ART HISTORY, DIASPORA AND  AND GENOCIDE

 

Photos From L to R: #1. Ghemma by Edgar Chahine, 1908 . #2.  Germaine by Edgar Chahine, 1909

A BRIEF NOTE ON THE NEW REVIVAL OF ARMENIAN ETHNIC ART IN THE 19^th CENTURY: Toward the end of the 19^th century,  the Armenian people began to express a collective interest in their art of painting. In 1874 in Tiflis,  new Armenian arts schools and  institutes were opened  and others in Constantinople, Turkey  in 1883. Armenian artists who were trained in Russia and Europe decided to remain in Armenia in order to help launch the art of painting. Martiros Sarayan was the most ardent advocate of that nationalistic movement. Abroad, Armenian artists began to organize links and bridges of communications with their compatriots in the homeland. In addition to their regular contact with their peers in Armenia, leading Armenian artists began to revive the old Armenian art history and heritage inside and outside Armenia. For instance, Fetvadjian began to document  the architectural monuments and historical sites of medieval Armenia. He completed voluminous documentaries on the subject. Short after, he completed a massive documentary on the history of Armenian coinage art.  His colleague, S. Katchadourian  embarked on a descriptive journey of traditional Armenian, Indian and Iranian icons and miniatures, as well as Armenian costumes, uniforms and folkloric dresses. In 1925, the first part of his researched work was published in Vienna, Austria followed by a massive publication in 1930. Indeed, this was the awakening of a collective  awareness and patriotic interest in the revival of ethnic Armenian art. Diasporan artists in Europe commenced to create Armenian arts organizations and art leagues   wherever they lived and worked. Among the most visible Armenian arts organizations were: "Association Toros Roslin” established in 1966 in Paris, "Association of Friends of Armenian Culture"  established in Cairo in 1943,  "Society of Armenian-American Artists" established in Boston in 1969, the  famous "Ani"  union in Paris in 1926,  followed in 1932 by  "Society for Free Armenian Artists" located in Paris. At that time in history, the Armenian Diaspora art began to flourish in Europe and most particularly in France. European art communities and galleries began to recognize and exhibit paintings done by Armenian Diasporan artists living in Europe. Among the very-well received and acclaimed Diasporan artists were: Zakar Zakarian, Tigran Polat (who illustrated the books of France’s great Anatole France, the world famous French poet Paul Verlaine and several fables by Jean de La Fontaine), Sarkis Katchadourian, Melkon Kebadjian, Jean Alhazian, Arshak Fetvadjian, Raphael Shishimanian, Tigran Essaian, Armina Babaian and Yerdant Demidjian.

 A BRIEF NOTE ON THE NEW REVIVAL OF ARMENIAN ETHNIC AND MODERN ART BY THE TURN OF THE 20^th CENTURY : The turn of the 20^th century witnessed a vibrant revival of modern Armenian art in all its forms and expressions in many parts of the world and particularly in Paris, Tiflis and Constantinople. This revival was fueled by nationalist and patriotic movement lead by Diasporan artists who belonged to various schools of arts. Some of those artists were conformist, while the majority of them were either avant-gardist or” visionnaires”. Some of the most famous figures were: Hagop Hagopian in Alexandria, Egypt, Gregorio Sciltian in Milano and Gerardo Orakian in Roma, Italy, Khatchadourian and  Carzou  in Cairo, Egypt and Paris, France, Sergei Paradjanov in  Tblisi, Georgia (Former Soviet Union), Hovsep Pushman, John Altoon, Milano Kazanjian, Haig Patigian, Charles Garabedian, Rouben Nakian, Sam Tchalakian, Garo Antreassian  and Arshile Gorky in the United States,  Leon Tutundjian, Charles Atamian, Edgar Chahine, Zakar Zakarian, Hagop Gurdjian and Jansem in France, Martiros Sarayan, Minas Avetissian  and Yervand Kochar in Tiflis and Yerevan.

A BRIEF NOTE ON THE ARMENIAN ART OF THE WAR YEARS AND POST WAR YEARS: During the Great Patriotic War (1941-1945) the art came ever closer to life. There was a great immediacy in the reaction news from the fronts, and war correspondents' reports. Political posters and cartoons became the order of the day, and painters and sculptors turned to war themes. New names of talented painters appeared on the horizon, painters such as H. Zardarian, E. Isabekian, and K. Yesayan. The post war years saw even greater rise of new artists and new talents. In 1946,  the Art and Theater-Décor Institute opened and set in motion new Armenian schools and styles. New and innovative in concept, thought, techniques and aspirations. By the end of 1950, the post war art movement created many new talented and avant-garde artists living and painting in Tbilisi, to name a few:  Alexander Bazhbehouk-Melikian and Gevork Grigorian (Giotto). These two artists will make their mark on Armenian art and strongly influence its development between 1950 and 1960. Other illustrious Armenian artists living in Paris, such as the legendary Yervand Kochar (famous for his sculpture of Sasuntsi Davit) and Georges Yakulov also contributed to the rising development of the Armenian post war art. The influence of Kochar on the modernization of Armenian art in Europe produced waves of outstanding artists who became extremely famous in the United States, France and Lebanon. Among the world famous Armenian painters of that period were Haroutiun Galentz,  A. Galentz, P. Konturajian, and A. Gharibian. Haroutyun Galentz was unique and most certainly, he was the most interesting of them, for he was a truly lyrical artist with an accentuated romantic colors. The fine artistry of Haroutiun Galentz’s work left a deep imprint on the aspiring Armenian artists in the homeland and abroad.

Continues on the next page.