Images of Scythian-Siberian Animal Style in Siberian Neoarchaics

The article considers Siberian neoarchaic as a trend of modern art, which originated in the early twentieth century. The aim of the study is to trace the stages of formation of Siberian neoarchaic as a style from the emergence to the present day, to identify the artists who worked within the framework of this trend and the Scythian-Siberian animal style. Important research tasks are to answer the question about the reasons for the appearance of Scythian art motifs in the works of contemporary artists and to analyze the ways of artistic borrowings in different types of art. The relevance of the work lies in the fact that modern society (and art) is in the process of searching for self-identity, and the appeal to ancient traditions and cultures is one of the most accessible tools on this path.

On the basis of the comparative method and visual analysis of works, the author has identified artists who are bright representatives of Siberian neoarchaics, and from the 1960s to the present time have made a significant contribution to the history of art, using images of the Scythian animal style in their works. The analysis was preceded by a stage of studying the autobiographies of the painters and interviewing some living masters, which allows us to draw a conclusion about the reasons for their turning to such a narrow theme within the broad direction of Siberian neoarchaic art, as well as to identify the factors determining the formation of the author’s style. The works of 10 artists are analyzed in chronological order, unambiguous visual parallels with specific monuments of Scythian art are made, methods of artistic borrowing and techniques are outlined. A review has been carried out, which can be considered the first step towards the practical formation of the list of masters actually creating this trend. The stylistic features of Siberian neoarchaic art are revealed, which form the prerequisites for the formation of a methodological basis for the study of works of this style, a promising direction of art history research.

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