Nina Novikova, St. Petersburg Artist

Author: Linda DeLaine
Website: RL Online
Department:
Page: 1   ( 3) pages

Summary: The life and works of this thirty-eight year old, single mother and wonderful artist.

	The life and the world are so beautiful! And I'll try to keep working in my art, openhearted and sincerely. Nina Novikova St. Petersburg Artist

Russian visual and decorative fine arts are some of the best in the world. The forms that often come to mind first are Faberge, holy icons, lacquer and many more. Recently, I became acquainted with a wonderful lady, from St. Petersburg, and her work. Nina Novikova is, in my opinion, one of Russia's promising artists of today. Nina's love is painting and she works in oils. You will have the opportunity to view several of her works, at the end of this article, but Nina's life is what we will focus on, for now.

Childhood and Life during the Soviet regime . . .
Nina was born in 1961 and grew up in Nizhniy Tagil, an industrial city in the Urals, with her mother and two elder sisters. Her natural talent for art was apparent by the young age of five. Nina began her training at age ten, first in an art studio and, later, at an art school. She completed her formal training in 1977, with excellent results.

Nina says, "As I remember, I could paint everything and everywhere and anytime. When I was eighteen, I left home and went to Leningrad (St. Petersburg) because I knew that this city was very close to my soul. I believed that here my creative ability could be increased, as well as possible. But, I realized that, for a girl from the province, without any ties to art circles and in spite of my talent, it would be difficult to become a student of any of the art institutions. However, it did not stop my wish to study art. I became a factory worker and a free-lance student, attending classes at the Academy of Art, Mukhina's Art College and Theatre Institute. My teacher was S. Epstain, who paid great attention to my creative growth during my first three years of education, in St. Petersburg."

As a free-lance student, Nina had greater latitude in her artistic expression. Remember, this was still during the Soviet era. "All art education was built on monolith principles of 'socialist realism,' and all art was working for 'social order.' 'Society' was defined as the Communist Party and it had an attentive eye on the creative process. It tried to get full control on all sides of our lives. So, 'non-official' art went underground." According to Nina, artists were, and are, the most independent minded part of the population. Art, if left unchecked, could easily affect the peoples' view of the Party and the world. Every effort was made to not let people know about the art and culture of other countries. This is not to say that personal development was impossible during the Soviet time, but it was limited and every attempt was made to direct it in the "right" direction.

These limitations affected, not just art, but every aspect of ones life. Survival was the top priority. "My art fate was not exclusive: all these tendencies directly affected my creative, intellectual and even physical abilities. The possibility of introducing art was granted only to members of the Artist Union, which had to 'play' by the rules for survival."

The Advance to Freedom . . .
1991 was the year that myself, and many fellow artists, remembered that we were artists. I had not painted for five years. With the fall of the Iron Curtain and new-found openness, Russian artists found themselves free to express themselves and to present virtually any form and style of work. Increases in foreign tourists opened up a brand new market for everything from traditional folkart to the most contemporary expressions.

This new freedom was a welcome thing. But, other problems arose, as a result. First of all, the Russian economy has been and still is in crisis. Secondly, artists, like Nina, were never encouraged to learn about other countries, cultures or languages. Russian artists were free to create and sell their own works. Most, however, have hesitated to travel abroad because of lack of money, knowledge of other languages, etc.

The Russian government does not, financially, support the artists. Most funds are from foreign sources, such as Soros. Nina points out that these organizations tend to endorse a small and select circle of artists, not everyone. The quandary is familiar: supplies such as canvas, paints, etc., are high priced, while the selling prices that an artist can realistically get are low. This makes the cost of attending art school very high, as well as affects the livelihood of all artists. The artist is torn between the love of their art and the drive to create, as opposed to survival.

"Of course, now nobody is searching what we are doing with our art. But, if you have no money and/or connections, it is very hard to organize your own exhibition and become known to the world." Enter the Internet! "The Internet is a great occasion for artists to show their works to everybody and is an invaluable chance to be involved in the planet life." Nina believes that the Internet will play a significant role in Russia's future. Till now, only a handful of the total number of struggling artists are on the Internet. The problems are the same; lack of money and computer skills within the artist community.

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For further information on Nina's works, please contact her representative in Russia, Mr. Alexander V. Tikhonov, Director Sirin Art Shop. See the Art Shop's gallery of lacquer eggs and character dolls.