Army (exhibition)

Army (exhibition). *Army* was a seminal avant-garde art exhibition organized in Moscow in 1914 by painter Mikhail Larionov. It served as a pivotal showcase for the Russian avant-garde movement, featuring works by Larionov, Natalia Goncharova, and other members of the Donkey's Tail and Target groups. The exhibition was notable for its fusion of contemporary artistic styles like Rayonism with folk art motifs, and its staging coincided with the tumultuous period immediately preceding World War I.

Background and concept

The concept for *Army* emerged from the fervent artistic experimentation led by Mikhail Larionov and Natalia Goncharova following their break from the Jack of Diamonds group. Larionov sought to create a definitive exhibition that would advance his theoretical work on Rayonism, a style he founded that focused on the rays of light reflected from objects. He was influenced by both French Cubism and Italian Futurism, but aimed to develop a distinctly Russian modernist vocabulary. The exhibition was planned as a bold statement of independence from Western European art trends, heavily incorporating elements from Russian folk art, lubok prints, and traditional sign painting. Patronage and logistical support came from literary and artistic circles in Moscow, including the influential poet Vladimir Mayakovsky.

Exhibition content and layout

The exhibition featured over 150 works by a cadre of avant-garde artists, with Mikhail Larionov and Natalia Goncharova presenting the majority of the pieces. Key paintings included Larionov's Rayonist works such as *Glass* and Goncharova's iconic series like *The Evangelists*. Other contributing artists included Mikhail Le-Dantyu, Vladimir Tatlin, and Alexandra Exter, showcasing a range of styles from Cubism to Primitivism. The layout was deliberately provocative, mixing paintings with theatrical set designs and graphic works, challenging traditional salon exhibition formats. The venue itself, a commercial space in Moscow, was decorated in a manner that blurred the lines between the artwork and its environment, a practice later seen in the Blaue Reiter exhibitions in Munich.

Critical reception and legacy

Upon its opening, *Army* generated intense debate within the Russian art world, praised by progressive critics for its energy and condemned by conservatives for its perceived barbarism. Reviews in publications like the Moscow Gazette highlighted the exhibition's radical departure from the Academism of the Imperial Academy of Arts. Its legacy was cemented by the outbreak of World War I and the subsequent Russian Revolution of 1917, which scattered many of its participants but ensured their ideas influenced movements like Constructivism and Suprematism. The exhibition is now considered a crucial precursor to the revolutionary art of the early Soviet Union, and many works shown were later acquired by major institutions such as the State Tretyakov Gallery and the Russian Museum.

Related works and influence

The principles and artists of *Army* directly influenced subsequent avant-garde exhibitions and movements across Europe. Larionov and Goncharova's work was featured in the Erste Deutsche Herbstsalon in Berlin, organized by Herwarth Walden, forging a link with German Expressionism. The exhibition's emphasis on synthesis influenced the stage designs for Ballets Russes productions like Le Coq d'Or and the theatrical work of Vsevolod Meyerhold. Furthermore, the exploratory spirit of *Army* can be traced to later collective endeavors such as the Knave of Diamonds exhibitions and the radical displays of the OBERIU group. Its impact on modern art history was extensively documented by scholars like Camilla Gray in her seminal work *The Great Experiment: Russian Art 1863–1922*.

Category:1914 in art Category:Avant-garde art Category:Exhibitions in Russia Category:Modern art