541:. The artists commissioned polling companies in the 11 countries—including the United States, Russia, China, France, and Kenya—to conduct scientific polls to discover what they want to see in art. The use of polls was meant to mimic the American democratic process. Komar said, "Our interpretation of polls is our collaboration with various people of the world. It is a collaboration with new dictator—Majority." The process was also meant to change the artists role as a leader. Komar and Melamid believe that the broad public is an adequate judge of art, contrary to the historical precedence, much in the same way that the broad public in America is entrusted with electing the President. It is a new type of leader, one that asks questions, instead of a dictator. Melamid said, "Picasso mimicked Stalin, so we try to mimic Clinton."
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cliches, being free to change intonations and styles. Individuality lost its stability and its uniqueness. Now we are searching for a new freedom. We have been traveling to different countries, engaging in dull negotiations with representatives of polling companies, raising money for further polls, receiving more of less same results, and painting more or less same blue landscapes. Looking for freedom, we found slavery."
383:. In 1992, they began the series Monumental Propaganda, in response to the destruction of Socialist Realist monuments in Russia. At Komar & Melamid's invitation, more than 200 Russian and Western artists created projects for the preservation of monuments. Prolific press coverage of the project forestalled destruction of monuments in Russia.
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Komar has said he isn't so concerned that people actually enjoy the work, so long as it provokes thoughts of free will versus predetermination. To tie that concept into their earlier work, Komar said, "In our early work, we arrived at definition of freedom that entailed being free from individual
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in a conceptual framework that also references
Dadaism. Komar and Melamid often create many works within a common theme. Their prolific collaboration precludes from mentioning all of their projects, however, some of their best known series and projects are: Sots Art series (1972–1973), Post-Art
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series (1973), Ancestral
Portraits series (1980), Nostalgic Socialist Realism series (1982–1983), Diary series (1984–1986), Anarchistic Synthesism series (1985–1986), Most-Wanted series (1993–1997), Monumental Propaganda (1994), Elephant Project (1995–2000), American Dreams (1994–1999).
197:, hosted their first international exhibition, but Soviet authorities denied them permission to attend. In 1976, they also made their first attempt at emigrating, but permission was denied. In response, they created their own country, "Trans-State," complete with
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purchased paintings. From 1981 to 1983, they continued to develop Sots Art in the series
Nostalgic Socialist Realism, and from 1984 to 1990 they further developed Post-Art in the Diary Series, Anarchistic Synthesis Series, and Bayonne, N.J. Series.
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From 1994 to 1997, the artists worked on the series People's Choice, whereby they created the "most wanted" and "least wanted" paintings of various countries based on the results of surveys conducted by professional polling companies. The book,
391:, published in 1997, explains the statistical underpinnings of the polling process and provides the results of each country's preferences. Komar & Melamid used the same process in 1996–1997 in a collaboration with composer
93:(born 1945). In an artists' statement they said that "even if only one of us creates some of the projects and works, we usually sign them together. We are not just an artist, we are a movement." Both artists were born in
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Throughout the 1980s, many prominent writers and critics discussed their work, and they were invited to participate in numerous exhibitions. They were the first
Russian artists to receive funding from the
252:. In one such performance, they established a corporation, Komar & Melamid, Inc., that had as its purpose "the buying and selling of human souls." They bought several hundred souls, including
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Throughout the 1970s, Komar & Melamid also worked in a style they called "Post-Art," pioneering the use of multi-stylistic images, prefiguring the eclectic combination of styles in
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Komar and
Melamid's People's Choice series, 1994–1997, consisted of the "most wanted" and "most unwanted" paintings of 11 countries,
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auction house held the first-ever auction of elephant paintings. The revenue generated supported the elephants and their keepers.
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121:(Illustration dept.), graduating in 1967. They began working together shortly thereafter. After 36 years they separated in 2003.
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In 2001, Komar & Melamid began work on their last major project together, Symbols of the Big Bang, first exhibited at the
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was held at the Blue Bird Cafe in Moscow, 1967. The following year, they joined the youth section of the
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186:(because bulldozers were used to destroy the artwork, which had been displayed in an open-air setting).
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209:. In 1978, they moved to New York; in the same month, their first museum exhibition opened at the
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Fifth edition. Sara
Pendergast and Tom Pendergastm (eds.) St. James Press, Detroit, 2002.
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government, along with works by other nonconformist artists, at what became known as the
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When
Elephants Paint: The Quest of Two Russian Artists to Save the Elephants of Thailand
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When
Elephants Paint: The Quest of Two Russian Artists to Save the Elephants of Thailand
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256:'s (who sold it to them for free), which was smuggled into Russia and then sold for 30
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and began teaching art. In 1972, Komar & Melamid founded a movement they called
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Kolodzei
Collection of Russian and Eastern European Art, Kolodzei Art Foundation
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in 1980. He continued to work with Komar in New York. In 1981, their
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A musical version of The People's Choice was produced with composer
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Edward Lucie-Smith (ed.) Könemann in der Tandem
Verlags-Gmbh 2002,
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Komar & Melamid: The Most Wanted and the Most Unwanted Painting
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in 1982, which was a commercial and critical success. In 1983, the
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Painting by Numbers: Komar & Melamid's Scientific Guide to Art
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89:-born American conceptualist artists Vitaly Komar (born 1943) and
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in 1978. The pair's co-authorship of works ceased in 2003–2004.
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The Fruitmarket Gallery, Edinburgh, exhibition catalogue, 1985.
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Painting by Numbers: Komar and Melamid's Scientific Guide to Art
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Painting by Numbers: Komar and Melamid's Scientific Guide to Art
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Painting by Numbers: Komar and Melamid's Scientific Guide to Art
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In 1976, Komar & Melamid's work became more widely known.
15:
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The Prestel Dictionary of Art and Artists in the 20th Century
321:. They were also the first Russian artists to be invited to
498:(2004). Komar & Melamid ceased collaborating in 2003.
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Stroganov Moscow State Academy of Arts and Industry alumni
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Ian Chilvers (ed.) Oxford University Press, New York 1998
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Komar and Melamid Chronology and Images from 1972 to 2003
205:. In 1977, they received permission to join relatives in
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In 2023, The group reunited for a retrospective at the
488:. In 2003, they began to turn some of the symbols into
724:
Nancy Frazier (ed.) Penguin Reference, New York 2000
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Glossary of Art, Architecture & Design since 1945
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23rd edition, 1999–2000. Marquis, New Providence, NJ;
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to teach elephants to paint, resulting in the book,
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In the early 1990s, Komar & Melamid created two
782:
Claude Marks (ed.) H.W. Wilson Co., New York, 1984.
512:They are perhaps best known as the founders of
360:. In 1988, they became US citizens. In 1989, a
717:, Museum Ludwig Koln, Ostfildern: Cantz, 1997.
129:Komar & Melamid's first joint exhibition,
722:The Penguin Concise Dictionary of Art History
690:, Southern Illinois University Press, 1979.
450:, New York. It became part of the exhibition
8:
688:Komar/Melamid: Two Soviet Dissident Artists
434:, was created by Komar & Melamid with
922:American people of Russian-Jewish descent
662:, New York: Farrar Straus Giroux, 1997.
503:Zimmerli Art Museum at Rutgers University
66:Learn how and when to remove this message
336:Komar & Melamid created their first
29:This article includes a list of general
636:, New York: Farrar Straus Giroux, 1997.
623:, New York: Farrar Straus Giroux, 1997.
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912:Soviet emigrants to the United States
787:A Dictionary of Twentieth-Century Art
539:as well as two songs in the same vein
119:Stroganov Institute of Art and Design
7:
648:, New York: Abbeville Press, 1988.
117:from 1958 to 1960, followed by the
457:In 1998, the artists also went to
35:it lacks sufficient corresponding
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676:, New York: HarperCollins, 2000.
744:Bildende Kunst im 20 Jahrhundert
152:that combines the principles of
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775:Prestel Verlag, New York, 2000.
319:National Endowment for the Arts
113:Komar and Melamid attended the
379:for the Holy Rosary Church in
168:(similar to dual portraits of
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867:American contemporary artists
757:"Komar and Melamid (1945– )"
348:, which was installed in the
857:Russian contemporary artists
340:sculpture in 1986, a bronze
101:in 1977 and subsequently to
495:Berlin-Moscow/Moscow-Berlin
310:Stalin Monument (The Hague)
144:a unique version of Soviet
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927:21st-century American Jews
907:Artists from New York City
824:The Most Wanted Paintings
520:that combined elements of
298:Metropolitan Museum of Art
832:The People's Choice Music
759:Who's Who in American Art
478:Center for Jewish History
474:Yeshiva University Museum
398:The People's Choice Music
164:. Later that year, their
162:Art Belongs to the People
862:Soviet Nonconformist Art
780:World Artists, 1950–1980
686:Nathanson, Melvyn, ed.
658:Wypijewski, JoAnn, ed.
632:Wypijewski, JoAnn, ed.
619:Wypijewski, JoAnn, ed.
518:Soviet Nonconformist Art
191:Ronald Feldman Fine Arts
887:Jewish American artists
364:about them, written by
176:) was destroyed by the
135:Moscow Union of Artists
50:more precise citations.
558:The Most Unwanted Song
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407:The Most Unwanted Song
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288:hosted the exhibition
85:) is a tandem team of
842:Sloane Gallery of Art
814:"Komar & Melamid"
438:and performed at the
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271:was slashed by an ex-
215:Hartford, Connecticut
785:"Komar and Melamid"
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771:"Komar and Melamid"
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764:"Komar and Melamid"
742:"Komar und Melamid"
739:by Jonathan Fineberg
735:"Komar and Melamid"
720:"Komar and Melamid"
672:Komar and Melamid.
554:The Most Wanted Song
516:(СоцАрт), a form of
403:The Most Wanted Song
294:Museum of Modern Art
183:Bulldozer Exhibition
166:Double Self-Portrait
902:Artists from Moscow
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577:komarandmelamid.org
368:, was published by
97:, but emigrated to
872:Postmodern artists
350:red light district
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269:Portrait of Hitler
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737:Art since the 40s
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465:. In 2000,
448:the Kitchen
444:Minneapolis
381:Jersey City
358:Netherlands
276:disc jockey
254:Andy Warhol
242:photography
230:performance
48:introducing
851:Categories
826:on the web
820:, 3rd. ed.
564:References
467:Christie's
395:to create
338:public art
329:, then in
273:Trotskyist
265:New Jersey
31:references
482:mysticism
416:In 1998,
362:monograph
354:The Hague
333:, 1987).
323:Documenta
199:passports
109:Education
897:Art duos
459:Thailand
411:Wal-Mart
296:and the
290:Sots Art
280:Brooklyn
226:painting
195:New York
140:Sots Art
103:New York
526:Pop Art
514:SotsArt
486:science
258:roubles
154:Dadaism
125:History
87:Russian
44:improve
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327:Kassel
312:(2006)
250:poetry
248:, and
207:Israel
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174:Stalin
99:Israel
95:Moscow
33:, but
508:Style
377:icons
246:music
170:Lenin
791:ISBN
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650:ISBN
556:and
484:and
430:and
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308:The
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