Moscow, 28.06, 1935-2005, ibid.
/Only these dates would suffice to build a psychological portrait of this person. The beginning of that terrible war he is a six-year-old boy; Was a family in evacuation or stayed in Moscow-I do not know, but a complete change of the world around him occurred exactly to the very beginning of maturity of the first logic. In Moscow it is very noticeable and 1953-Soon after graduation: Stalin’s death; And the 1956-XX Congress and the revelation of the cult of personality.
It is very important to enter the institute and its end-it seems, in 1975?.. Already an adult man.
Work at the copyright agency is an inevitable acquaintance with people of culture. The inevitable choice, absolutely obligatory in those days,-for “good and correct”, but… There’s something wrong, too.
/impossibility (and most likely-unwillingness) to learn for the sake of reception of the second, artistic, (it would be better literary-but there will not go even with the party ticket) in any of three art universities. It’s too clear what they can teach. But constantly, it is clear not later than 70-ies, whether with Izmaylovo, or simply “on acquaintance” the worker of Agency on copyrights, certainly, has seen compelled the artists from “Big Georgian”/.
Probably, on someone’s advice Yuri Polyakov takes a step to obtaining a diploma, which really does not confirm anything, but allows you to qualify for participation in art exhibitions: in 1982, and in 1985 ends the People’s University of Arts in the faculty Fine art-easel painting and graphics. Arrives in 47 (!) years. /he does not know yet that in the next few years the ideological department of the Central Committee of the CPSU will disappear, and a special instructor working with artists in the city Hall of the party will be on the fly.
I think that now it is clear, why the work of 1991-“Aunt Tonya” with its accented realism of female figures, dirty written walls belongs to that big stream of works which otherwise as critically realism will not name. There is an understanding of the past with the eyes open to the present. This is also the picture “shopping”, as if an illustration to the anecdote about a train from Moscow, smelling sausage.
But the next year there were “Venus and Pigeons” and “Flora” with their open literary overtones, the obvious self-irony “Love me as I You”, with the obligatory flowers, fringed appetizing blondes. The main theme, which is understood now as Yuri Polyakov, begins: A good myth with pleasant women and a set of public beauty.
Angel in “Gadanka”, a fortune-teller blonde with a graceful client, but-half of an apple (a knife in a composition is not present). Dense, directly with a heavy odor lilac: that “girl and lilac”, it’s just “lilac”.
“The meeting” of 1993-one of the earliest (earliest?) quotations. Model Rubens plastically Close Polakov, and Mona Lisa slightly plump, but left again the lady elegant, however,-also a quotation.
Journalism once again (?) returns: “Admirers of Beauty” 1994, interpreted around a quotation from Titian, “Sleeping Venus” with short legs.
It is curious how Polyakov treats the material when quoting Chagall. “Fiddler on the Roof”: A cute New Year’s story with a violinist-angel of the poor and a trio of yard shaggy cats with his favorite artist big “drops” whitewash-snowing on the background of a thin lunar sickle. “Love of Heaven”: The figures are unrolled horizontally, i.e. Sailing in the heavens, of course, arrives pink-haired angel with roses, doves, a cloud.
This is the year 1995, the artist of 60 years. And he defines himself as a circus member, one of those who “makes you fun.” This is “circus” where self-portrait in a wide-brimmed hat, prima donna with a sad smile, tiger, lion and uniting all the peacock tail. A duet-Wreaths of Favorite roses.
This year it is three more (probably-more) turn to the image of Prima donna, but always in the circus context: the quotation from her is the same-with Arlevin as a toy, the trainer, the simple replacement duo in the same composition with a self-portrait.
A quote from Kustodiev, “The Girl in the Bath”, again a plump model with unfinished legs.
At the beginning of the new century there is a profile portrait of Peter 1, a naval master, and again as a direct art quotation. Confused Pushkin in front of the monument to the emperor in some green rubberized gloves.
Longtime “Angel in the Spring with flowers” is extremely serious about the “Sovushkam” of 2003. Squirrel “Drops” hold compositions well, helping to remove from reality.
The same blonde with chamomile sits on draperies “at the Sea”, there are sailboats and seagulls.
“Clown” 2005 as a Testament: “and the eyes-what sad,” writes the face of Runet.
Poles honestly and confidently belongs to the mass culture. And after his departure in 2005, the artist’s work was also a document of the beginning of the approval of this culture, which broke through a powerful rampart. But Polyakov always cites the “beautiful” past-feeding its environment, allowing to create a light circus Sunday day rest from the household. And it becomes more difficult, little changing the manner of creativity. But always kind.
Not appreciated.