Solomon Nikritin ( uk, Соломон Борисовiч Нiкрiтiн; 1898–1965) was a

Ukrainian Ukrainian may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to Ukraine * Something relating to Ukrainians, an East Slavic people from Eastern Europe * Something relating to demographics of Ukraine in terms of demography and population of Ukraine * So ...

painter Painting is the practice of applying paint, pigment, color or other medium to a solid surface (called the "matrix" or "support"). The medium is commonly applied to the base with a brush, but other implements, such as knives, sponges, and ai ...

avant-garde The avant-garde (; In 'advance guard' or ' vanguard', literally 'fore-guard') is a person or work that is experimental, radical, or unorthodox with respect to art, culture, or society.John Picchione, The New Avant-garde in Italy: Theoretical ...

artist An artist is a person engaged in an activity related to creating art, practicing the arts, or demonstrating an art. The common usage in both everyday speech and academic discourse refers to a practitioner in the visual arts only. However, th ...

( Neo-

Primitivist Primitivism is a mode of aesthetic idealization that either emulates or aspires to recreate a "primitive" experience. It is also defined as a philosophical doctrine that considers "primitive" peoples as nobler than civilized peoples and was an o ...

, Constructivist), philosopher, and

author An author is the writer of a book, article, play, mostly written work. A broader definition of the word "author" states: "''An author is "the person who originated or gave existence to anything" and whose authorship determines responsibility f ...

Biography

Solomon Nikritin was born in

Chernihiv Chernihiv ( uk, Черні́гів, , russian: Черни́гов, ; pl, Czernihów, ; la, Czernihovia), is a city and municipality in northern Ukraine, which serves as the administrative center of Chernihiv Oblast and Chernihiv Raion within ...

Ukraine Ukraine ( uk, Україна, Ukraïna, ) is a country in Eastern Europe. It is the second-largest European country after Russia, which it borders to the east and northeast. Ukraine covers approximately . Prior to the ongoing Russian inv ...

(then part of the

Russian Empire The Russian Empire was an empire and the final period of the Russian monarchy from 1721 to 1917, ruling across large parts of Eurasia. It succeeded the Tsardom of Russia following the Treaty of Nystad, which ended the Great Northern War. ...

). In 1909–1914 he attended

Kiev Kyiv, also spelled Kiev, is the capital and most populous city of Ukraine. It is in north-central Ukraine along the Dnieper, Dnieper River. As of 1 January 2021, its population was 2,962,180, making Kyiv the List of European cities by populat ...

Art School (KKHU). He had also trained with Aleksandra Exeter during the Civil War before he went to Vkhutemas. By 1916, he was associated with KKHU faculty's informal group of young artists, including

Alexander Tyshler Alexander Grigoryevich Tyshler (26 July 1898 — 1980, russian: Александр Григорьевич Тышлер) was a Russian modernist painter, in particular, notable as a stage designer. Early life Tyshler was born in 1898 in Melitopol ...

, Mark Epstein, and Isaac Rabinovich. This group attempted to identify a modern Jewish culture. In 1914–1917 he studied under the painters

Leonid Pasternak Leonid Osipovich Pasternak (born ''Yitzhok-Leib'', or ''Isaak Iosifovich, Pasternak''; russian: Леони́д О́сипович Пастерна́к, 3 April 1862 ( N.S.) – 31 May 1945) was a Russian post-impressionist painter. He was the ...

and Alexander Jakovlev in Moscow and in

St. Petersburg Saint Petersburg ( rus, links=no, Санкт-Петербург, a=Ru-Sankt Peterburg Leningrad Petrograd Piter.ogg, r=Sankt-Peterburg, p=ˈsankt pʲɪtʲɪrˈburk), formerly known as Petrograd (1914–1924) and later Leningrad (1924–1991), i ...

. In 1916 he participated in an exhibition of contemporary art in

Moscow Moscow ( , US chiefly ; rus, links=no, Москва, r=Moskva, p=mɐskˈva, a=Москва.ogg) is the capital and largest city of Russia. The city stands on the Moskva River in Central Russia, with a population estimated at 13.0 million ...

. In 1917 Nikritin returned to Kiev and studied in the studio of

Aleksandra Ekster Alexandra () is the feminine form of the given name Alexander (, ). Etymologically, the name is a compound of the Greek verb (; meaning 'to defend') and (; GEN , ; meaning 'man'). Thus it may be roughly translated as "defender of man" or "prot ...

. In 1920-1922 he studied at the Moscow Higher Artistic-Technical Workshops ( VKhUTEMAS). In 1922 Nikritin participated in the ''

First Russian Art Exhibition The First Russian Art Exhibition (german: Erste Russische Kunstausstellung Berlin) was the first exhibition of Russian art held in Berlin following the Russian Revolution. It opened at the Gallery van Diemen, 21 Unter den Linden, on Sunday 15 Oct ...

'' in the Gallery van Diemen in

Berlin Berlin ( , ) is the capital and largest city of Germany by both area and population. Its 3.7 million inhabitants make it the European Union's most populous city, according to population within city limits. One of Germany's sixteen constitue ...

together with

Kazimir Malevich Kazimir Severinovich Malevich ; german: Kasimir Malewitsch; pl, Kazimierz Malewicz; russian: Казими́р Севери́нович Мале́вич ; uk, Казимир Северинович Малевич, translit=Kazymyr Severynovych ...

Alexander Archipenko Alexander Porfyrovych Archipenko (also referred to as Olexandr, Oleksandr, or Aleksandr; uk, Олександр Порфирович Архипенко, Romanized: Olexandr Porfyrovych Arkhypenko; February 25, 1964) was a Ukrainian and American ...

El Lissitzky Lazar Markovich Lissitzky (russian: link=no, Ла́зарь Ма́ркович Лиси́цкий, ; – 30 December 1941), better known as El Lissitzky (russian: link=no, Эль Лиси́цкий; yi, על ליסיצקי), was a Russian artist ...

Nathan Altman Nathan Isaiovych Altman (Ukrainian language, Ukrainian: , transliterated: ''Natan Isaiovych Altman''; – December 12, 1970) was a Russian, Soviet and Ukrainian artist, Cubist Painting, painter, stage designer and book illustrator. Early life ...

and others. In 1922 he participated in the founding of the group, the

Projectionists A projectionist is a person who operates a movie projector, particularly as an employee of a movie theater. Projectionists are also known as "operators". Historical background N.B. The dates given in the subject headings are approximate. Early ...

, together with

Kliment Red'ko Kliment Nikolaevich Red'ko or Redko (, , Klyment Mykolayovych Redko), 15 (27) October 1897 - 18 February 1956) was a Ukrainian-Russian painter-scientist, avant-garde artist ( Constructivist, Projectionist, Suprematist), graphic artist. Biograph ...

and Tishler among others. From 1923 to 1924 he together with Red'ko developed theories of ''Electroorganism'' and ''Luminism''. In 1923 Nikritin was co-founder of the

experimental An experiment is a procedure carried out to support or refute a hypothesis, or determine the efficacy or likelihood of something previously untried. Experiments provide insight into cause-and-effect by demonstrating what outcome occurs when ...

stage Stage or stages may refer to: Acting * Stage (theatre), a space for the performance of theatrical productions * Theatre, a branch of the performing arts, often referred to as "the stage" * ''The Stage'', a weekly British theatre newspaper * Sta ...

, Theatre of Projectionism in

. From 1929 to 1930 he taught at the high school for art education in

Riazan Ryazan ( rus, Рязань, p=rʲɪˈzanʲ, a=ru-Ryazan.ogg) is the largest types of inhabited localities in Russia, city and administrative center of Ryazan Oblast, Russia. The city is located on the banks of the Oka River in Central Russia, s ...

. He was a head of the Poly-Technical Museum in Moscow. From 1931 he was a member of the association ''Isobrigade''. Nikritin died in Moscow.

Works

Sometime in the 1920s, Nikritin attempted to develop a typology and classification of human voices, movements, gestures, emotions, sounds, and colors according to the principles and terms of

biomechanics Biomechanics is the study of the structure, function and motion of the mechanical aspects of biological systems, at any level from whole organisms to organs, cells and cell organelles, using the methods of mechanics. Biomechanics is a branch of ...

, musical harmony, and

acoustics Acoustics is a branch of physics that deals with the study of mechanical waves in gases, liquids, and solids including topics such as vibration, sound, ultrasound and infrasound. A scientist who works in the field of acoustics is an acoustician ...

. It formed part of his pioneering system of training for actors.

References

* Solomon Nikritin, ''Avantgarde and Ukraine'', p. 195., Catalog, an Exhibition of the Villa Stuck Munich, !993, Germany. 1898 births 1965 deaths People from Chernihiv 20th-century Ukrainian painters 20th-century Ukrainian male artists Ukrainian scenic designers Jewish painters Modern painters Modernist theatre Russian avant-garde Russian male artists Vkhutemas alumni Ukrainian Jews Ukrainian male painters {{Ukraine-artist-stub