Letter I and Letter II

Letter I and Letter II are rhymed texts created by Valeri Vinogradov as a fictional exchange between two artists. In Edik’s letter to Valeri, he recounts the misadventures of a Russian artist living in Paris, who embarks on a quest to find sienna. Edik wanders through the city’s legendary landmarks but ultimately fails to locate the desired pigment, instead ending up hopelessly drunk and passing out on a park bench. Valeri’s reply to Edik is more grounded, as it reflects the perspective of the real author, Vinogradov himself. In his response, he humorously and unflinchingly describes his own process of “Westernisation,” while subtly mocking, between the lines, the local art world shaped by the cultural zeitgeist of the time.