Art of Siberia in the second half of the 20th century: vectors of development

Abstract

The article addresses the problem of periodisation and defines the conceptual content of the fine arts (painting and graphic arts) in Siberia during the second half of the 20th century within the dynamics of its development. Particular attention is paid to the period following the brief flourish of the Soviet ‘Severe Style’, when the interests of local artists shifted towards searching for unique regional and ethnographic origins. Based on a systemic-historical approach, alongside formal-stylistic and iconological analyses of paintings and graphic works, the study identifies the regional specificity and mechanisms underlying the formation of Siberian artistic practices in their connection with the pan-Russian context, revealing the diversity of the region’s key creative movements. Consequently, an overview of the origins and dynamics of Siberian art in the second half of the 20th century is presented through the prism of four complementary vectors of development, including the lyric and epic landscape, the painterly-decorative vector, ‘Siberian neo-archaism’ and, finally, the vector of dialogue between the academic tradition and the avant-garde. It is concluded that Siberian art in the period under review represents a complex polystylistic process that successfully overcame eclecticism and achieved integrity of form. The study substantiates the originality and extraterritorial nature of regional art, which captures the mental bond between man, the landscape, and the mythopoetic picture of the world, while also establishing its status as an integral and enriching part of both Russian and global artistic heritage.