Kyrgyz Masters of the Easel
In the 1970s, Murat Bekdzhanov established himself as a fine portraitist, not shying away from formal explorations. The logic of the formally spatial solution (the clear rhythm of various tones of color-coordinated planes organizing the space) in his portraits creates a certain psychological mood related to the character and spiritual appearance of the models (“Portrait of Sculptor E. Mergenov,” 1974; “Girl Lit by the Sun,” 1974).
The artist also addresses spatial tasks in the painting “Girl in a Yurt” (1975). The work is executed in a sketchy manner, with volumes sculpted without detailing, and color relationships taken in a generalized way.
In the painting “Viburnum” (1976), the artist set decorative tasks, creating a lively, somewhat exaggerated background of blooming viburnum with a standing teenage girl. The lush flowering of the viburnum and the fragile girl together create an image of romantic youth.
The thematic painting “On the Way to School” (1981) stands out for its compositional completeness. In it, the artist depicted a distant pre-war time in a Kyrgyz aiyl, awakening the interest of the working masses in education.
The painting expressively recreates the characteristic appearance of the people.
The painting “Good Squad Member” (1981) is a uniquely resolved portrait of a revolutionary. The crimson palette creates a special mood, associated with the concept of “the flame of revolution.”
In his industrial-themed paintings, Bekdzhanov is captivated only by modern technology, presented by the artist in a grotesque manner, in a state alienated from humanity, as an independent force.
V. A. Gerasimov seeks his path in painting, showing interest in compositional sharpness in addressing traditional themes (“Village Boys,” 1973; “Father Has Returned,” 1975).
Karabek Artykbaev created a series of multi-figure compositions. The most significant among them are “Holiday of Animal Breeders” (1974), “The Revolution Has Taken Place and the People” (1977), “Alaman Baiga” (1983). In these paintings, the artist utilized the experience of S. A. Chuykov in depicting the landscape environment and the character of each figure. “Holiday of Animal Breeders” and “Alaman Baiga” serve as a unique anthology of traditional life and traits introduced into the folk life by new social conditions. Both paintings are narratively resolved and require careful reading.
Artykbaev's landscapes have a sketchy character. They are also painted in the traditions of the first generation of Kyrgyz artists, both in motifs and in compositional techniques and painting style (“Dawn,” 1974; “Noon,” 1974; “Landscape,” 1976). The contemporary theme in his work is connected with the life of collective farm peasantry (“Morning of Animal Breeders,” 1981).
Ainagul Sadikova works in various genres of painting, demonstrating artistic taste, a sense of color, and compositional and painterly expressiveness. In her works, the artist addresses various plastic tasks, achieving a figurative integrity through the color characteristics of the subject (“Grandmother Shaarbana,” 1971, “Still Life”; “Young Man with a Guitar,” “Return from the Field,” 1974).
Batyr Dzhaliev addresses various specifically formal tasks in his paintings.
However, whatever new tasks the artist sets for himself, he always remains within the framework of specific objectivity, interpreting everyday or landscape motifs seen in life in his own way. He gravitates towards the decorative quality of color and compositional solutions, striving to convey the uniqueness of nature and life in Southern Kyrgyzstan (“Osh is Being Built,” 1966; “Cotton Field,” 1969). In the late 1970s, Dzhaliev worked extensively in watercolor, which influenced his overall painting style. If earlier he painted with thick, pasty colors, in the 1970s and 1980s, his painting became transparent and fluid. He typically paints on location, which gives most of his works a somewhat sketchy character.
Valery Arkadyevich Kim (“New Song,” 1985) and Kharis Latifovich Sitdikov (“Yak Breeders,” 1965) work in the genres of everyday life, portraiture, and landscape.
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