Nike

myminifactory

This Nike sculpture is a reimagining of the classic Nike iconography. Here, the woman is a young girl depicted as a youth, created with the non-finito technique. Sculptor and master portraitist S.Konenkov is also the author of monumental works. Born into a peasant family, he studied at the MSPSA under S.I.Ivanov and S.M.Volnukhin from 1892-1896. Graduating as an unclassed artist, Konenkov won the "S.M.Tretyakov award" in 1897 and traveled to Europe visiting Germany, France, and Italy. Returning to Russia in 1898, he created the statue "The Stone Breaker," which earned him a grand silver medal the following year. From 1899-1902, Konenkov studied at the Higher Art School in St. Petersburg's V.A. Beklemishev studio. However, after a dispute with his teacher, he produced his graduation work independently, titled "Samson Breaking His Ties." This infuriated the Academy's Council and the statue was destroyed in 1905; it had been reproduced in the journal Mir Iskusstva in 1902, but Konenkov still received his art-sculptor degree. Konenkov worked and lived in Moscow from 1902-1923, participating in the 1905 revolution by leading a military unit. He became a member of the New Society of Artists in 1908, the Union of Russian Artists in 1909, and the World of Art group in 1917. Between 1912-1913, he worked in Greece and Egypt. From 1918-1922, Konenkov taught at the All-Russia Art and Technology Workshops. In 1923, his art was featured in an exhibition that traveled to New York; he did not return to Russia. Instead, from 1924 until 1945, Konenkov worked and lived in the USA and Italy. Returning to Moscow in 1945, he received a triumphant welcome. Konenkov wrote novels of his reminiscences: "My Age" (1971), "The Earth and the People" (1968), and "Floor to the Young" (1958). He became a full member of the Academy of Arts of the USSR in 1954, a People's Artist of the USSR in 1958, and the Hero of Socialist Labour in 1964. Konenkov's creative work draws inspiration from Russian folklore and ancient mythology. His art appears to focus on the main trends in Russian plastic arts of the late 19th-early 20th centuries. Social problems are present in his work (The Stone Breaker, 1898), as well as elements from folklore and fairytales (The Slav, 1906). The influence of antique art combined with classical idealism and dramatism is evident in his interpretation of mankind during the early 20th century (The Girl, 1914). His wood sculptures date back to the 1900s and were created in the spirit of primitive art. In these works, the texture of the wood plays a remarkable role. Konenkov's feeling for the material is one of his distinguishing features as an artist. He was able to convey the colour and rich variety of texture: the warmth of the living body, soft folds in garments, the roughness of the wooden base, from which pagan Slavonic god Stribog or a wood sprite might emerge.