ERNST NEIZVESTNY
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RS:
But Glezer's collection is better than that.
It
contains contemporary
work.
EN:
Differently. I don't think that Glezer intends to select the best of
Russian painting; he shows what there is.
RS:
How does someone like Glezer support himself in the Soviet
Union?
EN:
Glezer has been a translator of the Georgian language.
RS:
Are there others who playa similar role to Glezer 's? Is there anyone
else who supports the unofficial artist?
EN:
Yes, there are some who have come into existence recently.
In
the
first place, there is Kostakis, who has gathered a remarkably precious
collection.
RS:
Your feeling is that the quality of Kostakis 's collection is better
than that of Glezer 's?
EN:
Yes, Kostakis is a professional, an experienced professional. I have
not cooperated with Kostakis personally because Kostakis paid very
little to the artist and by that time I was receiving more than he paid.
But Kostakis did buy several works from me.
RS:
Do
you have any feelings about the quality of the unofficial art in
Russia?
EN:
Yes, in Soviet art there are a lot of unofficial artists who are low–
skilled professionals from my point of view. That's a problem of
talent. Of course there are very good artists too. To speak of the
human aspect, all the unofficial artists in the Soviet Union are
heroes. Because any artist, even a bad artist, can earn his living in the
USSR, because he is provided for by the State.
If
an artist denounces
the official line-I do not mean that all those people should
necessarily be considered good artists - yet all the same they are
doing existentially heroic deeds. When these people are inside the
Soviet Union, we must respect them even if we don't like them as
artists. But when they come to the West, that's another problem.
RS:
How was the first unofficial art exhibition in 1962 organized?
EN:
The Moscow City Soviet organized the exhibition officially
through Bilyutin. I met with the leader of the Moscow Soviet and
also with the greatest functionary of Moscow, Yegorychev, who
insisted on this exhibition.
As
we later learned, this was a very
broadly based provocation. I told Khrl,lshchev about this.
RS:
At what point?
EN:
During our meeting in the Manege, I said they had directed this
provocation against us and against him. Later, through an interme–
diary, Khrushchev confirmed this. The organizers of the exhibition
