Boris Zaborov

A painting, sculpture, drawing or stage set by Boris Zaborov (born in Minsk, Belarus in 1935) is not simply looked at but imposes itself on the viewer. If we are to understand and indeed love these works, we must enter into conflict with ourselves, recognize the indifference with which we often regard the past because of its oftentimes disturbing nature, summon up memories we do not want to relive, and confront unseemliness when everything seems to drive us toward propriety. Pascal Bonafoux and Philippe Ridaine provide expert commentary on each work, ordered chronologically by the artist himself, as well as essays delving further into Zaborov’s development. Bonafoux discusses the period after 1981 when Zaborov left Russia as a dissident to move to Paris—often using the artist’s own words to do so. Bidaine analyzes the details of Zaborov’s canvases—the washed-out colors, confused sense of time, and iconic details such as dolls, keys, sculptures, and inscriptions.