David Burliuk

(1882 - 1967)

600

David Burliuk

Ошима

Oshima

New York: Burliuk, 1924

307 x 240 mm.20 pages

Edition: unknown.

Before the Tokyo exhibition went on tour to Kyoto and then Osaka, Burliuk and his colleague Palmov went to Oshima island, off Tokyo Bay. This trip in late Autumn 1920 gave him the title for a Japanese Decameron he wrote in February 1921 during his stay in the Cook Archipelago. The text was published six years later in September 1927. It turned out to be the last book dealing with his Japanese journey. 1921 was an active year for Burliuk. Not only did he travel extensively, he also had one-man exhibitions in Tokyo, Osaka and Nagoya in October-November. In Yokohama earlier that year, in July 1921, he had written Across the Pacific, published in April 1927. Both this book and Oshima are examples of Burliuk’s never ceasing self promotion. Written in Russian, he sent several copies to his friends in the USSR. The two copies above, he gave to Lilia Brik. Especially interesting is the note he wrote in Across the Pacific (right) concerning the number of works he had left behind in Russia is interesting: ‘NB. My paintings – 100 canvasses in storage at the Stroganov Art Institute and 125 big paintings, but not hung (!!), in the Art Museum in Ufa’.

References:

Markov 1969, p. 320

Otaru 1996, pp. 14-15

Tokyo 2002, p. 178

Brussels 2005, nr. 120