Description
In the USSR, they rebelled against the regime through satire and parody. In New York, they were crowned Soviet Pop Artists. Now, decades after the collapse of both the USSR and their friendship, the dissident artists once known as the duo Komar and Melamid reflect on their unlikely life story, as Russian totalitarianism once again reaches a fever pitch and the Zimmerli Art Museum mounts an exhibition: Komar and Melamid in America.
Produced by Sam Vladimirsky for State of the Arts. Director of Photography: Cody Ball.
COURTESY OF RONALD FELDMAN GALLERY:
“Ronald Feldman and Mierle Laderman Ukeles in front of Ronald Feldman Gallery during Ukeles’ performance entitled “Wiping Out The Bad Names”, 1984 Courtesy of Ronald Feldman Gallery, New York”
“Ronald Feldman and Chris Burden, 1974 Courtesy of Ronald Feldman Gallery, New York”
“Komar & Melamid “Color is a Mighty Power”, 1976 Installation view at Ronald Feldman Gallery, New York Courtesy of Ronald Feldman Gallery, New York”
“Komar & Melamid “Color is a Mighty Power”, 1976 Installation view at Ronald Feldman Gallery, New York Courtesy of Ronald Feldman Gallery, New York”
“Photo of Vitaly Komar and Alexander Melamid at the Knesset, Jerusalem, Israel, 1978 Courtesy of the artists and Ronald Feldman Gallery New York, NY”
COURTESY OF THE COLLECTION OF DAVID AND KATHRYN BIRNBAUM:
“Double Self-Portrait from the “Sots-Art” series, 1973, The Collection of David and Kathryn Birnbaum. The Collection of David and Kathryn Birnbaum.”
COURTESY OF KOLODZEI COLLECTION:
“Margarita Tupitsyn, Vladimir Nemukhin, Victor Tupitsyn (with Artwork by Yuri Zharkikh), Sergei Bordachev, September 15, 1974. Photograph by Vladimir Sychev, Archive of the Kolodzei Art Foundation”
“Tatiana Kolodzei buying the soul. Moscow, 1979, Archive of the Kolodzei Art Foundation”
ALL OTHER IMAGES COURTESY OF THE ARTISTS
