Biography: Born on August 15, 1944 in Kyiv, Ukraine; lives and works in Moscow.
Levitskaia studied design at the Moscow Textile Institute. In 1969, she met her future husband, artist Borukh (Boris Shteinberg, 1938–2003). Drawn to experimental art, Tatiana and Borukh were part of Moscow’s lively artistic underground. Levitskaia and Borukh took part in important unofficial art exhibitions, including The First Autumn Open-Air (The Bulldozer) Exhibition and the Second Open-Air Exhibition in Izmailovsky Park in 1974, and an exhibition at the Palace of Culture Pavilion at VDNKh, Moscow in 1975. These exhibitions were significant events in the history of nonconformist art, as they showcased the determination of artists to express themselves freely, even in the face of repression, thus helping to raise awareness of nonconformist art.
Levitskaia’s two works, “Bulldozer Exhibition” and “Subbotnik,” are reminiscences of the Bulldozer exhibition: “Arriving at the appointed vacant lot in Belyaevo for our exhibition, Borukh and I carried our paintings only to witness chaos: bulldozers, water trucks, and trucks laden with trees careened about. A fight erupted, with people wrestling paintings from those who trampled and set them ablaze. We quickly decided to return our paintings to the car and assist those whose works were being confiscated and who were being arrested.”
Selected works from the Kolodzei Collection of Russian and Eastern European Art