The Development of Monumental Painting in Kyrgyzstan
Diversity of Monumental Painting and Decorative Plastic Arts.
In the 1960s, the traditional narrative line in monumental painting continued to develop, maintaining the principles of figurative thinking and compositional-plastic construction established in the ceiling paintings of the Kyrgyz State Opera and Ballet Theater, created in the 1950s. This direction is represented by the smalt mosaic-stele by A. Mikhalev titled "Meeting of Guests" (1963), installed at the entrance to the capital along Mira Avenue, which expresses the traditional hospitality of the Kyrgyz people through its content. The author focused on the detailed development of the plot and the details of the multi-figure composition, on conveying the characteristics of the national type and the sunny atmosphere of Kyrgyzstan, neglecting an important aspect for the existence of monumental art—the relationship with the surrounding environment, which is why the stele did not fit into the scale of the urban and natural environment. Nevertheless, in this work, despite the influence of easel painting and the element of randomness in its location, there is a tendency towards a serious approach to ideologically-thematic tasks, opposing the abstract-decorative searches of monumental painting. The work also demonstrated the potential for mastering the technique of smalt mosaic in Kyrgyz monumental art.
The development of monumental painting in Kyrgyzstan over the last two decades is associated with the activities of professional monumental artists—S. Bakashev, who received his education at the V. I. Mukhina Leningrad Art and Industry College, graduates of the Moscow Higher Art and Industry School (formerly Stroganov School) T. Gertsen, A. Kamensky, who entered the art scene in the second half of the 1970s, J. Moldokmatov, and E. Gerdyuk, who also graduated from the V. Mukhina Leningrad Higher Art and Industry School. These artists, along with leading sculptors of the republic, actively participate in the implementation of a new stage of the Lenin Plan for Monumental Propaganda.
They have created works of monumental and monumental-decorative art, comprehensive artistic designs for large ensemble structures in the capital, cities, and regions of Kyrgyzstan, as well as taking a new step in addressing the pressing issue of synthesizing plastic arts with forms of modern architecture. They master a variety of materials for monumental painting and decorative plastic arts, often collaborating to address common urban planning and ideologically-educational tasks relevant to the monumental art of the republic. These artists are united by a common problem-thematic foundation, a high level of spiritual and professional culture, a wide range of interests in materials and techniques of monumental art, and a tendency towards a synthetic approach in solving the tasks of interaction between plastic forms and architecture.
The mentioned artists have devoted much effort to the development of monumental painting, and each of them has their own creative identity in this field. Here, they also differ in the nature of their figurative thinking, adherence to certain plastic systems, and their attitudes towards issues of synthesis and national traditions.
