Wikipedia:Articles for deletion/Sergei Kolyada


 * The following discussion is an archived debate of the proposed deletion of the article below. Please do not modify it. Subsequent comments should be made on the appropriate discussion page (such as the article's talk page or in a deletion review).  No further edits should be made to this page.

The result was No consensus. Despite the walls of text below, only two users participated in this discussion. No consensus was reached. — Crisco 1492 (talk) 18:28, 30 March 2014 (UTC)

Sergei Kolyada

 * – ( View AfD View log  Stats )

The guy's notability is suspect. The author keeps adding his name to the list of Russian avant-garde painters, although the Russian avant-garde flourished before 1930. Such works from the 1980s are by no means avant-garde; they are standard Impressionist imitations quite typical for the late Socialist Realism. Ghirla-трёп- 20:11, 28 February 2014 (UTC)
 * Note: This debate has been included in the list of Russia-related deletion discussions. • Gene93k (talk) 16:16, 1 March 2014 (UTC)
 * Note: This debate has been included in the list of Visual arts-related deletion discussions. • Gene93k (talk) 16:16, 1 March 2014 (UTC)
 * Note: This debate has been included in the list of People-related deletion discussions. • Gene93k (talk) 16:16, 1 March 2014 (UTC)

Keep Hi Ghirlando. Firstly, apologies for the multiple attempts at trying to add his name to the list of Russian avant-garde painters – that is because I am a complete Wiki novice (first ever article written) and still learning the proper guidelines for entries etc. –being unsure whether the changes had saved and thus trying to do it multiple times before I learnt how to read the edit history of an article and understood the listing had actually been removed.

Kolyada actually did start his artistic career before the 1930s during his time as a student at the Vhutemas-Vhutein. So far, only one example image of his avant garde works has been uploaded to wiki (Self Portrait with a Cap – owned by the Tretyakov Gallery), but there are at least seven other examples of his artwork from this period, including some found freely on the internet (e.g. Portrait of a Woman, 1935), which show the hallmarks of avant garde works and are markedly different to his later works. As noted in the Wiki article itself, his artistic career commenced during the avant garde period and he was a member of the OST (Society of Easel Painters), if only for two years prior to its disbandment by the authorities in accordance with the 1932 decree Restructuring Literary and Artistic Organisations. It is also notable that a number of his early avant garde works were destroyed in a fire in suspicious circumstances.

In 2002, two of his works (“Landscape in Yellow Tones”, 1930 and “Portrait of a Woman”, 1935 – items 47 and 48 at Chapter 16) were included in the publication “Russian Post Avant Garde, 1920 – 1940.” (Original text in Cyrillic). Images of both the publication cover and the comments on his works at Chapter 16 can be provided.

If the consensus is that he still does not meet the guidelines for inclusion in this artistic period, that is fine and no further attempts will be made to add him to the list of Russian avant garde painters. Part of what makes him unique as an artist is that he spanned different artistic periods in Russian history.

However, non-inclusion in the list of Russian avant-garde painters does not justify the overall deletion of the entry for Sergei Kolyada. The wiki guidelines for notability for a creative professional include a requirement that (4) the person’s work (or works): (b) has been a substantial part of a significant exhibition The full list of Kolyada’s exhibitions – both group exhibitions and solo exhibitions commencing in the 1940s right through to his inclusion in exhibitions at least a decade after his death are listed in the Wiki article. Links to relevant exhibition catalogues are also included, such as his solo “My Moscow Exhibition” in Moscow, 1985. The fact that he has exhibited in four continents (Russia, France, Australia, United States), often with accompanying local press also goes to demonstrate the significance of his work. See for instance the listed references in the Wiki article.

(d) is represented within the permanent collections of several notable galleries or museums

As noted in the Wiki article, The State Tretyakov Gallery, The Moscow Historical Museum and the Lounatcharsky Museum hold a dozen of the artist’s works in their permanent collections.

Further, the Wiki general notability guideline states “A person is presumed to be notable if he or she has been the subject of multiple published secondary sources which are reliable, intellectually independent of each other,and independent of the subject.” There are references included in the reference list which are independent secondary sources and all meet this criteria – such as the well known reference book by Matthew Bown. Still to be added to the wiki article are comments on Kolyada’s major work – his series “Old Moscow” by art critic Valentina Azarkovich who asserted this series had unique archival value as well as artistic merit. Similar published comments were made by art commentator (and artist himself) Vladimir Kostin (1985). This series can be considered Sergei Kolyada’s unique contribution because the pieces were all painstakingly historically researched – each piece included the artist’s archival research about the history of the building from Old Moscow such as its architectural history, its previous inhabitants, notable features etc.

Happy to take on any further feedback to improve the article in any way – definitely still learning how to edit on Wiki and would be very discouraged to have the article completely deleted. Kind regards, Allthesevens Allthesevens (talk) 00:34, 4 March 2014 (UTC) 
 * Relisted to generate a more thorough discussion so a clearer consensus may be reached.


 * Please add new comments below this notice. Thanks, NativeForeigner Talk 09:31, 9 March 2014 (UTC)

 Thanks for re-listing. Looking forward to some more discussion and a fair outcome.Allthesevens (talk) 00:14, 12 March 2014 (UTC) 
 * Relisted to generate a more thorough discussion so a clearer consensus may be reached.


 * Please add new comments below this notice. Thanks, NorthAmerica1000 17:03, 21 March 2014 (UTC)

 Keep As there has been no further contribution to the discussion; thought it would be useful to add some further points for consideration in response to the original concerns raised:

In summary, Kolyada’s notability is not suspect – in fact it has been well established in the previous post in accordance with WP:N and WP:Creative. The issue of inclusion in the Avant-garde period is a secondary issue and should be considered as such.

Such works as stated by Ghirla(but with comments on only one painting) were never shown or intended to be included as Avant-garde paintings. To assess such works as standard impressionist painting, is a brief judgement badly argued if argued at all with only one painting involved. If some of Kolyada’s paintings are similar - in some ways- to impressionist paintings (post impressionism), it is simply because the treatment of the subject required the use of that particular style, most of the artist’s works cannot be confused with impressionism, some of his works are expressionist in style, others are using symbolism and a strong use of colour is preponderant. One cannot judge the lifelong works of a “true” artist whose artistic career spanned three distinct artistic periods with a brief comment on only one painting.

The single “work” referred to is clearly not Avant-garde (and was never claimed to be); but examples of Kolyada’s works which do meet the criteria for Avant-garde / Post Avant-garde are freely available on the internet eg image, have been included in publications for this period, included in exhibitions for this period and are held in the permanent collections of notable galleries (State Tretiakov Gallery in Russia and the Museum or Russian Art in the USA).

As for Ghirla's statement: although the Russian avant-garde flourished before 1930, it is an inexact, approximate statement. In fact, "Russian avant-garde is a common term denoting a most remarkable art phenomenon that flourished in Russia from 1890 to 1930, though some of its early manifestations date back to the 1850s, whereas the latest ones refer to the 1960s. The phenomenon of Russian avant-garde does not correspond to any definite artistic program or style. This term was assigned to radical innovative movements that started taking shape in the prewar years of 1907–1914, came to the foreground in the revolutionary period and matured during the first post-revolutionary decade." (Source: http://www.russianavantgarde.nl/Russian_Avantgarde_Art/Russian-Avantgarde.html

Today, the most famous “Avant-garde” artists are those who chose to be exiled (Kandinsky, Chagall, Goncharova, Malevich). Artists who chose to remain in the Soviet Union and compromise to various degrees with the authorities have been forgotten or neglected but for a few. (See for instance comments by Charley Parker )

During that period (from 1929 to 1940), Kolyada’s style was a simplification of shapes and forms to go to the essential of his expression through the use of large patches of colors on a graphic frame. It was an original and unique style that deserves recognition and fits within the broadly accepted criteria for the Avant-garde / Post Avant-garde style. Only 15 of Kolyada’s paintings created between 1929 and 1940 still exist or are well identified today. As mentioned in the article, a great number of Kolyada’s early paintings were destroyed in a fire in 1945.

In April 1991, 3 of Kolyada’s paintings of that period were included in an exhibition at the “New Tretiakov Gallery” “Painters of the 20’s and 30’s”. Two of his works have also been included in the book “Post avant-garde : 1920 – 1940“ mentioned in the article. Kolyada’s last known work of that period “Daisies” (1940) was acquired by the State Tretiakov gallery and is held in their permanent collection. A further three paintings from this period are held in the State Tretiakov Gallery and three have been exhibited in the Museum of Russian Art in the USA.

Regardless of any debate over his eligibility for inclusion in the list of Russian Avant-garde painters; Kolyada’s overall notability as an artist (as argued in previous post in accordance with  WP:N and WP:Creative) cannot be denied and it is not appropriate to dismiss him on the basis of one user’s  personal judgement of a single work of art.

Indeed, Kolyada’s major contribution in his last thirty years was his series (120 paintings) on Old Moscow. --Allthesevens (talk) 01:25, 27 March 2014 (UTC)
 * The above discussion is preserved as an archive of the debate. Please do not modify it. Subsequent comments should be made on the appropriate discussion page (such as the article's talk page or in a deletion review). No further edits should be made to this page.