"My first life lasted from my birth till Stalin`s death, because my life - and those of anyone else in the Soviet state - was in the hands of this tyrant. And of course, under Stalin, I would not have become an artist, because my gift was at odds with the culture and art of Stalin`s brand.
After Stalin`s death, my second life started, and in this life I was able to express myself as an artist without having to fake my feelings and conform to official art. For if I had wished to do so I would have failed anyway, because I cannot paint in a manner different from my own. This life lasted until 1978, when I ended up as an involuntary emigre in Paris as a fully formed artist with a philosophy and an artistic manner of my own.
For as long as thirty years of my third life here in Paris I have been able to work in peace, following my calling and relying on what was found and formed in Russia."
Oscar Rabin
Формат: 25 см x 32 см.