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https://doi.org/10.29013/EJA-20-2-7-12
Imamov Azizxon Avazkhanovich, Phd Student of Institute of Fine Art of Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Uzbekistan, Tashkent E-mail: azizxon_uzas@mail.ru)
CONTEMPORARY ISSUES IN THE STUDY OF PORTRAIT GENRE FORMATION IN UZBEKISTAN PAINTING
Abstract. This article deals with the scientific research on the formation of the genre of portraiture in the painting of Uzbekistan, the topical issues raised in them. The author reviews the main scientific approaches to the study of the topic, their results, and the existing problems in this area by identifying the important aspects that researchers focus on. In this process, the scientific researches of Uzbek and Russian art critics, as well as some foreign researchers on the subject are periodically considered and generalized. The topical issues increased in them are estimated on the basis of the main trends observed in the portrait genre. The article also examines the historical and cultural factors that affected the genesis of the genre of portraiture in the painting of Uzbekistan, their role in the creative process.
Keywords: painting, genre, portrait, genesis, inheritance, avant-garde, formalism, decorativeism, retrospective, realism, self-portrait.
The process of studying the portrait genre, its artistic features specific to different schools ofpainting, demands a special approach. The formation of this genre in the painting of Uzbekistan in the twentieth century was complicated and unique. The portrait of 1920-1930 has a specific character and stylistic diversity. This process, which was the first period in the emergence of the National School of Painting, revealed new trends related to national heritage and the influence ofWestern art, and they were not studied as a separate research topic. This situation describes the need to re-analyze the extant problem on the basis of interdisciplinary approaches, research methods in modern art criticism, based on the characteristics of the genre. First of all, it is necessary to clarify the main scientific research on the subject, the topical issues raised in them.
The painting of Uzbekistan has also gone through a period of rapid formation along with young painting schools. It pointed resemblances and differences
on the other hand with the general artistic processes observed in Latin America and the Balkans. This uniqueness can also be seen in the regional context. "The genesis of Central Asian painting was determined not by internal artistic processes, but by historical and political factors" [5.1, 41]. The socialist revolution that took place in Russia in 1917 marked a turning point in the traditional way of life of the peoples of the region that were part of the former empire. These complex changes led to the process of modernization, which led to the formation of a new artistic consciousness in society, the formation of portraits, one of the main genres of European art culture, art forms, bench painting.
In any case how firmly and quickly the assimilation of new types of creation happened, it was impossible to completely erase the religious and cultural memory. The territory of Uzbekistan has played an significant role as a socio-cultural center of the Central Asian region, and since the second half of
the XIX century, artists from Russia began to visit, mainly in large cities such as Samarkand, Bukhara, Tashkent. In the 20s of the last century, this process intensified and a unique creative atmosphere emerged. It should be noted that most of the artists who came to Uzbekistan during this period were avant-garde artists who took the lead in the early years of the revolution and advocated formal experiments. Despite the fact that each of them has individual creative orientations, he was interested in the rich cultural heritage of the peoples of the region. In the early years of the cultural policy promoted by the new system, along with the avant-garde trends, he also advocated the reflection of the "national image" in painting (A. Lunacharsky). The artists' creative research has been linked to national heritage, and modern art trends have often been reinterpreted as "oriental." In the portrait genre, this was manifested in the form of a portrait-type, reflecting the influence of various traditions.
The role of national heritage in the formation of the painting ofUzbekistan in the 1920s and 1930s was noted by one of the first researchers who studied the art of the region, V. Chepelev [24.1]. The researcher, who has a deep observation of the decorative-ornamental traditions of Oriental art, admits that it is difficult to adapt the realistic expression of the human image to creative criteria based on Islamic artistic aesthetics. On the other hand, the national heritage in the works of artists, principally in the works of the portrait genre, confirms the influence of avant-garde currents. "Decorative style, rich in new ideas, has become the main path of development of Uzbek art", "in this environment, the impressionistic and romantic interpretation ofthe Eastern world intersected macro currents and even naturalism" [25.2, 39].
V. Chepelev, who took serious heed to the issue of "the image of a new man" argued that the conditional, formal features observed in the genre of portraiture were far from abstract, had an essential basis. Researcher A. Artists in the Volkov brigade: O. Tan-siqboev, A. Podkovirov, H. Karakhan classified his
research as "decorative realism" [25.3, 58]. We do not confide that the researcher has deliberately tried to connect them with social realism through this. Nowadays, the process of re-examining archival materials, museum collections, generalized, impressive portraits for instance, composite images shows that artists are not limited to general typological qualities. A significant part of them is based on the individual image of specific individuals, life prototypes. This, step by step, allows us to observe a number of creative criteria that are vital for the genre of portraiture, the concept of "similarity", the process of working on nature. Here is another important point to think: the years 1920-1930 - the period when the genre of portraiture began to take shape. It took some time and conditions for this process to lead to the creation of "literal portraits" that fully meet the requirements of the genre. For this reason, the widespread use of generalized typological portraits in the work of most artists should be taken as a condition related to the natural, general creative world.
In subsequent studies examining issues of the portrait genre, attitudes toward formation features have changed crucial. The ideological pressure that began to intensify in the 1930 s, the regulation of the spheres of artistic creation, intensified the objections to the existing forms of portraiture. Researchers such as B. Nikiforov, B. Weimarn [8.1], M. Muntz [14.1] were forced to view this period unilaterally as a "transitional stage" leading to socialist realism. In practice, for artists who worked in groups such as "Masters of the New East" (1926-1932), "ARIZO"(1929-1932), "A. Volkov's Brigade" (1931-1932), the issue of creating a realistic portrait was not of primary importance. Unlike the artists at the center of the Union, the painters of Central Asia created in a relatively free environment from ideological pressure.
Although the abolition of creative associations and groups that did not meet the requirements of the system in 1932, the exhibition of Uzbek artists in Moscow in 1934 showed that formal interpretations continued to be used. This situation is observed
in the genre of portraiture, decorative (A. Volkov, O. Tatevosyan, O. Tansiqbaev, A. Podkovirov, M. Kurzin, N. Karakhan, E. Koravay, B. Pestinsky A. Siddiqi), retrospective (A. Isupov, A. Nikolaev (Master Momin), G. Nikitin, V. Markova), realist and impressionistic (P. Benkov, V. Rozhdestvens-kiy, M. Arinin, V. Ufimtsev, L. Abdullaev, A. Abdul-laev, B. Hamdamiy, L. Nasriddinov) argues that approaches are not a transient feature, but the result of individual creative tasks set by artists.
The main issue in assessing these creative tendencies was that strict creative criteria founded on the priority of socialist realism demanded a sharp condemnation of existing portraiture forms as formalism. For instance, A. N. Volkov was criticized not for idealizing the past and indifference to revolutionary changes in society, but for portraying Uzbek workers as "stupid-looking idiots" [24.1, 5]. A. Nikolaev, M. Kurzin, V. Markova, O. Tansiqboev, A. Portraiture by artists such as Podkovirov has also received a same assessment.
Researchers did not try to classify and analyze the specific trends observed in the formation of the portrait genre for a long time. This problem is considered in general terms, and the process of formation is conditionally divided into two. In it: the 1920s were nited as a period of creative fragmentation, in which the formalism prevailed in the portrait, while the 1930s became the period in which socialist realism began to take shape in the portrait. Such an approach did not allow the study of existing trends as a whole, taking into consideration specific typological interpretations.
A. Umarov was one of the first to study the formation and development of the portrait genre in Uzbekistan in a separate study [21.1]. The researcher differentiates the creative process of 1920-1930 as a phase that lasted until World War II. A. Based on the lack of popular-ity of the portrait genre during this period, A. Umarov analyzed the extant process schematically, particularly chronologically. Nevertheless, unlike former re-searchers, A. Umarov gave
a relatively broad account of the general picture and nature of the creative pro-cess. Researcher appreciated the serious attention ofA. Volkov, A. Nikolaev, O. Tatevosyan to traditions and noted that their goal was to find a unique form of national expression through this. However, he believes that this aspiration has alienated artists from contemporary issues of art [21.2, 57-58].
A. Umarov also paid attention to some spe-cific problems related to the genesis of portraits. For instance, the researcher found that the genre of self-portrait was of special importance to artists during this period of time. As the researcher noted, the genre of self-portrait played an important role especially in A. Volkov's creative research: "Every important period in the artist's work is noted by a self-portrait, in which new approaches are tested, strengthened, summarized" [21.3, 88]. Through this, the researcher was able to partially expand the scope of scientific points on the formation features of the portrait genre.
It can be contemplated that since the 60s of the last century, scientifically objective approaches to the contemporary period have emerged. Two major exhibitions were organized at the Museum of Oriental Folk Art in Moscow: an exhibition ofA. Volkov's works in 1967 and an exhibition of paintings and graphic works from the collection of the Karakalpak Museum in 1968, increased interest in painting of 1920-1930 s. V. Rakitin, who saw the signs of the "United Art School" in the works of Uzbek artists, believed that "in their research they tried, depends on different traditions that seemed close to the inner essence of Eastern life [15.1, 33]. The researcher distinguishes between the influence of Impressionism and realism, which is evident in research in the portrait genre, and also clearly differentiates between the orientalism typical of the 1920s and the style of decorative interpretation associated with social reality in the 1930s.
The issue of the assimilation of different traditions L. Zinger [12.1] also paid attention. Scientist
A. Nikolaev's "Portrait of an Uzbek young man" and O. Tansiqbaev noted that the Uzbek portrait had the influence of the first Renaissance and Central Asian miniature art, which, on the basis of the form of interpretation, belonged to the "portrait-type" group. L. Zinger received the predominance of typological features in the portraits of this time as a separate trend, and since the 1930s, he identified one of the distinctive features of the work of Uzbek artists -monumental-decorative [12.2, 183-184].
Issues in the portrait genre in the 70s and 80s of the twentieth century R. Taktash [21.1], L. Rem-pel [17.1], D. Saidova [18.1], T. Mahmudov [14.1] studied it in different sections in his scientific works. Among them are L. Rempel's scientific research is noteworthy. The author's manuscript study "Portrait and personality in the art of Central Asia" kept in the archives of the Institute ofArt History of the Academy of Sciences of Uzbekistan treats the issue of portraiture in a broad historical context, as a creative process in Central Asian art from antiquity to the 80s.
L. Rempel also drew special attention to the modern process in keeping with historical periods. Taking into account of the formation and development of the genre of portraiture in Uzbek painting as a whole, the scientist tried to stylistically classify the features that were generally considered "formalism" in former studies, arguing that their inherent decorativeness is inextricably linked with the traditions of Oriental art. The researcher, who divided portrait painters into "orientalists" in the 1920s, also noted the influence of early twentieth-century art. According to him, in difference to European art, the progress of portraiture in Uzbek painting is in reverse order: from symbolism and cubofuturism (the work of A. Volkov and V. Ufimtsev in the early days) to expressive realism (P. Benkov) and thus to heroic realism (V. Ufimtsev), then and raised to socialist realism with a rich stylistics (R. Ahmedov, A. Abdullaev, T. Oganesov, etc.) "and composed of a retrospective direction [17.2].
It should be recognized that, although there are serious endeavors to do so, they do not fully cover the scope and nature of creative research. Researchers are often limited to evaluating a narrow range of works. This was due not only to ideological factors, but also to the fact that works of this period, especially works in the genre of portraits, were scattered and left unexplored in the museum fund. This situation in Uzbek art criticism remained almost unchanged until the 90 s of the XX century.
In foreign art criticism, there is scientific research that has studied the processes that took place in painting in the 1920 s and 1930 s, particularly the role of avant-garde currents. However, they do not directly study the genre of portraiture, its genesis in the painting of Uzbekistan. Nevertheless, K. Gray [1.2], V. Markov [3.1], J. Boult [1.1], A. Nakov [4.1], his scientific research has helped to gain a deeper understanding of some significant aspects of the extant problem, such as the features associated with the "Uzbek avant-garde", which promoted the form of decorative portraits. In this regard, the study of Russian art critics D. Sarabyanov [18.1], E. Kovtun [12.1], E. Sidorina [19.1].
In contemporary Uzbek art criticism A. Hakimov [23.1], N. Ahmedova [7.1], N. Abdullaev [26.1] 's exploration has served to reconsider issues related to the portrait genre. Particularly, it should be noted that N. Akhmedova's research has enucleated significant issues related to the genesis of the portrait genre. The researcher has extensively analyzed the importance of creative processes in the painting of Uzbekistan in 1920-1930, the influence of national heritage and artistic trends in Western art on the work of artists during this period. N. Akhmedova was one of the first to classify the main trends, focusing on the role of avant-garde currents in this process. These scientific results serve as a basis for the study of basic stylistic approaches in the portrait genre.
Notwithstanding that new research is currently being done on painting in the 1920s and 1930s, the entire level of study of the extant problem is not satis-
factorily. This aspect shows that there are a number of unexplored aspects related to the formation features of the portrait genre, in particular, a number oftrends that have not been thoroughly analyzed. The international interest expressed in the painting of this period, It should be marked that the exhibitions based on the collection ofthe Museum ofArt named after I. V. Sav-itsky helps to introduce new creative materials into the scientific community, but there are some arguable issues that require serious observation. For instance, there are cases when the works of portrait artists in retrospective, impressionistic and realistic interpretations are included in the "Turkistan avant-garde". Such unscientific approaches create serious confusion in the study ofthe problem. Given the current situation, it is significant to reclassify the features of the formation of the genre of portraiture in the painting of Uzbekistan in 1920-1930.
In order to this, it is necessary to specify the artists who created in the genre of portraiture, their ways of research and the introduction of new creative materials in the scientific community. We consider it would be right to focus on retrospective portraits, which have become a synthesis of decorative and classical traditions, reflecting the "man of the new era." The reason is that these works reflect new interpretations of portraiture, which are related to the main trends within the genre. In this process, it is necessary to re-analyze the works related to the traditions of realism and impressionism, which determined the further development of the portrait genre, as well as research in the genre of self-portrait as a separate direction of a specific nature. We rely on that this will aid to expand the existing scientific understanding of the national art of portraiture, to gain a deeper understanding of the role of this genre in the processes that came to pass in painting.
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