Registration and Non-Conformist Art

So long has it been that I have written a post, but I have been busy with a new job. I have recently taken the position as Assistant Registrar at Cremona Foundation for the Norton and Nancy Dodge Art Collection. If you have not heard of this fine collection, you should refer to John McPhee's The Ransom of Russian Art.

Curious is Norton Dodge of the underground 'art scene' in the Soviet Union. He goes into basements, attics, small apartment complexes to find extraordinary 'unofficial' art. The term NON-CONFORMIST is defined as a person who does not accept and refuses customs and beliefs of the government/ high authority, defiant. And in terms of art being 'nonconformist' refers to the production of non-Social Realist art in the Soviet Union (1950-1980/90).

The majority of the collection contains paintings (mixed media and oil on canvas) and drawings. I have been given the task of cataloging posters. It is a great challenge to digest and catalog these posters considering they are written in Cyrillic. The most different, yet fascinating, works of art I have seen by far! Some works are a bit risque and other works are intentionally pulsating with sexual references. Some works reach to the point of a dreamscape and other works stay with Academic painting.

It is difficult to pin point a favorite, but I personally love sculptures. I love the three dimensional tactility of art! C'est une chose à voir et une autre à toucher.