Any conversation about the significance of Oskar Rabin's work gets bogged down with politics after a while. Of course it does. After all, his fate is the brightest argument in the eternal dispute about the role of personality in history. There is a hypothesis that in the logic of historical development, a specific figure, a specific person is not so important. They say that predefined historical scenarios are implemented under any circumstances. And if there are objective contradictions, the leaders will inevitably appear. But judge for yourself...

Suppose there had been no Rabin. Would the club of free-thinkers in Lianozovo, where the history of nonconformism was forged in a hut near the railway station, have picked up the necessary strength? Would it have been possible to organize a “bulldozer exhibition” without Rabin? Probably something like that would have happened. Even for sure. But certainly not in 1974, perhaps ten years later, and not with the same consequences.

If not for that “bulldozer exhibition” and the scandal with the arrest of Rabin in “enemy voices”, would the authorities agree to organize a cellar for representatives of free art on Malaya Gruzinskaya? Would they be allowed to gather in the “city committee of graphic artists”, which became a breath of clean air for a whole generation of artists in the stagnant USSR?

One can argue and fantasize for a long time. But one thing is certain: it was Rabin who drove these crucial processes. At great personal risk. For twenty years he was a bone in everybody's throat: the Communist Party, the competent organs and the artistic nomenclature. Rabin had the courage to “lay down the law”, to make like-minded people come to him, to lead by his own example. In response, he was threatened. Forbidden to show his work to the public. Even the exhibitions which they managed to sneak in were immediately shut down. Rabin was harassed in the press. Central newspapers published boorish libels against him under the guise of art criticism. Police provocations were organized against the artist. In the end, Rabin was “persuaded” to leave. In addition, he was “dishonorably” deprived of his Soviet citizenship. It would seem that they were successful. But just 13 years later, the USSR collapsed. And, as is now clear, a series of important events, initiated by the intractable artist, brought the end of the Soviet Union closer.

In fact, any painting by Rabin is not only a powerful work with a special energy, but also a part of the history of the complex confrontation between artists and authorities.

Which works by Oscar Rabin are worth investing in first?

1. Paintings of the “Lianozovo period”, painted from the late 1950s to 1978, before his departure for France. This period is Lianozovo in spirit, in acute social orientation, but not in geography. In 1964, Rabin moved from a barrack at the Lianozovo station in Dolgoprudny to a Moscow apartment in a house on Bolshaya Cherkizovskaya. New comfortable conditions did not kill the “nerve” and energy of creativity. Quite the opposite. Just closer to the mid-1970s, a “classic Rabin” appears, which collectors are hunting for — a tougher, “darker” and ruthless one. In his paintings, there has become much less of the kind indulgence towards life, poverty, disorder and Soviet morals, which was to what extent characteristic of the early Lianozovo works. Today, the real budget for the purchase of pre-emigration paintings of a meter size is 30,000–45,000 dollars. This is about 2 times lower, than on the rise of the market in 2013, and 3 times lower than in the “fat” year of 2008. Even in terms of restorative growth, we can see a lot of potential.
    
2. “Nostalgic” painting made in Paris with memories of the USSR. He did such paintings immediately after moving to France, and in the 1980s, and later. The important thing is not when, but about what. The shabby houses near Moscow, barracks, vodka and herring — Soviet subjects appeared in Rabin's works even after many years in free and prosperous France. In terms of their power and energy these paintings were sometimes as good as the ones he made in his homeland. Such paintings are not much cheaper than the “Lianozovo” ones, starting at $ 25,000 for a meter-size class.
    
3. Paintings of the “French Rabin”, with a national flavor. In the 1980s, French signs appeared in Rabin's paintings, and “Moskovskaya” vodka was replaced by “Chablis” and more noble drinks. If there is a tin, it is no longer from under the sprat, but from under the pâté. The change of images is a natural process. The artist was absorbed by the atmosphere of the new country. And the visitors of his exhibitions were, after all, the French. And he wanted to speak the language they understood.
   
   There was an important feature of Rabin's French period. If in the Soviet Union his paintings were characterized by a critical and acute social component, the stories of Parisian paintings became more philosophical and layered. Sometimes it is very interesting not only to watch them, but also to unravel the hidden meanings in them. Reflections about the meaning of life, about frailty, nostalgic overtones — all this became part of the paintings and drawings of the Parisian period.
   
   At the same time, Rabin, of course, did not cease to be Rabin. His Parisian works are still 100% recognizable, decorative and effective. And the name — yes, of course. But when it comes to prices, the “French Rabin”, other things being equal, is noticeably inferior to “Lianozovo’s”. By a factor of two or three. If a meter-size canvas from the 1970s costs 30,000–35,000 dollars in Moscow, then a French one-meter-painting from the 2000s will cost around 10,000–12,000 dollars.
    
4. «Lianozovo graphics». The original drawings of the 1960s with vodka, herring, churches, and shacks were often made with newfangled felt-tip pens. They were not yet on sale in the USSR. But Rabin already had them. They were brought in from abroad by Victor Louis and foreign buyers. The price of such drawings is about 2,500–3,500 dollars. The liquidity is very high. The graphics that appear on sale are instantly snapped up by collectors and novice investors. I can't even recall a case where a drawing by Rabin at least once remained unsold.
    
5. Series graphics and ceramics. There is one strange effect with “print runs”. For a long time, while the circulation is dispersed among the collections, it seems to everyone that there is a lot of this material: there is still time, there is nowhere to rush. But then suddenly everything disappears. And now it is exactly the same. So far, there is no shortage of Rabin's circulation on the market. Especially modern. In the 2000s, on the initiative of caring people, Rabin made and signed copies of lithographs based on the subjects of his favorite and iconic works. There were also vodka “Stolichnaya” and “Dump No. 8”, which was severely criticized by “Soviet culture”. I can recall seven such plots from memory. Each was printed in 49 copies. That makes 343 signature sheets. Is it a lot or a little? When they appear in a row at auctions, it seems like a lot. But if you think about it, by the standards of circulation, it's nothing. In a year or two, they will run out. Even now for some series, we are selling literally the last sheets. If they go to collections, they will be gone for a long time. Many people are buying. And no wonder. A beautiful object, high quality printing, original author's signature, and only 30,000 rubles. But here we must honestly warn that the lithographs of Rabin, like any circulation of the sixties, are not considered an investment material. With it you can not count on a quick and noticeable increase in price. 30,000 may turn into 40,000, but not 100,000. This is not for money, but for beauty and pleasure. And it's also a great gift.
   
   In addition to graphics, Rabin has production porcelain — not plates, but dishes. This is a separate collection area. Collectors of porcelain of the sixties are noticeably less than connoisseurs of paintings and drawings. And Rabin's dishes can cost in the region of 2000–3000 dollars. But in terms of investment potential, porcelain is subject to approximately the same patterns as the circulation graphics.

What about the investment potential?

Interest in Rabin's work will grow. No doubt. And this, as a rule, is followed by prices. How could it be otherwise? Lumps like Rabin in Russian post-war art are on the fingers of one hand. The artist passed away quite recently, in 2018. More retrospective exhibitions, research studies and publications are coming soon. It is known that at least one new important monograph is being prepared for publication.

During his life, Rabin created hundreds of paintings and many drawings. This is a fairly large and developed market that relies on an established collector base. With demand, too, everything is good: both with activity and with liquidity. The risks are moderate. The main danger, as always, is fakes. But here the situation is not depressing. Rabin is falsified, but not often. It's too hard. True, one should not lull oneself into this. In any case, before buying you need to do an expertise. After all, this is not a problem in Moscow.

That's all for now.

It remains only to traditionally remind our rule of efficient budget distribution. Its meaning is this: large crayfish for five rubles are better than for three, but small ones. We advise you to spend the maximum money on the best and most expensive work available. Even if you only get one painting.  The market is arranged in such a way that the highest level paintings tend to grow in price the most.

Vladimir Bogdanov, specialist of ArtSale.info auction

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