Soviet artist sculptor Evgeny Rastorguev

Soviet artist sculptor Evgeny Rastorguev
An honored Artist of Russia, a member of the USSR Union of Artists (1953), Evgeny Rastorguev was born into a family of teachers in the village of Nikolo-Pogost of Nizhny Novgorod region. In 1940 he graduated from the Gorky Art School, and immediately began to participate in exhibitions of Soviet art. 1941-1945 – participant of the Great Patriotic War. In 1941, he became a military cartographer, and later worked in the front newspaper, participated in the erection of the first memorial museum of the Second World War – the architectural memorial complex “Svir victory”. After the war, in 1946, he enters the Institute of Painting, Sculpture and Architecture named after I.E. Repin in Leningrad, and then transferred to the Moscow State Art Institute named after VI Surikov. He studied in the workshop of SV Gerasimov. In 1953, on the recommendation of his teacher, SV Gerasimov, he was admitted to the Union of Artists. Rastorguev was a member of the famous “Group of 16”.

Like many artists of his generation, to look for new expressive possibilities, Rastorguev at the end of 1950 – the first half of 1960 developed expired then shaped features of “severe style”. The young author opened a successful path in line with the “official art”. However, he did not accept such a scenario, and began working as a book illustrator. In cooperation with the magazine “Youth”, illustrated “Young Guard”, “Detgiz”, “Soviet writer”, and other editions. Evgeny Rastorguev became successful in this field of art.

The artist is known primarily for his almost infinite series “Gorodetsky fantasy”. Gorodetsky topic first appeared in the early 1960s in ceramics. From flat panels the artist moved to the so-called “volumetric paintings” – ceramic sculpture. On the basis of the traditional form of jug he sculpted figures – birds, whistles, ladies, gentlemen, women and peasants. The artist sought for the effect of painting, including a lot of grog wire, nails, pieces of different metals, salts and other components. During firing, they fused into the ceramic base, giving the noble shades – from muted copper, ocher, pink to blue and green. Gradually, these images and color schemes went into his painting. “Through the pieces of grog or melodious placer colors that appear on the web as well as sunrises over the river, – I see those early days, I enliven them, and as a boy, keeping his toys – Locked in the cupboard of my memory … The greatest happiness – to be in your own world. ”

His personal exhibitions were held in Leningrad (1984), Viborg (1985), Cheboksary (1987), Moscow (1988, 1994, 1997, 1999), Nizhny Novgorod (1990), as well as abroad – Rome (1991), and Pittsburgh (1994 ).

Evgeny A. Rastorguev is also the author of collections of poems and an autobiographical book, “Notes from the Looking Glass.”

Soviet artist sculptor Evgeny Rastorguev

Works by Evgeny A. Rastorguev are in the State Tretyakov Gallery, the State Russian Museum, the State Museum of Ceramics in Kuskovo (Moscow), the State historical-architectural, artistic and landscape museum-reserve “Tsaritsyno” (Moscow), the Russian Cultural Foundation, Museum of the defense of Leningrad, and in many public art museums and galleries of the former Soviet Union. In addition, his paintings adorn the art museums of Toulouse (France), Cremona Foundation, Mechanicsville (USA), Gallery of P. Ludwig, private meeting Russia, Bulgaria, Great Britain, Hungary, Germany, Holland, Italy, Poland, USA, Finland, France, and the Czech Republic.

sources
scanned images, Exhibition of Soviet Art
magazine Krestyanka, 1956