Boris Messerer Asafovich

Born in Moscow on March 15, 1933.

Boris Messerer from the talented and daring generation of the sixties, which invaded the literature, theater, visual arts, in order to save them from the shackles of official canons. The artist is genetically associated with the theater. He comes from a famous dynasty, . Russian ballet has presented the most talented artists, . of which shine with the names of his father, . unique dancer and teacher Asaf Messerer, . and cousins - brilliant Maya Plisetskaya, . a drama theater dynasty presented a wonderful actor Theater, Azariah Azarin,
. Boris's mother - a famous silent film actress, and later Costume designer - Anel Sudakevich. Wife of Boris Asafovicha - well-known poet Bella Akhmadulina, State Prize winner and prizes of the RF President.

In nature Messerer early demonstrated independence. Contrary to the family tradition in 1956, he graduated from the Architectural Institute, where he taught a harsh schedule Deineka, while attending a workshop finest Fonvizin, but formed its own way, regardless of subordination teachers. Messerer came to the theater to freely build there its scenic architecture. He was one of the few successors of classical theatrical decorative art. The first milestone in his theatrical fate of the newborn was theater "Contemporary". Here, with like-minded friends in an atmosphere of enthusiasm of the young and vibrant energy he invented for productions unusual three-dimensional scenery.

In 1960 Messerer designed the first performance in the theater "Contemporary" - In. Blazek "Third wish" (directors on. Efremov and E. Evstigneev). Even then it organically merged so precious to the set designer of quality, both figuratively and functional ability to draw performances. In scenery Messerer live theatrical phenomenon: they are constructive, plastic, decorative, it has a sudden explosive charge dynamics. And above all - the artist has the rare gift, the transfiguration of the ordinary magic of everyday objects in theatrical images. For example, in the comedy ostrosatiricheskoy A. Volodin, "Appointment" has replaced the simple door decoration public institutions, through which employees work. Then, at the right time of the sudden her frame with closed doors fell forward and turned into a green baize-covered table boring meetings.

Messerer in the theater - always a dreamer and inventor. His decorations can move up to the viewers to be in front of them at close range, and may be disposed of in the very back of the stage.

. In 1963, B. Messerer debut as a theater artist at the Bolshoi ballet "Lieutenant Kije" to music
. Prokofiev and it is in this work once had a particular approach to the design of the play, which differs from generally accepted in the decorative art and even, apparently, the true essence and nature of the art. Was this approach that, . that if any kind of decoration is usually one way or another depicts the scene, . then composes Messerer graphic compositions, . who bear the image of the performance and thereby acquire the value of independent visual "character",
. In other words, offering a graphic compositions in the form of the main element of design, Messerer enriched scene features fine art easel.

. Graphic type theater thinking manifested in the decision Messerer ballet "Carmen Suite" by G. Bizet - R. Shchedrin, staged in 1967
. Here was an image processing based circus arena, over which hung a huge black mask of a bull and which was outlined in a semicircle wooden walls. Above the wall, sharp graphic silhouettes of towering black high backrests arranged on its edge Spanish chairs - sitting on the characters they play a role not only spectators bullfighting, but also the judges judging the heroine. A similar double meaning to have and all the other design elements: "bullfighting arena is an arena of life", . "mask of a bull in the arena must be seen at times just as advertising bullfights, . but when the bull's eyes light up and it falls red light, . must, . that the mask could be read as synonymous with Fate "(E,
. Lutsk).

His third work in the ballet the Bolshoi Theater Messerer shown in 1999 in the play "Humpbacked Horse" to the music of R. Shchedrin. In it the artist has given an excellent example of modern decorative design the play - in the form of an expanded throughout the entire stage space "quilt", . collected from hundreds of fragments of various patterns, . shape and color, . including the feather of the Firebird.,

. In addition to ballet performances at the Bolshoi Theater B
. Messerer designed the opera "The Queen of Spades" PI. Tchaikovsky in Leipzig (director B. Pokrovsky, 1964), the ballets "The Bug" D. Shostakovich in the ensemble of "Choreographic Miniatures" (choreographer L. Jacobson, 1974) and "Lefty" B. Alexandrova at the Mariinsky Theater of Opera and Ballet of St. Petersburg (choreographer K. Sergeev, 1976).

For more than 30 years of life in the theater artist had a lot and efficient work with the largest Russia's and foreign filmmakers from different generations, among which about. Efremov, B. Pokrovsky, A. Efros, A. Goncharov, IN. Pluchek, K. Sergeev, P. Suslovich IN. Chabukiani G. Volchek, L. Jacobson, B. Lviv-Anokhin, M. Zakharov, A. Alonso and many others. Since 1990, he - the main artist of the Moscow Art Theater named A.P. Chekhov.

BA. Messerer designed the performances of "Woe from Wit," A. Griboyedov (director O. Efremov, 1992), "Boris Godunov" A.S. Pushkin (director O. Efremov, 1994), "Crime and Punishment" P. Dostoevsky (director in. Sergachev, 1996), "Ghosts" G. Ibsen (directed by H. Skorik, 1997). In 2001 he designed the performance of the memory of Andrei Mironov "Andrew" in the theater of Satire.

In 2001, B. Messerer created a unique exhibition "Artists of the Bolshoi Theater, . devoted to the decorative art of the Bolshoi Theater, . taken as a whole, . as a unique reservoir of artistic life in the past two and a quarter centuries, and presented in many different aspects and facets,
. Created them from decorative items, . costume design objective, and Performance Installation, . as architectural and spatial design requirements with the exhibition itself, . still did not have such an exposition works in the cultural life of Russia,
.

Simultaneously B. Messerer - a kind of a great painter and decorator. His paintings and graphics is akin to the theater. In 1956-1957 in the authors' group (A. Goncharov, A. Vasnetsov, in. El'konin AND. Bruni), he participated in a panel on "Moscow" for the main pavilion at the "EXPO-58" in Brussels. Since 1957 he is a permanent member-union, regional, national, and international exhibitions in Moscow, including the All-Union Exhibition of paintings of Theater, Film and Television (1967, 1979, 1986, 1987, 1990). His personal exhibitions were held in Moscow (Exhibition Hall of Artists Union at the Vavilov Street, . 1983; House of Artists on the Crimean shaft, . 1990), . Tbilisi (Artist's House on Rustaveli Avenue, . 1986), . St. Petersburg (Arts Palace on Nevsky Prospekt, . 1989), . the Academy of Fine Arts in Moscow (1994), . at the Embassy of India in Moscow (1995),
. In 1994, held a joint exhibition of artists D. Biesty, B. Messerer EF. Zbarsky, AND. Obrosova, H. Popov, Yu Red in the Russian Museum in St. Petersburg.

Creative Studio Boris Messerer has long outgrown the value of everyday workplace of the artist. "Cook, 20" - is not just a Moscow address, but an informal Academy of Arts, an alliance of literature, fine arts and music. Here, gathered and collected by the representatives of genuine artistic elite, recognized at the state level or popular only in the popular rumor, but they are bound together by an uncompromising sense of inner spiritual freedom. It is no accident workshop Messerer was the cradle of the almanac Metropol, in the release of which was attended by writers in. Aksenov, A. Bitov F. Iskander, B. Akhmadulina IN. Vysotsky, E. Popov, IN. Erofeev etc..

Workshop Messerer itself is a genuine installation, and its atmosphere determines the movement of the artist's creative thought. In turn, the artist is in their exhibits a special installation devoted to the workshop, in order to convey its atmosphere to visitors

. In the house on Cook's for more than 30 years, several artistic studio not only exist, . and formed over time in complex, . sometimes contradictory junction during informal, . which can be called the School "Cook, . 20 ", . where, . According to Boris himself Asafovicha, . main component is the "more plastic, . rather than conceptual and surreal line ",
. Similar association of interest "as there is an urgent need for the nodal points of cultural. It is worth remembering their history from the Salon of Madame de Stael to the magazine ( "Evening in Paris"), Guillaume Apollinaire; counterparts seem more akin to the famous St. Petersburg "Tower" Vyacheslav Ivanov.

. A separate chapter in the life of the artist - drawing books in publishing houses in Moscow
. This genre given over 30 years. In 1970, together with the artist F. Zbarsky, he worked on landscapes of Leningrad. BA. Messerer has designed several shows, including "The Russian court dress", "100 th anniversary of Pushkin Museum of Fine", "Scientific whim" - "The Collection of Prince Yusupov and Moscow - Berlin" at the State Museum of Fine Arts A.S. Pushkin, as well as the exhibition "One hundred and twelve chairs" in the State Historical Museum.

BA. Messerer - People's Artist of Russia (1993), member of Russia Academy of Arts (1998), laureate of State Prize of Russia (1996). For creating the sets and costumes for ballets D. Shostakovich The Bedbug, L. Delibes' Sylvia, drama M. Tsvetaeva's "Three age Casanova, Comedy R. Calderon "with love no joke in 1987 was awarded the silver medal Russia Academy of Arts, and in 2001 he was awarded the gold medal of the Academy of Arts. He - President of Association of Artists of Theater, Film and Television in Moscow, a member of the Union of Artists, a member of the Union of Cinematographers, a member of the Union of Designers and a member of the Union of theatrical figures.

Lives and works in Moscow.