Soviet-born American sculptor and painter (born 1939)
Alexander Ney
(Russian:
Александр Ней
; born September 1939 in Leningrad, Soviet Union) is an American sculptor and painter. After establishing himself in 1972 as a resident of France, he immigrated to the United States in 1974 and has since lived and worked in New York City. Developing several individualistic styles in
modern art
, he is most famous for his unique work in
terra cotta
sculpture, involving heavily perforated surfaces and intriguing forms.
Early life
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Born at the outbreak of
World War II
, Ney's early childhood was entrenched in difficulty. Two weeks before Ney became 2 years old, the
Siege of Leningrad
was launched, described by historians as the second most lethal battle in the war's tragic history. The pivotal city’s rail connections were severed, cutting off all access to any food and power supplies. In the following winters that ensued, between two and three million civilians?including 400,000 children?died during the Leningrad Blockade.
Biography
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After being given private art lessons at the home of influential Russian sculptor
V.V. Lishev
(1877?1960), from 1954 to 1957 Ney studied at the Art School of the
Leningrad Academy of Arts
, and later at the Art School of the
Surikov Moscow Art Institute
from 1957 to 1959. Ney befriended a wide number of progressive-minded art students, now stars of the contemporary Russian art scene such as
Alexander Kosolapov
,
Leonid Sokov
,
Alexander Yulikov
,
Lev Nussberg
and
Vadim Kosmatschof
.
[1]
His relentless efforts in creating strikingly new interpretations of art quickly made the young artist legendary amidst his peers. Artists
Alexander Kosolapov
and
Igor Makarevich
, amongst others, recall that Ney played an influential role in their early years.
[2]
From 1965 to 1967, Ney taught sculpture to children at the
House of Young Pioneers
in Leningrad. Students included future Russian novelist
Sergei Dovlatov
(1941?1990).
In 1967 through 1969, Ney attended
art history
and theory courses at the
Ilya Repin Institute
. He continued to perfect his skills as both a painter and sculptor, as well as an art theoretician.
Due to his highly productive creative output's clashing with the Soviet mandates of
Socialist Realism
, Ney absconded to France in 1972 on a tourist visa, as immigration was not permitted. His was granted residencies and established studios in the famed art colonies of both
Cite internationale des arts
in Paris and
Villa Arson
in Nice. In 1974, at the encouragement of American
Abstract Expressionist
painter
Elaine de Kooning
(wife of
Willem
), he immigrated with his family to the United States.
[3]
One of the first of several noted cultural figures whose early departure inadvertently signaled the start of a new wave of American immigrants from the Soviet Union, the legendary late American designer
Gene Moore
discovered Ney's work at a chance meeting at
The Russian Tea Room
. As the longtime Vice President of the flagship landmark location of
Tiffany & Co.
on Fifth Avenue and 57th Street, having displayed the works of contemporary artists
Robert Rauschenberg
,
Jasper Johns
,
James Rosenquist
and
Andy Warhol
, Moore created displays featuring Ney's works annually since 1978 for over thirty years.
[4]
On May 29, 1997, a 4-alarm rooftop fire apparently caused by a neighboring commercial building descended into Ney's two-floor home and studio located in Manhattan's
Diamond District
, destroying thousands of artwork.
[5]
In 2009, the
National Centre for Contemporary Arts
(NCCA) in Moscow held a special anniversary exhibition to honor the artist's 70th anniversary.
NYC Mayor Michael Bloomberg
wrote in the accompanying publication's introductory forward:
″Throughout his career, Mr. Ney has made an indelible impact on the creative life of our City and beyond?building a diverse and unique range of work that has inspired and moved individuals from around the world. What’s more, Mr. Ney’s success demonstrates the boundless potential of the New York immigrant experience, and his hard work and perseverance set a wonderful example for us all. On behalf of the City of New York, I applaud Mr. Ney for his tremendous achievements and invaluable contributions to the cultural life of our City.″
[6]
Public collections
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Notable collections of Ney’s sculptures, paintings and drawings are held at:
- Museum
Beelden aan Zee
, containing the largest collection of international sculpture in the Netherlands
- The State
Russian Museum
, St. Petersburg, Russia
- The State
Tretyakov Gallery
, Moscow, Russia
- The State
Pushkin Museum
of Fine Arts, Moscow, Russia
- The
Moscow Museum of Modern Art
, Moscow, Russia
- The
National Centre for Contemporary Arts
, Moscow, Russia
- The
ART4.RU Museum of Contemporary Russian Art
, Moscow, Russia
- The
Jane Voorhees Zimmerli Art Museum
at Rutgers University, USA
- The
Nasher Museum of Art
at Duke University, USA
- The
Yeshiva University Museum
, New York, USA
- The
Mead Art Museum
, Massachusetts, USA
- The
McMullen Museum of Art
, Massachusetts, USA
References
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External links
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