Portrait of Pertchik 1957 - 1961

Curator: This is Anatoli Kaplan's "Portrait of Pertchik," a graphite print created between 1957 and 1961. It's an example of Soviet Nonconformist Art. Editor: Wow. The first thing that hits me is how fragile it looks. Almost like Pertchik might dissolve into the page any minute. A kind of beautiful uncertainty. Curator: Kaplan’s work during this period often challenged the dominant Soviet Realism. We see here the artist uses abstraction to explore the nuances of identity within a restrictive social context. The portrait challenges the prescribed representations of the ideal Soviet citizen. Editor: Yeah, "ideal" wasn't made of blurry charcoal strokes. The way he builds the form from all these tiny marks—it's like trying to define someone by the fragments they leave behind. Know what I mean? Curator: Absolutely. Consider how portraiture, as a genre, had historically been used to assert power and status. Here, Kaplan seems to subvert that tradition. The dissolving quality you noticed could be read as a comment on the instability of identity, especially during a time of intense ideological control. The graphite itself speaks to accessibility, undermining grandiosity. Editor: I was thinking also about how much we fill in. Like, his face is made of absences as much as presence. That almost gives Pertchik more space to be. More room for interpretation, you know? We’re forced to co-create the portrait in our minds, which makes it weirdly intimate. Curator: Precisely. This engagement from the viewer, you’re talking about participation—that reflects the nonconformist spirit. This piece fosters individual interpretation against the collectivist norms of the time. And consider, too, how the visible texture echoes a sense of unrest. Editor: It makes you wonder what Pertchik himself was like. The real guy, not just the representation. Like a ghost in the machine. It lingers. Curator: A fitting observation to contemplate the intricacies of individual existence amidst societal forces, really. Editor: Yeah. Makes you want to dive a little deeper into those times. It certainly grabbed me, so thanks for shedding light on it!