Eric Bulatov is not just an ordinary Russian artist. It is he who stands at the origins of a whole direction of art - Sots Art. He believes that real works of art are not the fruit of labor, but intuition born on the field of fantasy.
Erik Vladimirovich Bulatov, according to critics, is a prominent representative of the so-called "second" avant-garde. His paintings are often contradictory, opposites collide in them, different facets of life perfectly coexist and give food for thought, that is, they force him to think, to look for something personal and deep.
Biography of the artist Erik Vladimirovich Bulatov
In the life of Erik Vladimirovich there were frequent moves - his father was a party worker - and evacuation during the war, and hunger, and other trials. But he himself always knew, even from the time he began to realize himself, that he would paint.
The future artist was born in 1933 in the family of a party worker and stenographer. In 1958 he successfully graduated from the Surikov Cultural University. His first art exhibition was held during his studies - in 1957 - and brought him, albeit not loud, but success in certain circles of art lovers.
In the Bulatov family, the very concept of art was perceived in a form of protest. Eric's mother was engaged in reprinting the scandalous and forbidden works of Pasternak, Mandelstam and others during the Soviet period. Maybe it was she who became a kind of sense that the classical art drawing did not captivate her son.
Career of the artist Eric Bulatov
Already in 1973, just 16 years after his first exhibition, Bulatov presented his paintings abroad. His technique of the poster sheet, which was not typical for those times, was new, interesting and attractive. Foreign critics predicted a stunning career for the artist, but in the USSR he was not immediately recognized.
Sots art by Erik Bulatov in Russia became in demand only in the perestroika period, when his paintings looked somewhat caricatured against the background of state changes. And this is not surprising, because he himself admits that all his work, in any of his periods, is a search, an experiment.
Most of the career path was traversed by the artist abroad - in New York, Paris. Only in the 2000s, his exhibitions "returned" to Russia, were approved by critics and connoisseurs of fine arts.
Personal life of the artist Eric Bulatov
Erik Bulatov has lived almost his entire life with one woman - his wife Natalia. She is his muse, personal assistant, organizer and curator of activities and exhibitions. In most of the artist's paintings, it is she who is depicted. The specificity of the direction is such that there are no clear faces in the paintings, but Natalya Bulatova always recognizes herself.
The couple rarely lets anyone into their personal space, and communicates with journalists only at exhibitions and only on the topic of art. Until now, little is known about the painter's private life, about his children, home and other aspects.
