Pavel 183 ( rus, Павел Пухов, r=Pavel Pukhov; 11 August 1983 – 1 April 2013), was a Russian

street artist A street artist is a person who makes art in public places. Street artists include portrait artists, caricaturists, graffiti artists, muralists and people making crafts. Street artists can also refer to street performers such as musicians, acroba ...

, known by some as the "Russian

Banksy Banksy is a pseudonymous England-based street artist, political activist and film director whose real name and identity remain unconfirmed and the subject of speculation. Active since the 1990s, his satirical street art and subversive epigrams ...

Art and activism

Pavel Pukhov fell in love with free expression when, as an 11-year-old, he stumbled upon Moscow’s infamous Tsoi Wall, an alleyway in central Moscow covered in graffiti and messages commemorating the life and cult following of rock star

Viktor Tsoi Viktor Robertovich Tsoi (russian: Виктор Робертович Цой; ; 21 June 1962 – 15 August 1990) was a Soviet singer and songwriter who co-founded Kino, one of the most popular and musically influential bands in the history of ...

. Pavel 183's works range from murals spray-painted on public structures to combinations of audio and video, at times accompanied by a political message. His works have been compared with those of the British street artist

, and U.S. artist

Keith Haring Keith Allen Haring (May 4, 1958 – February 16, 1990) was an American artist whose pop art emerged from the New York City graffiti subculture of the 1980s. His animated imagery has "become a widely recognized visual language". Much of his wor ...

. Like Banksy, Pukhov chose to keep his true identity a secret, revealing only a few biographical details on his website, including his birth and residence in Moscow and his degree in communicative design. However, he did not like the comparison, after 14 years spent forming his own style. He attacked advertising for its power to deprive people of free will. He described designers as money makers and contrasts them with real artists, whose work he respects most. He was best known for his socially critical installations and grey-scale photorealistic murals. Later in his career, Pukhov explored different techniques of creation, eventually learning to draw in the dark with lights and to incorporate existing environmental aides, such as Moscow's waterways and concrete spaces. While his works addressed political issues, he claimed not to consider himself a "political artist". One of his last works addresses the issue of the 2011 Russian legislative election, the results of which many in Moscow and around Russia have disputed.

Career

Pukhov received a degree in communicative design, but never used the techniques he learned during his studies. He though had several jobs besides his nocturnal graffiti career, such as System administrator work, designer, restorer, art director, etc. In 2012 he garnered the attention of the international press. Between 2012 and 2013, he was commissioned by theatrical production company Teatralnoye Delo Theater Works"to design the scenery for the rock musical ''Todd''; the company's spokeswoman announced Pavel Pukhov's death.

Death

Pavel 183 died on 1 April 2013 from undisclosed causes. The cause of death was not released, and sources have given conflicting reports regarding the cause of death. ''

The Times ''The Times'' is a British daily national newspaper based in London. It began in 1785 under the title ''The Daily Universal Register'', adopting its current name on 1 January 1788. ''The Times'' and its sister paper ''The Sunday Times'' (fou ...

Ben Hoyle wrote the Russian street art community was "in mourning."

Quotes

References

External links

Official website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Pavel183 1983 births 2013 deaths Artists from Moscow Russian graffiti artists Street artists Pseudonymous artists