Saturday, 11 August, 2012
Reception begins at 6 p.m.
Main Street Museum
White River Junction, Vt.
Posters, movies and "Cowboys and Indians" as they were presented in the Eastern Block in the late 20th century!
Dean Reed Festival, featuring Art and Artifacts, Ludicrously Large Banners, Films, Music, Readings, Food and More!
Reception begins at 6 p.m. Viewing of Dean Reed Artifacts, records, posters, banners and more. Dean Reed was a citizen of the U.S., and an international pop-star—particularly in Chile, and later in countries allied with the former Soviet Union. Informally known as “Red Elvis” our exhibition and events will try to figure out the motivations, and the myths behind “Comrade Cowboy.”
Also a showing of movies including “Der Rote Elvis” East German Documentary, and “Blood Brothers.” A Soviet-Era film theme of “Cowboys and “Indians” will be explored, including the Western genre movies of Gojko Mitic and the film adaptions of the novels of Karl May. Like “Dances with Wolves” or “Little Big Man” these Soviet and East German films depict Native peoples in America as heroes defending their homes, but they also flip the mirror around, and instead of a white, military man redeeming himself by contact with Indians, in these movies the Indians are shown offering salvation to the imperialists.
The Heroic-Scale Painted Banner depicting Reed by internationally acclaimed artist Petr Shvetsov will be unveiled at a moment when the artist feels compelled to do so. (*trust us, it'll put Ellsworth Kelly to Shame!)
Also included in the exhibition, the Shvetsovski/Katz collection of late Soviet-Era posters, collected in Leningrad in 1986-7. As the Soviet Union entered into the period known as Glasnost, Soviet graphic artists reflected this change. New odd themes surfaced in official artworks, and a nearly incomprehensible messages compete with each other for weirdness. Way Out!
- Reading of an essay by educator and poet Polina Barskova on what it is to be Reed at 7 p.m.
- Dinner of Russian and American treats. Potluck. Featuring special "Southern/Comfort/Balto-Slavic Cuisine.” Open to All!
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Main Street Museum
58 Bridge Street
White River Junction, VT, 05001-1909
802.356.2776
