OLEG KOTELNIKOV /was born in 1958/ is one of the most prominent figures in modern art. Before his first solo show in 1983 vey few knew about him. The artist gained fame and fans pretty quickly. His paintings are perfect not only from the point of view of technique, but are always interesting because of the content. Things happening on the flat grip the observer. It’s difficult to walk past his painting and remain indifferent. The images in his poetry are just the same. He continues a tradition of black humor in Russian art. There was friendship between him and a great Russian poet Oleg Grigoriev, both of them are called Oleg Evgenievitch. Grigoriev’s poetry influenced Kotelnikov already in the middle of the 70s, when he was breaking new ground as a poet. Kotelnikov also works a lot in new book and new cinema, he is the author of several cartoons, created a number of monumental frescos, painted graffiti. He painted several houses under capital repair. And it was he who communicated a passion for collective work to the New Artists.

Collective work is one of characteristic features of the New Artists’ style. It facilitated creation of the union. The Artists produce collective works practically in all spheres of art; these are collectively painted pictures, books, conceptual works, theatre, music, literature. Not only members of the union, but other artists, musicians, strangers, and passers-by were all engaged in collective work. The New Artists inherited collectivism from folk art. Many people think that the art’s future is its.

 

1975 – The "Monsters" group, in cooperation with T.Novikov, "Mao Died" album (1976)

1979 – The "Pleasant Tanks" group, 1st Nil-Festival

1981 - The "LF-HF"

1982-90s – The New Artists group

1988 – a movie academy for talented backward children (in cooperation with E.Kondratiev), "Down’s Alphabet"

1997 - North - South, in cooperation with A.Medvedev, the Museum of the Arctic and the Antarctic