Victor Boundin. Illustrations
The first book illustrated by Victor Boundin was published by the Belorussian State Publishing Agency (Belgosizdat) in 1949. Collaboration with this publisher started during the artist’s army service in Minsk, continued through his student years at the graphic faculty of the Repin Academy of Arts in Leningrad, and through 1959. The most important works of this period are illustrations to “ Doctor Dolittle”, “The Wizard of Oz”, “Dunno’s Adventures”, and “Adventures of the Nailboy”. In 1960, the artist started to work at the “Children State Publishing Agency” (Detgiz) in Leningrad and later with “Children’s Literature” “Malysh”, “Uchpedgiz” and other publishers. Books illustrated by Victor Boundin are distinguished by the touch of a professional painter and not surprisingly, many illustrations also double as paintings. Illustrations to “Treasures of my City”, “Daisies on my Pockets”, and “The Wheel” are based on sketches made by the artist at the Leningrad industrial enterprises “LOMO”, “Kirov Tractor Plant”, and “Vera Slutskiy Fabric Manufacture”. Boundin loved the theme of the City and its people. In 1963 he authored his first picture book about Leningrad “Cars Going Everywhere”. The book was a large success and was published in English in 1969 and republished in Russian in 1981. This series was continued with picture books about Leningrad entitled “The City and The River” published in 1985, and “Just Work” in 1986 that remains unpublished.
In his interview at the 1974 exibition “40 years of Leningrad Children’s Books” in 1974 Victor Boundin answered to the journalist as follows: 1. «Since I love literary works that are poetic, filled with kind humor, rich plot and fairy-tale-type adventures, I believe that I am best at illustrating such types of stories. 2. «I mostly like to write and illustrate my own picture-books. I love Leningrad with its diverse life and I love to draw its citizens, streets, factories, Neva embankments and ships. 3. «Of the modern Leningrad artists I especially like the works of B.M. Kalaushin and B.M. Starodubcev. I like their different approaches to work in children’s books. 4. «Of the Moscow artists, I especially like the works of Mavrina. 5. «In terms of continued tradition in the Leningrad school of children’s graphics, I am mostly attracted by the works of P.Sokolov , “Post” by Cehanovskiy, and the graphic art of Dobuzhinskiy, Konashevich, and Vasnecov. 6. «I was very impressed by the exibition “40 years of Children’s Books in Leningrad”. This exibition clearly presented all the stages in development of children’s book illustration in Leningrad and demonstrated the importance and richness of this art. Graphic works and book illustrations by Victor Boundin were demonstrated at numerous exhibitions in Minsk and Leningrad. |