Genrichovna Elena Guro
(1877-1913)

In the history of the Russian avant-garde no other artist, for whom literature, poetry and painting have been so indivisible merged, as was the case with E. Guro. Oh it can not be regarded only as an artist or a poet, the author of the diaries or the catalyst of artistic ideas. It has not established a system or school does not enter into any traps, let own artistic platform, but looks and personality Guro influenced by artists and poets around her, and in many ways defined the concept of at least two art groups - the "Union Youth "and" Hylaeus. "

Thirteen years Gouraud entered the drawing school at OPH in St. Petersburg. In 1903-05. visited the studio of the artist impressionist wing JF Tsionglinskogo. There she met a talented musician and a painter, and art theorist and subsequently M. B. Matiushin , who soon became her friend and soul mate. In the years 1906-07. together they attend art school E. Zvantseva (located in the same building St. Petersburg as the famous "Tower" poet Vyacheslav. Ivanov), where he taught modern masters such as M. Dobuzhinsky and L. Bakst .

The origins of creativity Guro can be found in the symbolism of B. VE Borisov-Musatov and M. Vrubel , whom she deeply revered. It is necessary to distinguish several periods in the work of the artist, determines the direction of her quest: to 1906 - apprenticeships, absorption and a rethinking of Impressionism, "miriskusnicheskoy" style (registration with N. Lyubavina book "Jukebox"), 1906-07 years. - Symbolic stylization ("Growth and dvizherezultat or doing.

It was built by sketchy, incomplete, fragmented to the rank of independent qualities of the creative act, and therefore its own fruit - product. Guro did first sketch the general shape, such as a tree or a cat, often with a brush once while watching the variability of nature over time and stylizing it, that is closer to the essence of the object. Then portrayed the part of the object: a tree trunk or the head of a cat, trying not to lose the specificity of the whole. And finally, the piece - tree bark, cat's paw - in which, as in the seed, preserved the entire tree or an animal.

For painting Guro characteristic bright, clear tone. For instance, one of her portraits Vyach. Ivanov said here given the "new I absolutely impervious to light." The paint job, Guro started looking correlate with the color of sounds and colors with the music.

Along with the paintings, sketches, illustrations Gouraud created poems, plays, kept diaries. The latter, as a kind of verbal pony her painting, poetry and life of the soul, have a completely independent literary value. Word, line, color, music - soprirodny, says Guro, because have a common origin, and connected again in the intuitive insight. In 1909, Guro and Matushin founded in St. Petersburg publishing house "Crane" and in the same year, initiated the establishment of the Artists' Union of Youth "- one of the main groups of innovative Russian avant-garde. Authority "of the new preacher" had Guro and the poets of the "Gilea" Khlebnikov and AE twisted.