The Société de Ventes Volontaires Piasa is organizing an extraordinary sale of Russian and Soviet pictures from 1900 to today, under the expertise of Agnès de Gouvion Saint Cyr. It will be held on Monday March 28 at 2:30pm in Salle 10 of the Hôtel Drouot. In the auction catalogue, Agnès de Gouvion Saint Cyr reminds readers that from the beginning, Russia was very influential in photography’s evolution. One remembers the rich exchange with the French Photographic Society. Thanks to, or despite, the nation’s tumultuous history (Russia, USSR, Independent Republics…), it is no less considered one of the world’s “richest photographic nations, whether documentary or artistic…” An aesthetic we are only beginning to understand that is perhaps reflected in this auction.

From the beginning of the 20th century, Russia used Western style pictorials before imposing a constructivist vision that would later influence numerous artistic movements. The Soviet period was first “official” photography complete with great documentary images of the hard work, sports, youth and patriotism alongside the nation’s great achievements… Dmitri Baltermants and Youri Abramotchkin would be among the recognized signatures during this period.

During the decade 1970 – 1980, photography, under the pressure of technical and social evolutions, tried to move away from traditional constraints and developed outside of major cities including Moscow and Saint Petersburg. At the same time, they revitalized their aesthetics: architecture from Vitautas Balcytis, industrial forms from Aurimas Strulima, wide angles and shifting gaps from Alexandras Macijauskas. Or Liala Kouznetsova who went looking for gypsies in the Steppe region.

Then came the “perestroika” and unofficial movements that emerged with hallmark photographer Boris Mikhailov or Igor Makarevitch and Igor Moukhine in art photography. And finally, the latest generation who joined the contemporary movement while maintaining a distinct cultural style. One can find the “New Russian Society” by Sergei Maximishin or “Dachas” by Irina Paulin.

Bernard Perrine
Correspondant de l’Institut de France
Bernard.Perrine1@orange.fr

Auction, Monday March 28, 2011 at 14H30

Hôtel Drouot Richelieu Salle 10

Public Preview, salle 10
Saturday March 26 and Sunday March 27: 11H – 18H
Monday March 28, 11 – 12H

PIASA
5 rue Drouot, 75009 Paris

Wednesday June 1, Piasa will hold an auction of historic, modern, and contemporary photography. To deposit lots: Pascale Humbert