Vkhutemas glazed ceramic sculpture

workshop of Joseph Chaikov (1888-1979), 1926-1928

Footnotes

Provenance
Private collection, UK

Vkhutemas, (or 'ВХУТЕМАС' in Cyrillic), was an abbreviation and acronym for 'Advanced State Industrial Art Studios' (Vysshie Gosudarstvennue Khudozhestvenno-Tekhnicheskie Masterskie) and was a post-revolutionary school of arts founded in Moscow in 1920. Introducing an innovative system of art education, it consisted of several workshops, each with diverse teaching methods and styles. During its existence it became a cradle for avant-garde exploration and innovation, seeking to adapt to changing times and forge a novel artistic language Vkhutemas also followed another important goal – the active search of the universal foundations of various arts and human activities in general, which was reflected by the alteration of the curriculum, leading to four compulsory disciplines which were taught: graphics, colour, volume, and space.

The present sculpture and mug most likely belong to the workshop of Kiev born Iosif Chaikov (1888 – 1979) who taught in Vkhutemas between 1926 and 1928 alongside Boris Korolev and Vera Muknina. Between 1910 and 1913, Chaikov developed his sculpting skills at the school of decorative arts in Paris, and in 1912, co-founded a Jewish artistic group named, "Mahmadim". Relocating to Russia in 1920, he achieved renown for sculptures such as 'Football' (1938), now displayed at Moscow's Tretyakov gallery. Initially, Chaikov's art had elements of the Cubo-Futurism style, which was radically geometric and highly dynamic. However, this style was relatively short-lived, and by 1932, after the end of artistic freedom in the Soviet Union, there was a general shift back towards Socialist Realism, which included Chaikov.

Being the first sculptor to fully embrace and teach the avant-garde style at Vkhutemas, Chaikov's instruction played a pivotal role in the creation of sculptures such as this. When he joined, the sculpture and ceramic departments were merged, leading to a combination of different elements from both departments to be implemented in artworks of the time, as seen by the ceramic coated sculpture and the mug.

The sculpture bears resemblance to the early sculptures of Archipenko, an avant-garde artist of the time: it contains a myriad of contrasts, giving a unique look, from whatever angle it is observed.