable part of human society. Beginning with Neolithic magic rituals, through millennia of experience decorating religious buildings to the achievements of modernity, it has accompanied humanity at every stage of its history, creating a visual representation of its beliefs, ethics, and philosophical systems, and demonstrating an ideal of harmony. More than once, art seemed to lose scale and power, torn by crises at the turn of an era or another, and seemingly verged on disappearance; yet every time, new forces arose from within to renew its potential. In a reaction to Decadent art movements of the late 19th–early 20th centuries, arose a desire for freshness, clarity of form and constructive approach to creativity that brought to life the revolutionary art of 1910s and 1920s, marked by such names as Malevich, Kandinsky, Tatlin, Ermilov, Boichuk, Burliuk, Bogomazov. The avant-garde art movement of the 1920s offered new philosophic and esthetic ideas, discovered a new worldview, formulated new artistic objectives and gave impetus to the development of modern art across the entire world. Its existence on the territory of the Soviet Union was, alas, short-lived – it was quickly crushed by the Soviet system of repression. Instead, the state imposed the so-called «method of socialist realism», an ideological construct that destroyed esthetic and ethical frameworks of art and reduced the role of an artist to a mere contractor fulfilling the demands of the Communist elite. By absolving the society of esthetic criteria, leading ideology undermined fundamental values of existence and created a new kind of Soviet citizen, a person with limited interests and minimal needs. With any possibility of creative thought eliminated due to ideological dictate, art in the Soviet empire was cut off from the global context for decades, its development put on hold for a long while.
In the 1960s creatively active youth in the major artistic hubs – Moscow, Leningrad, Kyiv, Odessa, Lviv – were the first to feel the need for renewal. Partly intuitively, partly consciously, young artists were seeking to restore lost values. In Odessa this tendency led to the emergence of a small group of young artists whose vision of art and artistic mission clashed with the official doctrines. At first their creative and exhibition activities were limited by the boundaries of their own apartments and studios, yet by the beginning of the 1970s they, joined by a wider circle of like-minded artists, attracted the attention of the public with a series of unofficial apartment exhibitions. It’s worth mentioning the names of the artists who stood at the heart of this movement, initiated it and formed its core or remained active participants, carrying the spirit of the 70s throughout the years: A. Anufriyev, V. Strelnikov, V. Basanets, V. Marynyuk, Yu. Yegorov, V. Tsiupko, L. Yastreb, V. Khrushch, S. Sychov, R. Makoyev, Ye. Rakhmanin, A. Stovbur, M. Stepanov, O. Voloshinov, I. Bozhko and others. Several of these artists, namely V. Strelnikov, A. Anufriyev, V. Marynyuk, V. Basanets, L. Yastreb and V. Tsiupko, also took part in apartment exhibitions in Moscow. While Moscow and Kyiv-based artists mostly concerned themselves with reflections on Socialist Realism and the political agenda of the day, Odessa artists addressed the issues similar to those explored by contemporary European art, which aimed, first of all, at solving esthetic problems. Published in Munich in 1979, the catalogue «Modern Art of Ukraine. Munich–London–New York–Paris» gave art enthusiasts in the West the first glimpse into the art of Odessa modernists. Apartment exhibitions became a milestone in the history of Odessa non-conformist art; one of them, a permanent exhibition in the apartment of Vladimir Asriev, a young musician and future modern art collector, gained special importance. It was constantly open for artists and viewers from 1975 to 1979, when Asriev was forced to emigrate.
In the middle of the 1960s, several young artists from Odessa continued their education in Moscow and Leningrad, eventually becoming masters of art. Their studies coincided with the short-lived Khrushchev’s Thaw, characterized by greater openness in society and an inflow of information. The euphoria that college students felt at the time fueled their enthusiasm for the exploration of cultural riches that could be found in the museums, libraries and bookstores of the cultural centers of the Soviet empire. Numerous exhibitions of painters from the East and the West, a great number of published books and periodicals, and lectures by famous Western artists characterized that era. Access to information widened, and students dove into the stream of art from across the world. They discovered the traditional art of India, Japan, China and Africa, Neolithic and Classical art, Middle Ages and the Renaissance. They started to perceive the artistic achievements of modernity as a part of the greater whole; they saw through to the fundamental pillars that art resided upon and realized how powerful an influence it could have upon human consciousness, beginning to develop a notion of art as a vehicle of humankind’s spiritual values. New perspectives were opening up for artists, making them realize the extent of their responsibility to society. The effects of that informational breakthrough could later be felt in modern artworks. Yet in the beginning of the 1970s, works that didn’t fit into the narrow confines of Socialist Realism had no chance of being included in official exhibitions. Apartment exhibitions became a unique way for unofficial art to reach its viewers, a viable alternative to Party-sanctioned art.
Another possibility for young artists to realize their creative ambitions was to turn to applied and monumental art, which required the fusion of painting and architecture, allowing the artists to depart from the conventional dogmas of Socialist Realism. First examples of highly professional murals were produced in Odessa in the end of the 1960s by Yu. Yegorov, A. Atsmanchuk, V. Strelnikov, A. Anufriyev, and N. Morozov. As more and more young artists received their monumental art degrees from various art colleges, the genre became increasingly better developed, drawing an even greater number of talented painters and sculptors into its orbit. This led to the establishment of a workshop of monumental decorative painting within the framework of USSR Art Fund, and later, of a monumental art section in the local branch of the Artists Union. An arts council consisting of established artists of the older generation – A. Atsmanchuk, Yu. Yegorov, V. Tokarev; professional monumentalists N. Morozov, V. Tsiupko; architects M. Yun, M. Yarmash; painter V. Basanets – took an uncompromising stance against mediocrity, ensuring high professional level and esthetic value of produced works. At the time, the list of artists active in the field included Yu. Yegorov, N. Morozov, V. Tsiupko, A. Shopin, V. Marynyuk, L. Yastreb, S. Sychov, M. Stepanov, V. Matskevich, S. Yusim, V. Basanets, A. Stovbur, S. Savchenko, V. Sad, V. Bukhtiyarov, V. Pavlov, V. Ignatiev, V. Bulany, V. Kapitonov, and others. Creative works of Odessa monumentalists showed the influence of folk tradition. Since monumental art was meant for public spaces, it was supposed to be accessible and to promote ethical values. Methods and forms of easel work began to filter into monumental work and vice versa, enriching both fields of art. Qualities such as optimism, freshness and clarity of colors, strong sense of rhythm, and light-imbued imagery manifested strongly in artworks created by Odessa monumentalists, who created a number of exquisite artworks in public spaces of the city, as well as the adjacent region and other regional centers in Ukraine. Achievements of the Odessa school of monumental art received high appraisal on the Ukrainian Forum of Monumental Artists in Kharkiv in 1988.
For Odessa modernists, monumental painting provided a strong catalyst for creative achievement, an invaluable laboratory of modern artistic techniques and forms of expression, and a first-ever chance to expand into territory previously occupied by official art.
1990s and 2000s turned a new page in the creative biographies of Odessa modernists. As Ukraine gained its independence, an extraordinary rise of patriotic feelings awakened creative impulses and spurred organizational efforts in the spheres of art and culture. In 1990s Ukraine began presenting its artists across the world and hosting exhibitions of artworks from all over the globe. It was an era marked by the emergence of large-scale art projects, new printed publications, art groups, and iconic exhibitions. In 1993 the National Organization of Artists (NAM) was founded, while Odessa artists formed an art collective named «Choven». Another art collective, «Mamay», emerged in 1998. Similar groups sprung up in Kyiv, Lviv and other Ukrainian cities. Cultural life became decentralized; a number of cities established their own art festivals, biennials and triennials. Some of them didn’t last long, yet they did stir up the collective consciousness. Odessa modernists actively participated in this creative process as artists and judges («Impresa» biennial, 1989, 1991, 1993, Ivano-Frankivsk, award panel: V. Tsiupko, V. Marynyuk, M. Stepanov, A. Stovbur; «Pan-Ukraine-95» biennial, 1995, Dnipropetrovsk, award panel: V. Tsiupko; «ART-AKT, the Triennial of Abstract Painting», 2012, Chernivtsi, award panel: S. Savchenko), often were invited by curators to join prestigious exhibitions in Ukraine and abroad. Among these: «Ukrainian-French Encounters», 1994, Kyiv–Khust (Ukraine); «Vysokyi Zamok», biennial, Lviv (Ukraine); «20th Century Ukrainian Painting», 1990, Kyiv (Ukraine); «Three Generations of Ukrainian Painting», 1990, Kyiv; «Ukrainian Painting of 1960s-1980s», «Soviart», 1990, Kyiv–Odense (Denmark); «Art Club’96», 1996, Khmelnitskyi (Ukraine); «Art d`Ucraїna», 1995, D’Alcoi (Spain); «Prominent Female Painters of Ukraine», 1998, Kyiv; «1st Biennale of Non-Narrative Painting», 1998, Kyiv; «International Biennale of Contemporary Graphic Art», 2001, 2003, Novosibirsk (Russia); «Ukrainian Triennial of Painting», 2001, 2007, 2010, Kyiv; «Ukraine from Trypillia till Nowadays», 2006, 2008, 2010, Kyiv; «ART-AKT, the Triennial of Abstract Painting», 2010, Chernivtsi (Ukraine); and others.
Further stylistic refinement and mature craftsmanship distinguish the works of Odessa artists on the threshold of the new century. Relentless creative energy drives them to explore new ideas and art forms. V. Marynyuk and V. Basanets pay homage to small-scale sculpture; M. Stepanov delves into polychrome sculpture; S. Savchenko starts painting natural objects; V. Sad experiments with metal. In 1990s the non-figurative trend in painting becomes especially pronounced and pertinent among Odessa artists. The catalog «20th Century Ukrainian Art» includes, along with a retrospective of abstract art by L. Yastreb, V. Marynyuk, V. Strelnikov and R. Makoev (1970s), the works of a group of abstract art painters active in the 1990s: V. Tsiupko, A. Stovbur, V. Sad, S. Yusim, S. Savchenko, who at the time also took part in the 1st Biennale of Non-Narrative Painting (1998, Kyiv, Ukrainian House). Other artists who turn to non-figurative are O. Voloshinov, V. Marynyuk, V. Filipenko, V. Basanets, V. Goncharov, V. Ignatiev and I. Bozhko.
During the last decade of the 20th and the first decade of the 21st century, most of the aforementioned artists actively participated in exhibitions. Some of the more significant events in the cultural life of Odessa in 1990s–2000s include: the travelling exhibition by a group of modernists in several cities of Western Ukraine (Lviv – Khmelnytskyi – Chernivtsi – Ternopil), organized on the initiative of a film director Yu. Chorny, 1990; «4V» (V. Basanets, V. Marynyuk, V. Strelnikov, V. Tsiupko), 1997, Odessa; «Media», part of the project «Cultural Hero» (V. Marynyuk, V. Sad, M. Stepanov, V. Tsiupko, I. Tsupka, S. Yusim), 2002, Odessa; «Odessa School Today» (A. Anufriyev, V. Basanets, Yu. Yegorov, V. Marynyuk, S. Savchenko, M. Stepanov, V. Strelnikov, V. Tsiupko, V. Khrushch, L. Yastreb), 2004, Odessa; «Light of the South» (V. Basanets, V. Marynyuk, S. Savchenko, V. Sad, A. Stovbur, V. Strelnikov, V. Tsiupko, S. Yusim), 2003, Odessa; numerous exhibitions by the «Mamay» art collective (V. Basanets, I. Bozhko, V. Marynyuk, S. Savchenko, V. Sad, M. Stepanov, A. Stovbur, V. Strelnikov, V. Tsiupko); a series of personal exhibitions by the members of «Mamay» at NT-art Gallery; other personal and group exhibitions.
During the same period, Odessa modernists also participated in numerous exhibitions in Ukraine and abroad: in Germany, France, Spain, UK, Denmark, USA, Japan, Russia, Poland etc. Below is a list of Ukrainian, foreign and citywide exhibitions that the aforementioned Odessa artists took part in throughout these years, whether personally or as part of a larger group.
The establishment of Museum of Odessa Modern Art and NT-art, a gallery founded by art collector A. Dymchuk, were both significant events in the cultural life of the city.
We would like to express our gratitude to the older generation of artists as well as to our peers who contributed to the inimitable creative atmosphere of those years: Vladimir Sinitsky, Oleg Sokolov, Oleksandr Atsmanchuk, Vyacheslav Tokarev, Orest Sleshinsky, Adolf Loza, Lucien Mezhberg, Eduard Pavlov, Valentin Matskevich, Yuri Shurevich, Valentin Altanets, Oleksandr Dmitriev. The charismatic presence of Yuri Yegorov played a special role in Odessa artists’ community. The power, rich imagery and strong craftsmanship of his works, as well as his personal integrity and unwillingness to compromise on his views, influenced an entire generation of artists.
It’s worth stressing that at every stage of their creative career, from the first artworks of 1960s–1970s to present day, Odessa modernists firmly adhered to an optimistic, humanistic stance, which prevented them from drifting towards politically engaged styles like Sots Art or the extreme individualism of some contemporary art movements. A movement that emerged in the end of 1960s in a narrow circle of young artists dedicated to creative expression, grew strong in 1970s when artists took an open stand by participating in apartment exhibitions, gained recognition in art and culture circles through monumental and applied painting and, from the beginning of the 1990s to present day, through participation in large-scale events and exhibitions in Ukraine and abroad, modernist art of Odessa became a vital and influential force in the cultural life of Ukraine and made a significant contribution to the formation and development of Ukrainian non-figurative and postmodern art.
In the 1960s creatively active youth in the major artistic hubs – Moscow, Leningrad, Kyiv, Odessa, Lviv – were the first to feel the need for renewal. Partly intuitively, partly consciously, young artists were seeking to restore lost values. In Odessa this tendency led to the emergence of a small group of young artists whose vision of art and artistic mission clashed with the official doctrines. At first their creative and exhibition activities were limited by the boundaries of their own apartments and studios, yet by the beginning of the 1970s they, joined by a wider circle of like-minded artists, attracted the attention of the public with a series of unofficial apartment exhibitions. It’s worth mentioning the names of the artists who stood at the heart of this movement, initiated it and formed its core or remained active participants, carrying the spirit of the 70s throughout the years: A. Anufriyev, V. Strelnikov, V. Basanets, V. Marynyuk, Yu. Yegorov, V. Tsiupko, L. Yastreb, V. Khrushch, S. Sychov, R. Makoyev, Ye. Rakhmanin, A. Stovbur, M. Stepanov, O. Voloshinov, I. Bozhko and others. Several of these artists, namely V. Strelnikov, A. Anufriyev, V. Marynyuk, V. Basanets, L. Yastreb and V. Tsiupko, also took part in apartment exhibitions in Moscow. While Moscow and Kyiv-based artists mostly concerned themselves with reflections on Socialist Realism and the political agenda of the day, Odessa artists addressed the issues similar to those explored by contemporary European art, which aimed, first of all, at solving esthetic problems. Published in Munich in 1979, the catalogue «Modern Art of Ukraine. Munich–London–New York–Paris» gave art enthusiasts in the West the first glimpse into the art of Odessa modernists. Apartment exhibitions became a milestone in the history of Odessa non-conformist art; one of them, a permanent exhibition in the apartment of Vladimir Asriev, a young musician and future modern art collector, gained special importance. It was constantly open for artists and viewers from 1975 to 1979, when Asriev was forced to emigrate.
In the middle of the 1960s, several young artists from Odessa continued their education in Moscow and Leningrad, eventually becoming masters of art. Their studies coincided with the short-lived Khrushchev’s Thaw, characterized by greater openness in society and an inflow of information. The euphoria that college students felt at the time fueled their enthusiasm for the exploration of cultural riches that could be found in the museums, libraries and bookstores of the cultural centers of the Soviet empire. Numerous exhibitions of painters from the East and the West, a great number of published books and periodicals, and lectures by famous Western artists characterized that era. Access to information widened, and students dove into the stream of art from across the world. They discovered the traditional art of India, Japan, China and Africa, Neolithic and Classical art, Middle Ages and the Renaissance. They started to perceive the artistic achievements of modernity as a part of the greater whole; they saw through to the fundamental pillars that art resided upon and realized how powerful an influence it could have upon human consciousness, beginning to develop a notion of art as a vehicle of humankind’s spiritual values. New perspectives were opening up for artists, making them realize the extent of their responsibility to society. The effects of that informational breakthrough could later be felt in modern artworks. Yet in the beginning of the 1970s, works that didn’t fit into the narrow confines of Socialist Realism had no chance of being included in official exhibitions. Apartment exhibitions became a unique way for unofficial art to reach its viewers, a viable alternative to Party-sanctioned art.
Another possibility for young artists to realize their creative ambitions was to turn to applied and monumental art, which required the fusion of painting and architecture, allowing the artists to depart from the conventional dogmas of Socialist Realism. First examples of highly professional murals were produced in Odessa in the end of the 1960s by Yu. Yegorov, A. Atsmanchuk, V. Strelnikov, A. Anufriyev, and N. Morozov. As more and more young artists received their monumental art degrees from various art colleges, the genre became increasingly better developed, drawing an even greater number of talented painters and sculptors into its orbit. This led to the establishment of a workshop of monumental decorative painting within the framework of USSR Art Fund, and later, of a monumental art section in the local branch of the Artists Union. An arts council consisting of established artists of the older generation – A. Atsmanchuk, Yu. Yegorov, V. Tokarev; professional monumentalists N. Morozov, V. Tsiupko; architects M. Yun, M. Yarmash; painter V. Basanets – took an uncompromising stance against mediocrity, ensuring high professional level and esthetic value of produced works. At the time, the list of artists active in the field included Yu. Yegorov, N. Morozov, V. Tsiupko, A. Shopin, V. Marynyuk, L. Yastreb, S. Sychov, M. Stepanov, V. Matskevich, S. Yusim, V. Basanets, A. Stovbur, S. Savchenko, V. Sad, V. Bukhtiyarov, V. Pavlov, V. Ignatiev, V. Bulany, V. Kapitonov, and others. Creative works of Odessa monumentalists showed the influence of folk tradition. Since monumental art was meant for public spaces, it was supposed to be accessible and to promote ethical values. Methods and forms of easel work began to filter into monumental work and vice versa, enriching both fields of art. Qualities such as optimism, freshness and clarity of colors, strong sense of rhythm, and light-imbued imagery manifested strongly in artworks created by Odessa monumentalists, who created a number of exquisite artworks in public spaces of the city, as well as the adjacent region and other regional centers in Ukraine. Achievements of the Odessa school of monumental art received high appraisal on the Ukrainian Forum of Monumental Artists in Kharkiv in 1988.
For Odessa modernists, monumental painting provided a strong catalyst for creative achievement, an invaluable laboratory of modern artistic techniques and forms of expression, and a first-ever chance to expand into territory previously occupied by official art.
1990s and 2000s turned a new page in the creative biographies of Odessa modernists. As Ukraine gained its independence, an extraordinary rise of patriotic feelings awakened creative impulses and spurred organizational efforts in the spheres of art and culture. In 1990s Ukraine began presenting its artists across the world and hosting exhibitions of artworks from all over the globe. It was an era marked by the emergence of large-scale art projects, new printed publications, art groups, and iconic exhibitions. In 1993 the National Organization of Artists (NAM) was founded, while Odessa artists formed an art collective named «Choven». Another art collective, «Mamay», emerged in 1998. Similar groups sprung up in Kyiv, Lviv and other Ukrainian cities. Cultural life became decentralized; a number of cities established their own art festivals, biennials and triennials. Some of them didn’t last long, yet they did stir up the collective consciousness. Odessa modernists actively participated in this creative process as artists and judges («Impresa» biennial, 1989, 1991, 1993, Ivano-Frankivsk, award panel: V. Tsiupko, V. Marynyuk, M. Stepanov, A. Stovbur; «Pan-Ukraine-95» biennial, 1995, Dnipropetrovsk, award panel: V. Tsiupko; «ART-AKT, the Triennial of Abstract Painting», 2012, Chernivtsi, award panel: S. Savchenko), often were invited by curators to join prestigious exhibitions in Ukraine and abroad. Among these: «Ukrainian-French Encounters», 1994, Kyiv–Khust (Ukraine); «Vysokyi Zamok», biennial, Lviv (Ukraine); «20th Century Ukrainian Painting», 1990, Kyiv (Ukraine); «Three Generations of Ukrainian Painting», 1990, Kyiv; «Ukrainian Painting of 1960s-1980s», «Soviart», 1990, Kyiv–Odense (Denmark); «Art Club’96», 1996, Khmelnitskyi (Ukraine); «Art d`Ucraїna», 1995, D’Alcoi (Spain); «Prominent Female Painters of Ukraine», 1998, Kyiv; «1st Biennale of Non-Narrative Painting», 1998, Kyiv; «International Biennale of Contemporary Graphic Art», 2001, 2003, Novosibirsk (Russia); «Ukrainian Triennial of Painting», 2001, 2007, 2010, Kyiv; «Ukraine from Trypillia till Nowadays», 2006, 2008, 2010, Kyiv; «ART-AKT, the Triennial of Abstract Painting», 2010, Chernivtsi (Ukraine); and others.
Further stylistic refinement and mature craftsmanship distinguish the works of Odessa artists on the threshold of the new century. Relentless creative energy drives them to explore new ideas and art forms. V. Marynyuk and V. Basanets pay homage to small-scale sculpture; M. Stepanov delves into polychrome sculpture; S. Savchenko starts painting natural objects; V. Sad experiments with metal. In 1990s the non-figurative trend in painting becomes especially pronounced and pertinent among Odessa artists. The catalog «20th Century Ukrainian Art» includes, along with a retrospective of abstract art by L. Yastreb, V. Marynyuk, V. Strelnikov and R. Makoev (1970s), the works of a group of abstract art painters active in the 1990s: V. Tsiupko, A. Stovbur, V. Sad, S. Yusim, S. Savchenko, who at the time also took part in the 1st Biennale of Non-Narrative Painting (1998, Kyiv, Ukrainian House). Other artists who turn to non-figurative are O. Voloshinov, V. Marynyuk, V. Filipenko, V. Basanets, V. Goncharov, V. Ignatiev and I. Bozhko.
During the last decade of the 20th and the first decade of the 21st century, most of the aforementioned artists actively participated in exhibitions. Some of the more significant events in the cultural life of Odessa in 1990s–2000s include: the travelling exhibition by a group of modernists in several cities of Western Ukraine (Lviv – Khmelnytskyi – Chernivtsi – Ternopil), organized on the initiative of a film director Yu. Chorny, 1990; «4V» (V. Basanets, V. Marynyuk, V. Strelnikov, V. Tsiupko), 1997, Odessa; «Media», part of the project «Cultural Hero» (V. Marynyuk, V. Sad, M. Stepanov, V. Tsiupko, I. Tsupka, S. Yusim), 2002, Odessa; «Odessa School Today» (A. Anufriyev, V. Basanets, Yu. Yegorov, V. Marynyuk, S. Savchenko, M. Stepanov, V. Strelnikov, V. Tsiupko, V. Khrushch, L. Yastreb), 2004, Odessa; «Light of the South» (V. Basanets, V. Marynyuk, S. Savchenko, V. Sad, A. Stovbur, V. Strelnikov, V. Tsiupko, S. Yusim), 2003, Odessa; numerous exhibitions by the «Mamay» art collective (V. Basanets, I. Bozhko, V. Marynyuk, S. Savchenko, V. Sad, M. Stepanov, A. Stovbur, V. Strelnikov, V. Tsiupko); a series of personal exhibitions by the members of «Mamay» at NT-art Gallery; other personal and group exhibitions.
During the same period, Odessa modernists also participated in numerous exhibitions in Ukraine and abroad: in Germany, France, Spain, UK, Denmark, USA, Japan, Russia, Poland etc. Below is a list of Ukrainian, foreign and citywide exhibitions that the aforementioned Odessa artists took part in throughout these years, whether personally or as part of a larger group.
The establishment of Museum of Odessa Modern Art and NT-art, a gallery founded by art collector A. Dymchuk, were both significant events in the cultural life of the city.
We would like to express our gratitude to the older generation of artists as well as to our peers who contributed to the inimitable creative atmosphere of those years: Vladimir Sinitsky, Oleg Sokolov, Oleksandr Atsmanchuk, Vyacheslav Tokarev, Orest Sleshinsky, Adolf Loza, Lucien Mezhberg, Eduard Pavlov, Valentin Matskevich, Yuri Shurevich, Valentin Altanets, Oleksandr Dmitriev. The charismatic presence of Yuri Yegorov played a special role in Odessa artists’ community. The power, rich imagery and strong craftsmanship of his works, as well as his personal integrity and unwillingness to compromise on his views, influenced an entire generation of artists.
It’s worth stressing that at every stage of their creative career, from the first artworks of 1960s–1970s to present day, Odessa modernists firmly adhered to an optimistic, humanistic stance, which prevented them from drifting towards politically engaged styles like Sots Art or the extreme individualism of some contemporary art movements. A movement that emerged in the end of 1960s in a narrow circle of young artists dedicated to creative expression, grew strong in 1970s when artists took an open stand by participating in apartment exhibitions, gained recognition in art and culture circles through monumental and applied painting and, from the beginning of the 1990s to present day, through participation in large-scale events and exhibitions in Ukraine and abroad, modernist art of Odessa became a vital and influential force in the cultural life of Ukraine and made a significant contribution to the formation and development of Ukrainian non-figurative and postmodern art.
Volodymyr Tsiupko
