Alexander Pogrebinsky
Encyclopedia
Alexander Petrovich Pogrebinsky (January 2, 1951) is a Russia
n-born American
painter
, the creator of the school of philosophical realism
. He is known for his portraits.
, and were masters of the Socialist realism
school of art.
Pogrebinsky began studying French
in 1958, and by the 1970s was fluently communicating with artists in Western Europe
. In 1963, after successfully passing the rigid entrance exams, Pogrebinsky was accepted into the only art's high school in Soviet Ukraine
. Though eventually becoming a painter like his parents, Pogrebinsky showed remarkable talent in sculpture.
In 1970 Pogrebinsky entered the prestigious Kiev State Institute of Fine Art. For six years Pogrebinsky studied painting, which culminated in a Master's Degree. Throughout those years Pogrebinsky was extremely active in the art world of the Soviet Union. His works were obviously different from the classical trend of Socialist Realism, an example of which can be seen in a watercolor from 1971, In the Gethsemane
Garden.
At the Kiev State Institute of Fine Arts, Pogrebinsky studied under Academician Victor Vasilievich Shatalin, who is also the People's Artist of the USSR
. The teacher greatly admired Pogrebinsky's skills, and the two artist have remained friends to this day. After Pogrebinsky's graduation from the Kiev State Institute of Fine Arts, he began working as an independent artist, exhibiting in shows across the Soviet Union. In 1978 Pogrebinsky received the Lenin Prize
in Art for his Komsomol painting.
In 1978 Pogrebinsky entered The Academy of Fine Art of the USSR, from which he received his Ph.D in Fine Art in 1984. In 1978 Pogrebinsky was accepted into the USSR Union of Artists, and later that same year was accepted into the USSR Academy of Arts. Though Pogrebinsky was successful, he could have refused to join the Communist Party of the USSR, which could have given him even more success. While studying at the Academy, Pogrebinsky worked in the studio of Sergei Alexievich Grigoriev, who was also an Academician
and a People's Artist of the USSR
. At the Academy, Pogrebinsky worked under the supervision of Aleksei Gritsai
.
Throughout his years as an artist in the Soviet Union, Pogrebinsky's works appeared on magazine covers, posters, and in national and international exhibitions. Many of his paintings were commissioned by the Ministry of Culture. Though many paintings were commissioned by Soviet officials, Pogrebinsky worked prolifically on many projects outside of Soviet officials. His paintings such as Bulgakov (1988), Vrubel (1988), In the Beginning, and Creation, touched on themes not often accepted in the Soviet Union.
In the 1980s Pogrebinsky began using his family as models for many of his paintings, a practice that continues to this day. Pogrebinsky has used himself as a model in Bulgakov and Where Is The Truth? His family has been used in the following paintings: When The Gods Were Near, Le Louvre, Earth, Sun, Moon, Gold #2, Hiroshima, Let There Be Sunshine, The War, The Muse, Natasha.
Throughout the 1980s Pogrebinsky became increasingly popular with his social and political art, most of which focused on the inhumanity of war. Though becoming increasingly popular, owning a car, and enjoying a comfortable existence, Pogrebinsky still refused to join the Communist Party
, and was weary of the future in the stagnant Soviet Union. With the tragedy of Chernobyl
, Pogrebinsky seriously began considering immigration. In a 1994 article in the Plain Dealer:
In 1990 Pogrebinsky, his wife, and their two children used a travel visa to Paris
to escape in December 1990. Travelling through Europe, the family arrived in New York City
in January 1991. Afterwards they won political asylum from the U.S. Government.
.
In the 1990s, Pogrebinsky worked largely in oils and watercolors. He has painted the portraits of many religious leaders in the United States, and has taught Art and Painting at the Cleveland Institute of Art
and John Caroll University. As in the USSR Pogrebinsky received many commissions, and became increasingly known for his realistic portraits. Notable among his personal works of this period is the triptych Moon, Earth, Sun.
A whole series of rose paintings appeared from 1998, and continues to the present day. These are some of his most successful works.
Since immigrating to the United States Pogrebinsky has shown his work all across the country and the world. In 2008 Pogrebinsky's work was displayed at the Ukrainian Embassy in the United States, in Washington D.C.
Pogrebinsky's wife Lena currently works for the Cleveland Metropolitan School District, where she has taught high school mathematics at Lincoln-West High School
, Whitney M. Young Gifted & Talented Leadership Academy and James Ford Rhodes High School
.
and Eastern philosophy. Though literature on Yoga and Buddhism was extremely difficult to come by in the Soviet Union, Pogrebinsky was able to acquire literature in French from the West, and in some cases Russian samizdat
copies. Pogrebinsky was highly influenced by the philosophy that was rarely talked about in the secular USSR.
Pogrebinsky's themes often gravitate towards the religious and psychological. And though Pogrebinsky is of no particular faith, his paintings show a universal interest in religions. Several works since the 1970s depict Jesus Christ. His triptych Earth, Moon, Sun explores the individual and the forces of good and evil. Inspired by the philosophical writings of Goethe, Pogrebinsky included lines from Faust
within the paintings. Many of his paintings deal with creation myths.
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
n-born American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
painter
Painting
Painting is the practice of applying paint, pigment, color or other medium to a surface . The application of the medium is commonly applied to the base with a brush but other objects can be used. In art, the term painting describes both the act and the result of the action. However, painting is...
, the creator of the school of philosophical realism
Philosophical realism
Contemporary philosophical realism is the belief that our reality, or some aspect of it, is ontologically independent of our conceptual schemes, linguistic practices, beliefs, etc....
. He is known for his portraits.
In the Soviet Union
Pogrebinsky was raised during the Khruschev Thaw of the Soviet Union, and was witness to a flourishing of artistic creativity that the USSR had not seen since the 1920s. Growing up in an artistic family, Pogrebinsky was constantly surrounded by painters and sculptors. Pogrebinsky's father was an artist, Peter Nikolayevich Pogrebinsky (1911-2002) and Lubov Romanovna Solona (1914-1990). Both of his parents belonged to the USSR Union of ArtistsUSSR Union of Artists
Union of Artists of the USSR was a creative union of the Soviet artists and arts critics embracing the union republics.The Union started in 1932 to supersede the AKhRR. The integral Union was instituted in 1957...
, and were masters of the Socialist realism
Socialist realism
Socialist realism is a style of realistic art which was developed in the Soviet Union and became a dominant style in other communist countries. Socialist realism is a teleologically-oriented style having its purpose the furtherance of the goals of socialism and communism...
school of art.
Pogrebinsky began studying French
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
in 1958, and by the 1970s was fluently communicating with artists in Western Europe
Western Europe
Western Europe is a loose term for the collection of countries in the western most region of the European continents, though this definition is context-dependent and carries cultural and political connotations. One definition describes Western Europe as a geographic entity—the region lying in the...
. In 1963, after successfully passing the rigid entrance exams, Pogrebinsky was accepted into the only art's high school in Soviet Ukraine
Ukraine
Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It has an area of 603,628 km², making it the second largest contiguous country on the European continent, after Russia...
. Though eventually becoming a painter like his parents, Pogrebinsky showed remarkable talent in sculpture.
In 1970 Pogrebinsky entered the prestigious Kiev State Institute of Fine Art. For six years Pogrebinsky studied painting, which culminated in a Master's Degree. Throughout those years Pogrebinsky was extremely active in the art world of the Soviet Union. His works were obviously different from the classical trend of Socialist Realism, an example of which can be seen in a watercolor from 1971, In the Gethsemane
Gethsemane
Gethsemane is a garden at the foot of the Mount of Olives in Jerusalem most famous as the place where, according to Biblical texts, Jesus and his disciples are said to have prayed the night before Jesus' crucifixion.- Etymology :...
Garden.
At the Kiev State Institute of Fine Arts, Pogrebinsky studied under Academician Victor Vasilievich Shatalin, who is also the People's Artist of the USSR
People's Artist of the USSR
People's Artist of the USSR, also sometimes translated as National Artist of the USSR, was an honorary title granted to citizens of the Soviet Union.- Nomenclature and significance :...
. The teacher greatly admired Pogrebinsky's skills, and the two artist have remained friends to this day. After Pogrebinsky's graduation from the Kiev State Institute of Fine Arts, he began working as an independent artist, exhibiting in shows across the Soviet Union. In 1978 Pogrebinsky received the Lenin Prize
Lenin Prize
The Lenin Prize was one of the most prestigious awards of the USSR, presented to individuals for accomplishments relating to science, literature, arts, architecture, and technology. It was created on June 23, 1925 and was awarded until 1934. During the period from 1935 to 1956, the Lenin Prize was...
in Art for his Komsomol painting.
In 1978 Pogrebinsky entered The Academy of Fine Art of the USSR, from which he received his Ph.D in Fine Art in 1984. In 1978 Pogrebinsky was accepted into the USSR Union of Artists, and later that same year was accepted into the USSR Academy of Arts. Though Pogrebinsky was successful, he could have refused to join the Communist Party of the USSR, which could have given him even more success. While studying at the Academy, Pogrebinsky worked in the studio of Sergei Alexievich Grigoriev, who was also an Academician
Academician
The title Academician denotes a Full Member of an art, literary, or scientific academy.In many countries, it is an honorary title. There also exists a lower-rank title, variously translated Corresponding Member or Associate Member, .-Eastern Europe and China:"Academician" may also be a functional...
and a People's Artist of the USSR
People's Artist of the USSR
People's Artist of the USSR, also sometimes translated as National Artist of the USSR, was an honorary title granted to citizens of the Soviet Union.- Nomenclature and significance :...
. At the Academy, Pogrebinsky worked under the supervision of Aleksei Gritsai
Aleksei Gritsai
Aleksei Mikhailovich Gritsai was a Russian artist. From 1924 to 1931 he studied in Leningrad in the studios of S.M. Zaidenberg and from 1932 to 1939 at the Academy of Arts under P.S. Naumov, Vasili Yakovlev, and Isaak Brodsky....
.
Throughout his years as an artist in the Soviet Union, Pogrebinsky's works appeared on magazine covers, posters, and in national and international exhibitions. Many of his paintings were commissioned by the Ministry of Culture. Though many paintings were commissioned by Soviet officials, Pogrebinsky worked prolifically on many projects outside of Soviet officials. His paintings such as Bulgakov (1988), Vrubel (1988), In the Beginning, and Creation, touched on themes not often accepted in the Soviet Union.
In the 1980s Pogrebinsky began using his family as models for many of his paintings, a practice that continues to this day. Pogrebinsky has used himself as a model in Bulgakov and Where Is The Truth? His family has been used in the following paintings: When The Gods Were Near, Le Louvre, Earth, Sun, Moon, Gold #2, Hiroshima, Let There Be Sunshine, The War, The Muse, Natasha.
Throughout the 1980s Pogrebinsky became increasingly popular with his social and political art, most of which focused on the inhumanity of war. Though becoming increasingly popular, owning a car, and enjoying a comfortable existence, Pogrebinsky still refused to join the Communist Party
Communist party
A political party described as a Communist party includes those that advocate the application of the social principles of communism through a communist form of government...
, and was weary of the future in the stagnant Soviet Union. With the tragedy of Chernobyl
Chernobyl
Chernobyl or Chornobyl is an abandoned city in northern Ukraine, in Kiev Oblast, near the border with Belarus. The city had been the administrative centre of the Chernobyl Raion since 1932....
, Pogrebinsky seriously began considering immigration. In a 1994 article in the Plain Dealer:
They [the Pogrebinsky's] had long doubted the benevolence of the government, but the explosion at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant, 60 miles from their home, cemented their destruct. The disaster struck April 26, 1986. Word reached the Pogrebinskys about five days later. Before citizens even caught wind of the accident, the militia sealed Kiev to prevent an exodus. Meanwhile, state leaders in the region fled in droves.
"We just started to see that everything we had been taught was not what they pretended", says Pogrebinsky, 43. "Chernobyl just showed that they didn't care about the people."Portrait of a gifted artist as a Ukraine expatriate. The Plain Dealer. April 13, 1994.
In 1990 Pogrebinsky, his wife, and their two children used a travel visa to Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
to escape in December 1990. Travelling through Europe, the family arrived in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
in January 1991. Afterwards they won political asylum from the U.S. Government.
In the United States
As soon as Pogrebinsky arrived in the United States, he began exhibiting and painting. Some of his earliest paintings dealt with religious and philosophical themes, as in Where Is The Truth?, A painting depicting Jesus Christ before Pontius PilatePontius Pilate
Pontius Pilatus , known in the English-speaking world as Pontius Pilate , was the fifth Prefect of the Roman province of Judaea, from AD 26–36. He is best known as the judge at Jesus' trial and the man who authorized the crucifixion of Jesus...
.
In the 1990s, Pogrebinsky worked largely in oils and watercolors. He has painted the portraits of many religious leaders in the United States, and has taught Art and Painting at the Cleveland Institute of Art
Cleveland Institute of Art
The Cleveland Institute of Art is a private college of art and design located in University Circle, Cleveland, Ohio. It was founded in 1882 as the Western Reserve School of Design for Women. From 1891 until 1948 it was named Cleveland School of Art. During the Great Depression the school...
and John Caroll University. As in the USSR Pogrebinsky received many commissions, and became increasingly known for his realistic portraits. Notable among his personal works of this period is the triptych Moon, Earth, Sun.
A whole series of rose paintings appeared from 1998, and continues to the present day. These are some of his most successful works.
Since immigrating to the United States Pogrebinsky has shown his work all across the country and the world. In 2008 Pogrebinsky's work was displayed at the Ukrainian Embassy in the United States, in Washington D.C.
Pogrebinsky's wife Lena currently works for the Cleveland Metropolitan School District, where she has taught high school mathematics at Lincoln-West High School
Lincoln-West High School
Lincoln-West High School is a high school located in Cleveland, Ohio and part of the Cleveland Metropolitan School District. The school's name is a by-product of the merger between Cleveland's old Lincoln and West High Schools...
, Whitney M. Young Gifted & Talented Leadership Academy and James Ford Rhodes High School
James Ford Rhodes High School
James Ford Rhodes High School is located in Cleveland, Ohio, United States, in the west-side neighborhood known as Old Brooklyn. It is part of the Cleveland Metropolitan School District and is commonly referred to as "Rhodes High School."...
.
Philosophy
It was in high school that Pogrebinsky became interested in YogaYoga
Yoga is a physical, mental, and spiritual discipline, originating in ancient India. The goal of yoga, or of the person practicing yoga, is the attainment of a state of perfect spiritual insight and tranquility while meditating on Supersoul...
and Eastern philosophy. Though literature on Yoga and Buddhism was extremely difficult to come by in the Soviet Union, Pogrebinsky was able to acquire literature in French from the West, and in some cases Russian samizdat
Samizdat
Samizdat was a key form of dissident activity across the Soviet bloc in which individuals reproduced censored publications by hand and passed the documents from reader to reader...
copies. Pogrebinsky was highly influenced by the philosophy that was rarely talked about in the secular USSR.
Pogrebinsky's themes often gravitate towards the religious and psychological. And though Pogrebinsky is of no particular faith, his paintings show a universal interest in religions. Several works since the 1970s depict Jesus Christ. His triptych Earth, Moon, Sun explores the individual and the forces of good and evil. Inspired by the philosophical writings of Goethe, Pogrebinsky included lines from Faust
Faust
Faust is the protagonist of a classic German legend; a highly successful scholar, but also dissatisfied with his life, and so makes a deal with the devil, exchanging his soul for unlimited knowledge and worldly pleasures. Faust's tale is the basis for many literary, artistic, cinematic, and musical...
within the paintings. Many of his paintings deal with creation myths.