GRAHAM (Graham), John (real name - Ivan Dombrowski Gratsianovich)

December 27, 1881 (Kiev) - June 17, 1961 (London)

Painter, graphic artist

came from an aristocratic Polish family. He graduated from the Imperial Lyceum in Kiev, then - Faculty of Kiev University. In early 1910-s settled in Moscow. Systematic arts education is not received. I got carried away impressed by the art collections of modern painting Shchukin and Morozov. He was familiar with many of the newest trends in Russian art - M. Larionov, DD Burliuk VE Tatlin, V. Mayakovsky.

In 1914, drafted into the army. He fought in the cavalry brigade of the Archangel Michael, was awarded three crosses of St. George. In 1918, a monarchist, was arrested and sentenced to death, but on the personal instruction Dzerzhinsky pardoned. Fled to Poland, fought in the Volunteer Army in the Crimea.

In 1920 arrived in Paris. In 1921 he moved to New York, took up painting, he took her pseudonym Graham. Worked for D. Sloan of the American Student League. In the late 1920's came to the club, John Reid, the artistic association "Ten". He made friends with famous painters subsequently A. Hills, W. de Kooning, J. Pollack, with whom developed the principles of abstract expressionism. Held solo exhibitions at the Museum of Art in Baltimore (1926), galleries Zborowski (1928) and "Van Leer (1930) in Paris," Dadensing "(1929, 1931)," Artist "(1941)," Mortimer Brandt (1945 ) in New York. He participated in many collective exhibitions, including such significant, as "abstract art in America" at the Whitney Museum (1935), "The French and American abstract art" in the gallery Mack Millen, New York (1942).

in 1937 published a book called System and dialectics of art. In the 1940's was influenced early Picasso. In the later period he wrote primarily female head and shoulders portraits, in which, according to the researchers of his work DY Severyukhina and OL Leikind, "flat interpretation of the figures and background are combined with the classical balance and laconic songs . In 1953 in the gallery "Steybl" in New York held a retrospective exhibition of works by Graham. Memorial Exhibition held in New York galleries "Maher" (1961), "Emmerich" (1965 and 1968), "Stone" (1973).

works are mostly in the collections of American museums including the Museum of Modern Art and the Whitney Museum in New York and in private collections. In Russia, Graham's work is almost unknown.