DASHI

We’re visiting London, staying near Marble Arch, and what do I see around the corner from our hotel? An amazing sculpture by Russian/Buryatian sculptor Dashi Namdakov, whose works I have admired for a few years now.

Dashi is a very interesting artist. Being an ethnic Buryat, he’s is very much influenced by Mongolian traditions and cultural heritage of the ancient East ― his drawings and sculptures include warriors, hunters, archers, wild animals, etc. But he also had classical training as an artist, so his aesthetics is a combination of Western and Eastern themes.

“She Guardian” by Dashi.

I like this sculpture a lot, it’s spectacular, but, apparently, it caused some controversy ― it’s been called “London’s most terrifying new statue“ and has been a cause of nightmares for some. It certainly has a wild, even savage air about it, especially in contrast with civility of central London. It’s on display until the end of a year, located in the corner of Hyde Park near Marble Arch.

GABO

The opposite end of the Russian art spectrum in London is represented by another Russian-born sculptor ― Naum Gabo. He was an influential constructivist artist with a colorful biography ― he fluently spoke four languages and studied engineering in Munich, where he met Kandinsky; came back to the post-revolution Russia and joined Russian avant-garde movement with Tatlin, Malevich and Rodchenko; moved to Germany and taught at the Bauhaus; moved to Paris and designed the set and costumes for Diaghilev's ballets; moved to England and became friends with Barbara Hepworth; finally, after the outbreak of WWII he emigrated to the United States and taught at the Harvard University School of Architecture; also worked on some of the art in Rockefeller Center. Gabo was interested in scientific and philosophical aspects of art and wrote several theoretical essays.

His very interesting kinetic sculpture 'Revolving Torsion' sits across the river from the House of Parliament. Gabo’s engineering training shines through ― it’s a working fountain, and was designed to slowly rotate, but mechanism has been recently broken. Gabo was fond of using strings or cables in his sculptures, and here the water jets are used as a part of the sculpture instead of the steel cables.

‘Revolving Torsion’ is a manifestation of the principles set out in Gabo’s 'Realistic Manifesto'.