V. Pyatnitsky. Portrait.

V. Pyatnitsky. Portrait.
Moscow. 1973 paper. Pencil. Size 21 x 29.5 cm.

Vladimir Pavlovich Pyatnitsky (18 July 1938-17 November 1978

) — Russian artist, representative of unofficial art.

In 1955-1957 he studied at the chemical faculty of Moscow state University, in 1957-1959 — at the Moscow textile Institute at the faculty of applied art, but was expelled for "formalism" in the interior design of the cafe.

In 1965 he graduated with honors from the art-graphic faculty of the Moscow polygraphic Institute (thesis — "Alice in Wonderland" by L. Carroll). Since the late 1950s, included in the circle of Moscow "informal" artists.

In the 1960s he began to participate in exhibitions. The closest relationship was established with the circle of Alexander Vasiliev. The idol of the members of the circle was Vladimir Yakovlev, but the master teacher was Pyatnitsky, who had a significant impact on Igor Voroshilov, Mikhail Grobman, Vyacheslav Kalinin, Eduard Kurochkin. In Pyatnitsky's works we can easily distinguish the experience of mastering the art of the Italian Quattrocento masters, as well as Bosch, Balthus, Picasso, Chagall and the artists of the Jack of diamonds Association. Participated in "apartment exhibitions" and most of the non-conformist art exhibitions, including the famous "Bulldozer exhibition".

The subjects of drawings and paintings Pyatnitsky close painting "lianozovtsev" poetry Sapgir Henry, Stanislaus krasovskogo, Valentin Khromov, Igor Holin: ordinary life in the outskirts of cities and back streets, cramped communal apartments. The artist in Pyatnitsky's works is also one of the inhabitants of this world, a participant in kaleidoscopic, unpredictable metamorphoses of the space of communal apartments.

The author (together with N. A. Dobrokhotova-Maykova) of the famous book of grotesque literary and historical "anecdotes" "Funny guys" (the so-called Jokes attributed to harms).

In the 1960s and 1970s he was a member of the Yuzhinsky circle formed around Yuri Mamleev. He was close to G. Aigi, G. Sapgir, A. Zverev, V. Yakovlev, Ven. Erofeev, wrote his portrait. He participated in most of the exhibitions of nonconformist art, including the exhibition in Izmailovsky Park (1974). He drank immoderately, experimented with various substitutes for alcohol. He died of an overdose.