Alexander Ney - Biography

Biography

After being given private art lessons at the home of influential Russian sculptor V.V. Lishev (1877–1960), from 1954 to 1957 Ney studied at the Art School of the Leningrad Academy of Arts, and later at the Art School of the Surikov Moscow Art Institute from 1957 to 1959. Ney befriended a wide number of progressive-minded art students, now stars of the contemporary Russian art scene such as Alexander Kosolapov, Leonid Sokov, Alexander Yulikov, Lev Nussberg and Vadim Kosmatschof. His relentless efforts in creating strikingly new interpretations of art quickly made the young artist legendary amidst his peers. Artists Alexander Kosolapov and Igor Makarevich, amongst others, recall that Ney played an influential role in their early years.

From 1965 to 1967, Ney taught sculpture to children at the House of Young Pioneers in Leningrad. Students included future Russian novelist Sergei Dovlatov (1941–1990).

In 1967 through 1969, Ney attended art history and theory courses at the Ilya Repin Institute. He continued to perfect his skills as both a painter and sculptor, as well as an art theoretician.

Due to his highly productive creative output's clashing with the Soviet mandates of Socialist Realism, Ney absconded to France in 1972 on a tourist visa, as immigration was not permitted. In 1974, at the encouragement of American Abstract Expressionist painter Elaine de Kooning (wife of Willem), he immigrated with his family to the United States.