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Vadym Meller

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Sketch of the decoration to the performanceHello, on the wave 477(1929)

Vadym Heorhiiovych Meller(Ukrainian:Вадим Георгійович Меллер;26 April 1884 – 4 May 1962) was a Ukrainian and Soviet painter,avant-gardeCubist,ConstructivistandExpressionistartist, theatrical designer, book illustrator, and architect. In 1925 he was awarded a gold medal for the scenic design of theBerezil Theatrein theInternational Exhibition of Modern Decorative and Industrial Arts(Art Deco) inParis.[1][2]

Biography

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He was born inSaint Petersburg.[3]He was the second son of a top official in theMinistry of Justicein theRussian Empire.His father, Heorhiy Meller, was a noble-born Swede; his mother, Helena Caruso, was half Italian and halfGreek,and also from a noble family[4]He marriedNina Genke,a fellow avant-garde artist. He died inKyivin May 4, 1962.[5]

Education

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From 1903–1908, Meller studied atKyiv University.In 1905, he visitedGeneva,Switzerland,where he took art lessons at the private school ofFranz Roubaud.In 1908, with the recommendation of Roubaud, he continued his education at the private art school of drawing and painting ofHeinrich KnirrinMunich,Germany.[6]There, Meller met fellow student,Paul Klee,who introduced him toDer Blaue Reitergroup.[7]

After graduating from the Kyiv University with a degree in law, he acquired an artistic education in theMunichAcademy of Fine Artsfrom 1908–1912. V. Meller stayed in close contact withDer Blaue Reitergroup. During this time, he also metWassily Kandinsky,with whom he became friends.[8]

Work

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He started to exhibit his works after moving toParis,where he joined theSociété des Artistes Indépendants.[9]At the same time he was a student ofAntoine Bourdelle.[10]In 1912–1914, together withKazimir Malevich,Sonia Delaunay,Alexander Archipenko,andAleksandra Ekster,he participated in a number of exhibitions (Salon des Indépendants,Spring Salon, and Salon D' Automne) alongsidePablo Picasso,Georges Braque,andAndré Derain.[11][12]

After returning to Kyiv in 1915, he worked ateaselandmonumentalpainting,graphic design,andcostume design.His transition toscenographyas his main field of artistic activity took place in the post-revolutionary years. From 1918–1921, he worked withscenographerand dancerBronislava Nijinska(Vaslav Nijinsky's sister) in herballetstudio.[13]In end of this period he became a professor in theNational Academy of Fine Arts and Architecture.[14][15]

In 1922,Les Kurbasinvited V. Meller to the recently foundedBerezil Theatre.[16]

In 1925, V. Meller, together with Sonia Terk, Alexandra Exter, andNathan Altman,participated inExposition Internationale des Modernes(Art Deco) inParis.There, Meller was awarded a gold medal for hisscenic designof the Berezil' theater.[17][18]That same year, V.Meller participated in theInternational Theater ExpositioninNew York.[19]

V. Meller became the leader of theConstructivismmovement in Ukrainiantheaterdesign.[20]He worked in the National theater as a chief artist until 1945. From 1925 onward, he also taught at theKyiv Art Institute(KKHI) together withVladimir TatlinandAlexander Bogomazov.Also in 1925, V. Meller became a member of the artists unionAssociation of the Revolutionary Masters of Ukrainetogether withDavid Burliuk(co-founder),Alexander Bogomazov(co-founder),Vasyl Yermylov,Victor Palmov,andAlexander Khvostenko-Khvostov.

In 1928 he participated in the International Press ExhibitionPressaCologne,together withEl Lissitzky,Aleksandr TyshlerandVasyl Yermylov.[21]

V.Meller worked as an acting director of the Monumental Painting and Sculpture Institute of the Academy of Architecture of theUkrainian SSR(1946–1948), a chief artist of the Kyiv Music Comedy Theater (1948–1953), and a chief artist of the Iv. Franko Kyiv Academic Theater (1953–1959).[22]

References

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  1. ^Vadym Meller,Theatrical and Decorative Art, Painting, Graphics.Exhibition Catalogue, p.53 ed. Z. V.Kucherenko, publisher Union of Artists of Ukraine, Kyiv, Ukraine, 1984
  2. ^April in Paris: Theatricality, Modernism and Politics at the 1925 at the Art Deco Expo,by Irena R. Makaryk p.57, University of Toronto Press, 2018,ISBN978-1-4875-0372-7
  3. ^"Meller, Vadym".www.encyclopediaofukraine.com.Retrieved2023-04-02.
  4. ^Avant-garde Adventures. Vadym Meller.Nina Genke-Meller.Nina Vetrova-Robinson.Vadym Meller's Expressive Constructivism.Olha Petrova.p.6.Exhibition Catalogue.,2004, Kyiv, National Art Museum of Ukraine (NAMU).22 October-28 November 2004. Kyiv.Ukraine.
  5. ^"Meller, Vadym".www.encyclopediaofukraine.com.Retrieved2023-04-02.
  6. ^Avant-garde Adventures. Vadym Meller. Nina Genke-Meller. Nina Vetrova-Robinson.Vadym Meller's Expressive Constructivism.Olha Petrova.p.6.Exhibition Catalogue. National Art Museum of Ukraine (NAMU).22 October-28 November 2004. Kyiv. Ukraine.
  7. ^Avant-Garde Art in Ukraine 1910-1930 Contested Memory,Vadym Meller and Sources of Inspiration in TheaterArtp.117, Myroslav Shkandrij, Boston, 2019.
  8. ^Avant-Garde Art in Ukraine 1910-1930,,Contested Memory,Vadym Meller and Sources of Inspiration in Theater Artp.117, Myroslav Shkandrij, Boston, 2019.
  9. ^Vadym Meller:Missionary of Avant-Garde Scenic Design,Tetiana Rudenko, p 50, "Staging the Ukrainian Avant-Garde of the 1910s and 1920s", Ukrainian Museum, New York, US, 2015
  10. ^The World Encyclopedia of Contemporary Theater, volume 1, Europe,p.872, editor Don Rubin,Routledge London and New York, 1994
  11. ^Staging the Ukrainian Avant-Garde of the 1910s and 1920s.Vadym Meller: Missionary of Avant-Garde Scenic Design,p.50 Tetiana Rudenko, Project Curators: Myroslava M.Mudrak and Tetiana Rudenko, Exhibition Production: Maria Shust,The Ukrainian Museum of New York in cooperation with the Museum of Theater, Music and Cinema Arts of Ukraine in Kyiv, Published by Ukrainian Museum, New York, NY 10003, 2015.Library of Congress Control Number 2014433050
  12. ^Vadym Meller.Theatrical and Decorative Art, Painting, Graphics.Exhibition Catalogue, p.53 ed. Z. V.Kucherenko, publisher Union of Artists of Ukraine, Kyiv, Ukraine, 1984
  13. ^Staging the Ukrainian Avant-Garde of the 1910s and 1920s.Vadym Meller: Missionary of Avant-Garde Scenic Design,p.52, Tetiana Rudenko, Project Curators: Myroslava M. Mudrak and Tetiana Rudenko, Exhibition Production:Maria Shust,The Ukrainian Museum of New York in cooperation with the Museum of Theater, Music and Cinema Arts of Ukraine in Kyiv, Published by Ukrainian Museum, New York, NY 10003, 2015.Library of Congress Control Number 2014433050
  14. ^Avant-garde Adventures. Vadym Meller.Nina Genke-Meller.Nina Vetrova-Robinson.Vadym Meller's Expressive Constructivim.Olha Petrova.p.10.Exhibition Catalogue. National Art Museum of Ukraine (NAMU).22 October-28 November 2004. Kyiv.Ukraine.
  15. ^Staging the Ukrainian Avant-Garde of the 1910s and 1920s.Vadym Meller: Missionary of Avant-Garde Scenic Design,p.54, Tetiana Rudenko, Project Curators: Myroslava M. Mudrak and Tetiana Rudenko, Exhibition Production:Maria Shust,The Ukrainian Museum of New York in cooperation with the Museum of Theater, Music and Cinema Arts of Ukraine in Kyiv, Published by Ukrainian Museum, New York, NY 10003, 2015.Library of Congress Control Number 2014433050
  16. ^Vadym Meller.Theatrical and Decorative Art, Painting, Graphics.Exhibition Catalogue, p.53 ed. Z. V.Kucherenko, publisher Union of Artists of Ukraine, Kyiv, Ukraine, 1984
  17. ^The World Encyclopedia of Contemporary Theater, Volume 1, Europe,p.872, Editor Don Rubin, Routledge London and New York,1994
  18. ^Vadym Meller.Theatrical and Decorative Art, Painting, Graphics.Exhibition Catalogue, p.53 ed. Z. V.Kucherenko, publisher Union of Artists of Ukraine, Kyiv, Ukraine, 1984
  19. ^Modernism in Kyiv: Jubilant Experimentation,p.497 edited by Irena R. Makaryk., Virlana Tkacz., University of Toronto Press, 2010.ISBN978-1-4426-4098-6
  20. ^Staging the Ukrainian Avant-Garde of the 1910s and 1920s.Vadym Meller: Missionary of Avant-Garde Scenic Design,p.58, Tetiana Rudenko, Project Curators: Myroslava M. Mudrak and Tetiana Rudenko, Exhibition Production:Maria Shust,The Ukrainian Museum of New York in cooperation with the Museum of Theater, Music and Cinema Arts of Ukraine in Kyiv, Published by Ukrainian Museum, New York, NY 10003, 2015.Library of Congress Control Number 2014433050
  21. ^Vadym Meller.Theatrical and Decorative Art, Painting, Graphics.Exhibition Catalogue, p.53 ed. Z. V.Kucherenko, publisher Union of Artists of Ukraine, Kyiv, Ukraine, 1984
  22. ^Vadym Meller,Theatrical and Decorative Art, Painting, Graphics.Exhibition Catalogue, p.54,ed. Z. V.Kucherenko, publisher Union of Artists of Ukraine, Kyiv, Ukraine, 1984
  • Vadym Meller's Expressive Constructivism,Olga Petrova, pp. 5–32, Catalog, an ExhibitionAvant-Garde Adventures,National Art Museum of Ukraine(NAMU), Kyiv, Ukraine,2004.
  • Vadym Meller:Missionary of Avant-Garde Scenic Design,Tetiana Rudenko, pp 46–68, book "Staging the Ukrainian Avant-Garde of the 1910s and 1920s", Ukrainian Museum, New York, US, 2015.
  • Vadim Meller,Zoya Kucherenko, Mistetstvo, Kyiv, 1975.
  • Kyiv to Paris: Ukrainian Art in the European Avant-Garde,1905-1930, publication By Prof. Myroslav Shkandrij, Department of German and Slavic Studies University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Canada, Zorya Fine Art, 2003.
  • Modernism in Kyiv: Jubilant Experimentation,pp 3,5,11,219,229,257,264,299,415,426,430,492,497,501, etc. edited by Irena R. Makaryk., Virlana Tkacz., University of Toronto Press, 2010ISBN978-1-4426-4098-6.
  • The World Encyclopedia of Contemporary Theatre. Europe,pp. 872–4,883,885, volume 1, Editor Don Rubin, Routledge, Inc., New York, US, 1994.
  • Avant-Garde Art in Ukraine, 1910-1930, contested memory,Vadym Meller and Sources of Inspiration in Theater,Myroslav Shkandrij, Boston, Academic Studies Press, 2019ISBN978-1-61811-975-9.
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