Lot 394: Vitali Stesin (1940-2012) – Seven Works

Vitali Stesin (1940-2012), seven works, 1975.
Colored pencils and pastel on paper (one work on cardboard). Signed and dated.
Approx. 85.5X61 cm to 100X70 cm. Overall good condition.
Vitali Stesin (1940-2012), native of Moscow. His father, Lev Stesin, was a general in the armed forces of the Soviet Union, who, prior to the outbreak of the Revolution, was raised and educated in a traditional Jewish environment. Vitali began studying chemistry, but changed direction and became involved in art before completing his studies. At first he took an interest in cabaret productions and puppet theater, and began working as a painter in the 1960s. Was active in the group associated with the Second Russian Avant-Garde. For a living, he dealt with the restoration and preservation of Russian icons, and worked for a while on the restoration of the Trinity Lavra of St. Sergius monastery in the city of Sergiyev Posad near Moscow. All this was the result of his inability to exhibit his works on account of his membership in the Non-Conformist Artists' Group and the consequent fact that the Soviet authorities regarded him as a dissident. In 1973 he was granted permission to leave the country, whereupon he immigrated to Israel. In 1975, he moved to Cologne, Germany, and was active from then onward in Cologne and Vienna. His works reveal Constructivist influences, and are characterized by the condensed abstract use of form and spatial distortion. His immensely large paintings were described as "cosmic landscapes."
Provenance: The Rami Cohen Collection.

Art collector Rami Cohen (1941-2018), native of Poland, immigrated to Israel with his family in 1948. Educated in Moshav Nahalal, he began painting already in his youth. Served as a soldier in the Israel Defense Forces' standing army, and was decorated for the act of evacuating wounded soldiers under fire. Cohen was injured his right hand in the course of his army service, the injury leaving him disabled and unable to pursue his dream of becoming an artist. Nevertheless, he never lost his love for art, and the adversity he experienced simply led him to change direction from artist to art collector, and to devote much of his strength and wealth toward assembling his collection, leading him to become a passionately involved participant and a dominant influence in a number of different artistic circles. He organized and curated various art exhibitions, including, for example, "Nation Builds Land: Israeli History as Mirrored through Art" (1988) at the Herzliya Museum of Contemporary Art. His collection includes portraits by Yehezkel Streichman and Menashe Kadishman who personally presented them to him as gifts, as a token of their friendship. He similarly established close friendships with many other artists. Ensuring that Israeli art command the respect it deserved was high among his lifelong list of priorities, as was the challenge of enabling artists to thrive and prosper; to that end, he lent his personal assistance to artists seeking to advance their professional careers. He took a special interest in artists such as Michail Grobman, Shmuel Ackerman, and others arriving in Israel from the former Soviet Union, and helped bring them into the public spotlight. Initiated and edited the online database entitled "Omanut Israel" (or "Art 23,") which included articles and media reviews in addition to a great deal of professional material relating to the Israeli art scene, being utilized by professional and government bodies. His collection is multi-faceted and richly diverse, consisting of artworks by both Israeli and non-Israeli artists, representing a broad spectrum of artistic styles, schools, and trends – a collection that reflects significant and fascinating developments in the field of Israeli art over a period of several decades, all from the point of view of a true lover of art.