Григорій Антонович Бондаренко і його школа

Abstract

Through his work and pedagogical activity, an outstanding Kharkiv graphic artist, professor of Kharkiv Art Institute Hryhoriy Bondarenko connected today’s artistic practice with the great traditions of art, to which he belonged. In the 1910s, H. Bondarenko studied at the Odessa Art School, with K. Kostandi; in 1915–1917 – at the Academy of Arts; and in 1923–1927 at Leningrad VKhUTEIN with K. S. Petrov-Vodkin and V. M. Konashevich. A chain of artistic tradition was formed in VKhUTEIN: K. Petrov-Vodkin – V. Serov – I. Repin – P. Chistyakov. With his pedagogical activity Chistyakov poses the problem of the creative method, and Repin – of the art form. Serov approaches its solution in the idea of projection drawing. Petrov-Vodkin supplemented it with an understanding of picture plane as space. Bondarenko synthesized all these aspects. His creative method is considered on the example of a number of his graphic works. It is based on three main points. The first is a double understanding of the picture plane on which the image is made. It is thought of, on the one hand, as a projection plane and, on the other hand, as space. The second is a combination of projections. The third is the understanding of the image as a way of processing the surface of the sheet. Among the students of H. Bondarenko, perceived this creative method, there were such well-known masters as V. Kulikov, V. Lenchin, V. Nenado. Each of them developed those aspects of the method that were organic to them. The universality, harmony and consistency of the analyzed creative method are shown in the article. It is based on a holistic worldview. Two great traditions, the successor, contemporary and continuer of which he was, merged together in H. Bondarenko’s creative activity and pedagogical work: the classical art of the 19th century, and new art of the 20th century, which itself has become a new classic and a new tradition.