- Vadym Meller
Vadym Meller or Vadim Meller, (Russian: Вадим Георгиевич Меллер, 1884–1962) was a Ukrainian-Russian Soviet painter,
avant-garde artist (Cubist , Constructivist), theatricaldesigner ,book illustrator andarchitect . The first artist who was awarded a gold medal in "Exposition Internationale des Modernes " ("Art Deco " ) inParis 1925.Biography
Vadim Meller was born in
Saint-Petersburg . He was the second son of a top official in theMinistry of Justice in theRussian Empire . His father George Meller was a noble-born Swede, his mother Helena Caruso, half-Italian-half-Greek, was also from a noble family.From 1903 to 1908 he was the student of
Kiev University .In 1905 Vadim Meller visited
Geneva ,Switzerland where he was taking art lessons in private school ofFranz Roubaud . In 1908 with recommendation of Roubaud he continued his education in private art school of Drawing and Painting ofHeinrich Knirr inMunich ,Germany . There Vadim Meller met his studentPaul Klee who introduced him toDer Blaue Reiter group.After graduating from the
Kiev University with a degree in law, he acquired artistic education in theMunich Academy of Fine Arts (from 1908 to 1912).Meller was in close contact with
Der Blaue Reiter group. In this time he metWassily Kandinsky with whom he became friends.Vadim Meller started to exhibit his works after he had moved to
Paris , where he joined theSociété des Artistes Indépendants . Vadim Meller was also a student ofAntoine Bourdelle .In 1912-1914 together with
Kazimir Malevich ,Sonia Delaunay ,Alexander Archipenko ,Aleksandra Ekster he participated in exhibitions:Salon des Indépendants , Spring Salon, and Salon D' Automne alongsidePablo Picasso ,Georges Braque andAndré Derain .After returning to
Kiev in 1917, he worked ateasel andmonumental painting,graphic design , andcostume design . His transition toscenography as the main field of artistic activity took place in the first post-revolutionary years.From 1918 -1921 , he worked with
scenographer and dancerBronislava Nijinska (Vaslav Nijinsky 's sister) in herballet studio.In 1922
Les Kurbas invited Vadim Meller to the recently founded Berezil theater.In 1925 Vadim Meller together with Sonia Terk, Alexandra Exter,
Nathan Altman participated in "Exposition Internationale des Modernes" ( "Art Deco" ) inParis . There Vadim Meller was awarded a gold medal for hisscenic design of the Berezil' theater.In 1925 Vadim Meller participated in the "International Theater Exposition" in
New York .Vadim Meller became the leader of Constructivism in Ukrainian
theater design . He worked in the National theater as a chief artist till 1945.From 1925 he also taught at the Kiev Art Academy (KKHI) together with
Vladimir Tatlin andAlexander Bogomazov . In the same year Vadim Meller became the member of the union of artists "Association of the Revolutionary Masters of Ukraine" together withDavid Burliuk ( co-founder),Alexander Bogomazov (co-founder),Vasiliy Yermilov ,Victor Palmov andKhvostenko-Khvostov .Meller worked as an acting director of the Monumental Painting and Sculpture Institute of the Academy of Architecture of the
Ukrainian SSR (1946–1948), a chief artist of the Kiev Music Comedy Theater (1948 - 1953) and a chief artist of the Iv. Franko Kiev Academic Theater (1953–1959).He was married to Nina Genke.
Vadim Meller died in Kiev.
References and external links
*"Vadym Meller's Expressive Constructivism", Olga Petrova, pp.5-32, Catalog, an Exhibition "Avant-Garde Adventures" ,
National Art Museum of Ukraine (NAMU), 2004, Kiev, Ukraine.
* [http://www.encyclopediaofukraine.com/pages/M/E/MellerVadym.htm Encyclopedia of Ukraine on Vadym Meller]
*"Vadim Meller", Zoya Kucherenko, Mistetstvo, Kiev, 1975
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