Masters of decorative and applied art of the Spassky Factory of artistic ceramics in search of a unique style

Chernova Anna Viktorovna PhD in Art History Associate Professor, the department of Art and Design, Far Eastern Federal University 690078, Russia, Primorskii krai, g. Vladivostok, ul. Ayaks, 10 av_chernova@mail.ru Other publications by this author     Vasileva Elena Aleksandrovna Head of the Center for Artistic Creativity and Design "Istoki" 692756, Russia, Primorskii krai, g. Artem, ul. Sevastopol'skaya, 18, kv. 7 vladimir_vasilev@mail.ru

Fedorovskaya Natalia Aleksandrovna ORCID: 0000-0002-8789-7994 Doctor of Art History Director of the Department of Arts and Design, Far Eastern Federal University 690078, Russia, Primorskii krai, g. Vladivostok, ostrov Russkii, kampus DVFU, korp. F, kab. 406 fedorovskaya_na@dvfu.ru Other publications by this author

Introduction

Ceramic production in the Russian Far East has been going through periods of ups and downs over the past two centuries, many factories that produced ceramic products using local and imported raw materials, having opened in the Soviet period, stagnated in the post-perestroika period, and were closed at the beginning of the XXI century. At the same time, during their work, products were created that had not only utilitarian, but also artistic value. Currently, a scientific and aesthetic understanding of this ceramic heritage is required.

The art ceramics factory of the city of Spassk-Dalny is one of the brightest, noticeable and distinctive phenomena in the Primorsky Territory of Russia in the second half of the XX century. The plant worked almost exclusively on local raw materials and produced ceramic products, including exhibition samples ^{[1, p. 18]}, as well as tableware and small plastic of a utilitarian nature, for more than forty years (1967 – 2003) ^{[2, 3, 4]}. In the middle of the first decade of the XXI century, production was stopped, workers were laid off, materials and capacities were disposed of or lost.

The artistic features of the Spassky ceramics deserve a separate in-depth study, since during the period of production they have passed the way of improving and complicating the forms and methods of decorating products. This path was determined by the employees of the plant, whose professional activity and creative results, at different stages of the plant's life, raised the Spassky products from the utilitarian to a high artistic level. The subject of the study is the activity and contribution of master artists to the development of the art ceramics factory of the city of Spassk-Dalny, Primorsky Krai and the artistic culture of the region as a whole. The purpose of the article is to establish their contribution to the improvement and creation of new forms, the development of original methods of decoration, to determine the original features of the Spassky ceramic products on the basis of collecting and clarifying information about the masters.

Research methods and materials

The study was conducted on the basis of a set of theoretical and empirical methods, including comparative-historical, biographical, formal-stylistic methods, as well as interview methods and included observation.

The theoretical basis consists of concepts and leading theoretical positions on the problem of decorative and applied art ^[5-8], industrial art ^{[9, 10]}. studies of modern regional specifics of decorative and applied art^[11-15] and regional stylistics of fine and decorative and applied art of Primorsky Krai ^[16-19].

Empirical sources of research - meetings and interviews conducted by the authors with former employees of the plant, artists and technologists, now living both in the city of Spassk-Dalny and located in other cities of Russia; studied products and archival materials located in the exposition and fund of the Museum of Local Lore named after N. I. Beregovaya of the city district of Spassk-Dalny; private collections and the methodological foundation of the MBU "Children's School of Arts" of the Spassk-Dalny city district, where some of the former employees of the plant currently teach.

When determining the author of a particular product, shape or painting, it was often necessary to rely mainly on the memories of the interviewees, which in some places were contradictory. Documentary evidence of the authorship of certain works or innovations can be obtained by in-depth work in archives, with museum funds, where there are some of the inventory cards of the collection items, and passports of products produced by the plant. During the collection of information, the authors also set out to isolate the handwriting of artists, clarify the peculiarities of the approach to the formation of the form and the choice of decor of products from craftsmen and generally accepted at the factory, which would significantly facilitate the problem of identifying products at the place of production. However, in practice, the full achievement of such a goal proved difficult. More information is required, deeper work with archives, access to more products and authors. Based on the analysis of samples of products and materials (Merkush clay, salts, glaze samples, plaster molds), the degree of originality of the forms, the peculiarities of decorating the works of Spassky ceramics were determined.

Discussion of the results of the study

In the process of studying the activities of the masters of the Spassky Art Ceramics Factory and their works, a number of the most significant authors were identified.

The leader for Spasskaya ceramics was the artist Evgeny Evgenyevich Skurikhin (born in 1952), who arrived at the plant in 1983 by distribution. After graduating from the Faculty of Decorative and Applied Arts of the Krasnoyarsk State Institute of Arts, he chose Primorye, far from his native Barnaul, as a place of specialization. Upon arrival at the plant, Evgeny Evgenievich received the position of chief artist at the production and during his work not only contributed to the organization of the plant and the promotion of products, but also increased the overall artistic level of Spassky ceramics. The main goal, according to the artist himself, was the formation of an individual style at the plant, therefore, the desire for creative search and the value of each employee's personal creative contribution became highly appreciated at the plant with his arrival. E. E. Skurikhin developed a brand for the plant's products (Fig. 1), characterized by a pronounced local theme^{[20, p. 222]} To Unfortunately, it was registered with the Russian Patent and Trademark Agency only in 2001, a year and a half before the closure of the plant, and was practically not used ^[21]).

In the course of the research, it was possible to interview E. E. Skurikhin, who now lives in his homeland in Barnaul. The artist said that before his arrival, there were a small number of forms in the arsenal of the plant's craftsmen, and the decoration of ceramics was carried out mainly by brush painting with an angob on a shard without any tinting. But the characteristic and recognizable appearance of the Spassky products today was due to the introduction by the main artist of such types of decor as airbrushing - applying paint by spraying in order to achieve an even layer either with an increase or decrease in intensity – and pastilage (painting with needles). According to the master, these techniques were mastered by him during an institute internship in Ukraine and Belarus, which perhaps explains the ease of their perception by the descendants of the first settlers inhabiting Spassk-Dalny to this day.

Speaking about the author's handwriting of the master, it should be noted the characteristic liveliness of the fine line in the work of the needle, the unconditional mastery of technology in the choice of materials, as well as the approach to composition that differs from other artists of the Spassky Plant. The fascination in that period of life with medieval Japan, which E. E. Skurikhin reported in an interview, can be traced in his works precisely in the approach to composition, which is distinguished by the general asymmetry of decorative elements, so characteristic of Japanese art (Fig. 2-3). The vase in Figure 2 is a vivid example of airbrushing and fine work in the pastilage technique, high mastery of graphic execution. In Figure 3, the placement of the composition elements is typical for Japanese "tyawan" bowls – parts of the drawing are placed on the outer and inner surfaces of the product, forming the "face" of the bowl.

The idea of forming the style of the plant influenced the selection of personnel. Thanks to E. E. Skurikhin, two graduates of the Abramtsevo Art and Industrial College, Olga Timofeeva and Zifa Zhelandinova, were invited to the factory. After two years of work, the artists returned to their homeland, where they continued their creative career. But their short-term work in production, nevertheless, obviously affected the assortment, shapes and features of the decoration of products. Information about the artists was gleaned from an interview with E. E. Skurikhin and the former workers of the plant who remained in Spassk. At the moment, the middle names of the masters are being clarified and additional information is being sought about their further path.

Figure 4-5 shows the works of Olga Timofeeva, her high skill and knowledge of the possibilities of the material are manifested in a variety of approaches in plastic and decorative solutions. The search for a combination of traditional forms with modern decor possibilities based on the European tradition is noticeable.

Works of Z. Gelandinova, made at the Spassky factory, is distinguished by the simplicity of forms with the originality and originality of the painting. The contrast of the background and the drawing, the inclusion of a black outline refer these works to folk craft traditions (Fig 6-7).

Let's pay attention to the fact that specialists with different levels of training and education profile worked at the plant at different times. Only the memories of colleagues and a large number of works remained about some of them. These include Albina Ivanovna Maid, an old resident of the plant, who left behind a huge number of products that differ in the originality of forms. Little is known from biographical information. The year of birth is presumably 1937. It is known that, being a physics teacher by education, she came to the plant in the 1970s from the field of education. The hands of this craftswoman created many forms and finished painted products. For many masters, A. I. Maid became a mentor. In the nineties, thanks to this master, the plant became the base for an educational and production plant, thanks to which schoolchildren could master a new creative profession for themselves. Speaking about the features of the shapes of products created by A. I. Gornich over a long period of work at the factory, one can note the desire for moderate geometricity, combined with smooth lines (Fig. 14-17). The master takes simple shapes as a basis, and plays the details of the products in a special way, adding grace to them through the plastic parts - spouts, handles, etc.

Among the no less prolific artists of the plant, Natalia Borisovna Ovchinnikova (born in 1955) should be noted. A graduate of the Lomonosov Art School of Bone Carving (Kholmogory), she got to the Spassky Art Ceramics Factory in the profile of basic education in the bone-cutting workshop that existed there. In 1985 Natalia Borisovna was marked by E. E. Skurikhin and invited to join the experimental group with the rest of the artists who worked on the assortment. The main specialization at this place of work for the artist was the painting of products, brought over the years to a very high level. After the departure of E. E. Skurikhin, N. B. Ovchinnikova replaced him as the chief artist, in which she worked until the closure of the plant.

The master's brushes belong to both ornamental solutions of sets and individual objects, and landscape paintings of wall plates, vases and sets developed by her together with Larisa Yurievna Skrynnikova in the 1990s, which were in great consumer demand. Outdoor vases with plant motifs performed by Natalia Borisovna were no less popular (Fig. 10). The most frequently used techniques of the master are pastilage and brush painting in combination with airbrushing. An important contribution of N. B. Ovchinnikova to the style of Spassky ceramics was the introduction of vases and plates, landscape subjects close to the Russian tradition of lacquer miniature (Fig. 11).

Sergey Viktorovich Danilyuk is a fashion designer with the education of a wood carver. For quite a long time of work at the factory, he created a large number of forms, including both original, imitating the shape and texture of wood, and close to traditional ones (Fig. 12).

Valentina Alekseevna Lavrenova – at different times: foundry worker, head of the warehouse, artist of the experimental workshop. During her work at the last place, she introduced a method of decoration with a stick. This kind of decoration is done manually on a wet cast product, and opens up significant opportunities for individualization (Fig. 13).

Alexander Antonovich Lupey is another example of an original talented master who left a mark in the history of the Spassky Art Ceramics Factory already at the end of its existence. He came to the factory in early 1998 as a fashion designer and, although he worked for only two years, was able to make a certain contribution to the range of the plant. In the absence of an art education, Alexandrlupey, being a welder by profession, was accepted to the position of a shaper. A long-standing fascination with wood carving has allowed to dilute the relative routine of the work of the caster of products in molds. The master in his spare time created his own molds for casting. Some of these author's forms were issued in circulation, but contrary to the procedure adopted at the factory for transferring percentages of printed products, he did not receive.

The history of the creation of the product "Lapot" (planters) is indicative (Fig. 14). According to the story of Alexander himself, initially for the sake of a joke, he made a model and a mold for casting bast shoes, ostensibly to replace his worn-out shoes. An industrial injury changed the situation – the creator of the bast shoe dropped a plaster mold for casting it on his foot, as a result of which he went on sick leave with a fracture. Upon leaving the hospital, the master was surprised at the sight of shelves filled with his bast shoes ready for sale.

Preserved in the funds of the Museum of Local Lore named after N. I. Beregovaya, the form of the floor vase "Capercaillie" (Fig. 15), launched at one time into production, stands out noticeably from the assortment. This and other works by Alexander, who is familiar to the Rescuers as a talented woodcarver, are distinguished by a pronounced love for the natural forms and fauna of Primorye: the relief image of the capercaillie is worked out in detail and dynamically in composition.

The names, artistic approach, techniques of the masters of the described production are very diverse and it is extremely difficult to fully fit them into this study. Also, during the existence of the plant, Yevgeny Bosak, Irina Plyusnina, Igor Sergeevich Kochurenkov, spouses Kalita, Irina Morochok and others made a contribution to artistic ceramics. The works of some of these were found, some, on the contrary, were donated or sold, and remained only in the memory of the masters who created them. Many of the artists at different stages of their work at the plant worked in the painting workshop, decorating the in-line products, the artistic value of which is undeniable, but at the same time not as high as the value of the works created in the experimental workshop.

Conclusions

As a result of the study, it was found that E. E. Skurikhin, A. I. Gornich, S. V. Danilyuk, Z. H. Zhelandinova, V. A. Lavrenova, A. A. Lupey, N. B. Ovchinnikova, L. Y. Skrynnikova, O. Timofeeva made a significant contribution to the improvement of molding technologies and decor of utilitarian and highly artistic products created at the Spassky Art Factory ceramics. The results of the activities of the above-mentioned artists have led to a significant evolution of the forms and types of decoration of products. The realization of the plant's own ethnic and artistic priorities led to the formation of a recognizable "face" of the products of the Spassky Plant as an important component of the Primorsky artistic ceramics.

The history of the Spassky Art Ceramics Factory is interesting and important for the entire history of the region and the history of Russian art culture as a whole. It is necessary to continue its detailed study in order to preserve the disappearing knowledge. The information presented in the article can be applied to the attribution of ceramic products, to study the specifics of the author's artistic ceramics of the XX – XXI centuries, to form a general picture of the evolution of Russian decorative and applied art.