Vulokh of the highest order. One-of-a-kind. Exceptional quality. 1972! The author kept the intrigue by calling the painting as abstract as possible — “Details”. But connoisseurs know that Vulokh's works are almost never purely “abstract”. Streaks of lines and scratched “strokes” usually contain coded landscapes or seasons. Here, too, the viewer may discern rather a pebble beach or a field of flowers, or even an alien view.

Vladimir Yakovlev is not the most expensive artist of the 1960s. There are much more expensive ones. But he is a phenomenon. “An alien in human form”, as his friend, the artist Valentin Vorobyov, said. What happened to him was a triumph of a higher destiny. Nothing had foretold it. His eyes had been hurting since childhood. He never graduated from high school. Employment as a retoucher in the publishing house “Art”. But then came the Thaw. 1957. The festival. Visiting exhibitions with Vasiliy Sitnikov. And a sudden emotional breakthrough: “I want to be an artist!”

Today it is funny to remember that the word “impressionism” was originally born as an element of sarcasm, derogatory criticism, verbal neglect. The journalist Leroy in his feuilleton called the artists of the Salon des Refusés “impressed”, hinting at their superficiality, lack of elaboration of details, carelessness and lack of ideas. But years passed and Impressionism became a cultural brand in France, recognized as the most valuable direction in art. “Careless” Monet, Renoir and Manet entered the top of the most expensive artists in the world. Well, the critic Louis Leroy is remembered for the fact that he gave the world the word “impressionism”.

Spectacular, more than a meter, bright canvas. And a bold plot. Piano keys, flutes, immodest performers, stars and a crescent moon. Music and primal instincts are among the main themes in the work of Alexander Sitnikov. As well as mysticism, myths, historical legends. And in this work, everything is not easy. The star and the crescent moon are associated with Muslim symbols. But in fact, this imagery has been known since the time of the Sumerian civilization, where the month is the sign of the god Sina, and the star is the sign of the goddess Ishtar. But that is not all. Noticed the hammer and sickle in the center? One way or another — in any case, the interpretation of “Dolls” will be an exciting experience for the new owner.

Belenok is a classic of disaster. Whirlwind. Panic realism. A lonely figure hiding behind a barrier. An anomaly hung in the air behind him. Anxious waiting for a denouement. The tension is growing and... This atmosphere is the main theme in the work of Petr Belenok. An artist of amazing fate. At the beginning of his creative career, he was a rather successful official sculptor in Ukraine. He made busts of Lenin for village councils. No end of work and endless stream of orders. Wealth in exchange for eternal provincialism. And he didn’t want to live like that. He preferred the freedom and independence of unofficial art instead of bureaucratic satiety. Who now remembers the sculptors of endless Lenin busts? But Belenok went down in history as one of the main artists of unofficial art.