Ivan Ivanov-Vano | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | Ivan Petrovich Ivanov (1900-02-08)February 8, 1900 |
| Died | March 25, 1987(1987-03-25) (aged 87) |
| Occupation(s) | Animator, screenwriter, educator |
| Spouse | |
| Children | 1 |
Ivan Petrovich Ivanov-Vano (Russian:Иван Петрович Иванов-Вано; 8 February [O.S. 27 January] 1900 – 25 March 1987), bornIvanov, was aSoviet andRussian animation director, animator, screenwriter, educator, professor atGerasimov Institute of Cinematography (VGIK).[1] One of the pioneers of theSoviet animation school, he is sometimes called the "Patriarch of Soviet animation".People's Artist of the USSR (1985).
Ivan Petrovich Ivanov was born in theManezhnaya Square district, at the time populated by students and poor people. His parents had apeasant background. His father was a shoemaker who arrived to Moscow from theKaluga Governorate; soon he left the family. Ivanov's mother was illiterate and couldn't give her son a proper education, thus he was raised in the family of his elder sister Evdokia Petrovna Spasskaya who was married to an artist and educator at theMoscow School of Painting, Sculpture and Architecture. As a result, Ivanov became interested in art early in his life and as a kid drew decorations for a puppet theater.[2]
At the age of 14, Ivanov also entered the Moscow School of Painting. After theOctober Revolution it was reformed and turned intoVkhutemas (Higher Art and Technical Studios). He continued his studies and finally graduated from Vkhutemas in 1923. In a year, Ivanov started working as an animator at theState Film Technicum. Together with his fellow students he created some of the first Soviet animated films using home-made tools. Their works were distinguished bycutout animation and unique art style influenced byconstructivism.[2]
In 1927, Ivanov turned totraditional animation with one of the boldest experimentsThe Skating Rink directed byYuri Zhelyabuzhsky.[3] In later years he took part in a number of other important projects.[1] Around the same time he started using Ivanov-Vano as a pseudonym. According to some of his colleagues, this was done in order to distinguish himself from another prominent Soviet animator Aleksandr Ivanov.[2][4]
In 1936, Ivanov started working as a director at the newly foundedSoyuzmultfilm. His earlier works at the studio were heavily influenced by earlyDisney, a popular trend during the middle 1930s which he later opposed.[1] In 1939, Ivanov directedMoydodyr based on the fairy taleof the same name which became a big step from the Disney stylistics towards more traditional Russian art that predominated during later years.[5]
In 1939, Ivanov organized animation courses atVGIK where he also became one of the leading educators (he was granted the title ofprofessor in 1952). Among his student wereLev Milchin,Yevgeniy Migunov,Aleksandr Petrov,Francheska Yarbusova,Stanislav Sokolov and aBulgarian animatorTodor Dinov.[2] Ivanov was a member of the Communist Party from 1951, and was also a founder and the original Vice President of ASIFA (International Animated Film Association) from 1961 to 1973.[6]
Ivanov-Vano directed a record number of Soviet feature animated films, often working as a screenwriter as well. The majority of his works were based on Russian folklore and fairy tales by classical Russian writers. In 1947, shortly after the end of war, Ivanov presented the first Soviet feature-length animated filmThe Humpbacked Horse based on the fairy tale in verse byPyotr Pavlovich Yershov. The film gained a lot of praise internationally, andWalt Disney even used it as a teaching tool for his studios.[1]
Since 1962 his artistic style varied a lot. He approachedlubok,icon painting,frescoes,Dymkovo toys,lace andRussian avant-garde. Some of his longtime collaborators such asAlexandra Snezhko-Blotskaya andYuri Norstein who started as his second unit directors and co-directors went on to become popular directors on their own. Ivanov-Vano was a laureate of numerous festivals. His short filmThe Battle of Kerzhenets won Grand Prix award atAnimafest Zagreb in 1972.
Ivanov died on March 25, 1987, and was buried at theNovodevichy Cemetery.[7] For 54 years, he was married to Tatiana Ivanova-Bekker (1902–1982). They had a daughter Galina.[2]
