Kulbin Nikolai Ivanovich (1868-1917)

It is hard to imagine the artistic life of the Russian avant-garde 1910s. without the tireless activity, ideas and creativity II Kulbina, its mastermind, theorist and organizer.

Noteworthy is the very fate of this talented man. When a State Councillor, assistant professor, a military doctor of the General Staff of the Russian army for the first time participated in an art exhibition ("Main Currents in Art", St. Petersburg, 1908), he was forty years old, and any formal training in art, he had not. But he was at the forefront of contemporary science (research of X-rays, the author of several scientific papers, books, inventions) and possessed a synthesizing universal way of thinking.

The ideas of the philosophical thought of the beginning of XX century. the unity of the purposes of science and art, of the operation of each small particle of creation of uniform laws of the universe, whether it is the kingdom of minerals, plants, animals and human society, the realm of human thought and creativity, and ideas were Kulbina, why he is so fast and organically took the place of one of the leaders in the new art.

Over the years he had time to organize a group in St. Petersburg, "The Triangle" (1908), to invite Russia to the famous Italian Futurist FT Marinetti (1914), to open several shows (not just modern art, but also retrospective), to master the technique of lithography and speak as a book illustrator and artist of the theater, read a series of lectures on the intersection of science, literature, music and art theory (the highest and best level in any of these areas), write a few articles for the Russian art magazines, which were formulated provisions became software for Rayonism M. Larionov , abstract V. Kandinsky , primitivism and other artistic platforms.

Kulbina theoretical efforts have been directed toward the goal of "dynamic development of the universe" - the creation of a living theory, based on the data of the exact sciences and allowing a person, who himself is a "cell of the body of the living earth" as a revelation to read the book of the universe, evoking a poet, becoming gradually, "the color of the earth" - being "loving, thinking and willing."

In his own work Kulbin tried to embody the shaping of "energy", to reveal the essence of the dynamic momentum of growth that is present in a particular subject, person or event. Assimilating the experience of Impressionist and V. Van Gogh, M. Vrubel , Fauvism, referring to the icon and primitive art, Kulbin created works of different genres: landscape "Sea view" (1916-17), the song "The Last Judgement" (1910), a portrait-the personification of the "Sun" (1911), portraits poets Vladimir Khlebnikov, A. Kruchenykh, artists D. Burliuk , S. Yu Sudeykin , theater figures Evreynova NN and AA Mgebrova.

The artist has always looked forward looking for a new and discoveries, Kulbin never engaged in "nisprovergatelstvom" artistic treasures of the past. Every line, they are written, indicating the views of the person "a loving and thoughtful." And it is important that he served a mission of self-consciousness Russian avant-garde at the time of its birth and growth.