Artist
Viktor Popkov
1932-1974
Moscow, USSR
Severe style
Viktor Efimovich Popkov was born in Moscow. He went to school at the Moscow Art-Graphics College in the late 1940's. In the 1950's he studied at the Moscow Surikov Institute under Evgenii Kubrik.
Viktor Popkov is one of the most prominent and influential Soviet artists of the 1960s. He was a role model to many artists of his generation, through his rejection of Soviet doctrines and of the principles of Stalinist Socialist Realism.
He was the most well-known representive of the so-called "Severe Style" (surovii stil), which was an attempt to revamp Socialist Realism, which had peaked after Stalinist collectivization until the mid 1950's. The artists of the Severe Style saw not only the sunny side of the Soviet society, they emphazised the sweat of the hard work, and the every-day issues of man of the 1960's. The style at the same time added a large amount of ambiguity to the art, not seen in classical Soviet art of the period.
In his later works he turned to a style that may be characterized as symbolism, applying parables, circling around Russian culture, the fate of Russian generations and the Russian village.
From the middle of the 1960s he participated in exhibitions all over the world, being the best known contemporary Soviet artist of his time.
Victor Popkov died tragically in 1974.
Viktor Popkov is one of the most prominent and influential Soviet artists of the 1960s. He was a role model to many artists of his generation, through his rejection of Soviet doctrines and of the principles of Stalinist Socialist Realism.
He was the most well-known representive of the so-called "Severe Style" (surovii stil), which was an attempt to revamp Socialist Realism, which had peaked after Stalinist collectivization until the mid 1950's. The artists of the Severe Style saw not only the sunny side of the Soviet society, they emphazised the sweat of the hard work, and the every-day issues of man of the 1960's. The style at the same time added a large amount of ambiguity to the art, not seen in classical Soviet art of the period.
In his later works he turned to a style that may be characterized as symbolism, applying parables, circling around Russian culture, the fate of Russian generations and the Russian village.
From the middle of the 1960s he participated in exhibitions all over the world, being the best known contemporary Soviet artist of his time.
Victor Popkov died tragically in 1974.