The interest to art that is generally defined by an overarching term “Soviet” has been high for the last few decades. Why is the term “Soviet art” so contested, who are the people hunting it down at auctions and how can one start a collection of works by Soviet artists? Anastasia Lander of Esquire spoke with leading experts in the field, James Butterwick being one of them.
Vera Ermolaeva, Suprematist Building Facade Design, 1920, Tristan Fewings:Getty Images
«My advice to a beginner collector – listen to my advice. Otherwise, you will find yourself in a situation that so many renowned collectors found themselves in before you. They come to see me and show their amazing artworks by Popova and Malevich, having paid for those half a million pounds. And I tell them that these wonderful artworks are not worth a penny. Unfortunately, in this market you need an expert art dealer to guide you, as such situations happen every day and I witnessed one just three days ago. You need help of a competent dealer while there is a colossal difference between a good artwork and a bad artwork, and to explain it as well as to confirm authenticity, provenance, and condition of the artwork is the prime task of the art dealer”. — James Butterwick
