Aleksandr Deineka (1899-1969)

Book excerpt: Aleksandr Deineka (1899-1969): An Avant-Garde for the Proletariat is the first exhibition and publication to present this outstanding figure of socialist realism - and, by extension, the historical period from which his work was borne - in a twofold context: the end of the avant-garde and the advent of Soviet socialist realism. It covers Deineka's entire oeuvre, from his early paintings of the 1920s to the twilight of his career in the 1950s, when the dreamlike quality of his first works gave way to the harsh materiality of everyday life, the life in which the utopian ideals of socialism seemed to materialize. Combining Deineka's graphic work, extraordinary posters and celebrated contributions to illustrated magazines and books with his imposing monumental paintings, this catalogue displays a variety of subjects: factories and enthusiastic masses, athletes and farmers, the ideal and idyllic image of Soviet life.