George Virine Explained

George Virine (1920-2017) was a Russian-Australian sculptor. He taught art and exhibited his work in France and Australia. He worked in the classic realism style.

Early life

George Michael Virine was born Yuri Millievich Ezersky on March 15, 1920 in Moscow, Russia.[1] His father Millievich Ezersky was an academic and writer and his mother Zinaida worked in the costume production unit of the Bolshoi Ballet.[2] [3] The young Ezersky studied classical art[4] and was conscripted into the Red Army in 1939. After training in Mongolia, his unit was sent to Smolensk and they were bombed during the battle of Smolensk. He was arrested by the Germans and eventually sent to a prison camp in Poland.  After escaping this camp, he was transferred to Buchenwald concentration camp.[5] Again Ezersky escaped and travelled west. Following the war, he continued working as a sculptor of souvenir goods in Luxembourg,[6] despite lacking identity papers. He changed his name to Juri Wiardo. After Soviet secret police were detected in Luxembourg, he moved to Paris, France where he sculpted artwork for movie theatres. He changed his name to George Virine and studied in Paris and his works showed at the Salon de Vedettes in 1950. His work was admired by Pablo Picasso but Virine objected to Picasso's communist sympathies.

Emigration to Australia

Virine applied for refugee entry to Australia in 1951. His wife followed him shortly after. They moved from Sydney to Brisbane after an unsuccessful exhibition and he took up work as a house painter. After his work showed at Finney's Art Gallery (David Jones department store) in 1955, he was invited to teach sculpture, modelling and art restoration at the Brisbane Central Technical College (now QUT). He served as the sculpture instructor from 1958, helping train many young sculptors[7] including Rhyl Hinwood and Philip Piperides, until he resigned in 1976. He operated a private studio at Kangaroo Point and at Rochedale in Brisbane until his mid 90s.[8]

Significant work

Virine's work is held in many collections.

Personal life

Virine married Irina Pavlenko in St Etienne, France. They had three children. He died on 1 June 2017 and was survived by his daughters Galina and Tatiana.[15] [16]

Awards

1964, first place in John Birch Society international competition

Legacy

The Queensland Museum and State Library of Queensland[17] hold selected papers from George Virine's private collection. His sculptures are a part of a number of university collections.

Notes and References

  1. Web site: 2020-02-12. Collection selection: A lab coat, a smoking pipe, and a sculptor's daring survival. 2020-10-29. ABC Radio National. en-AU.
  2. Web site: The fate of Yuri Yezersky - Russian newspaper "Unification". 2020-10-29. www.unification.com.au.
  3. News: McKenna. Kate. November 16, 2014. Sculpting a life of passion. The Courier Mail.
  4. Leikind, O. L., & Severyukhin, D. Y. (2014). Between Kandinsky and Kabakov. The second wave of Russian artistic emigration. Texts, (4), 80-95.
  5. News: 1958-12-01. Wartime faces are models for sculptures. 8. Good Neighbour (ACT : 1950 - 1969). 2020-10-29.
  6. News: June 7, 2017. Nazi prisoner to master sculptor. The Courier Mail.
  7. Web site: Phillip Piperides. 2020-10-29. artimagesgallery.com.au.
  8. Web site: Logan City Council. 2016. Logan Art Gallery - Exhibition Program 2016.
  9. Web site: Gorey. Michael. 2019-10-27. French connection to Bert Hinkler sculpture. 2020-10-29. Bundaberg Now delivers free good news. en-AU.
  10. News: 1959-09-01. Memorial to pioneer pilot. 7. Good Neighbour (ACT : 1950 - 1969). 2020-10-29.
  11. Web site: No title - The Sun (Sydney, NSW : 1910 - 1954) - 28 Aug 1951. 2020-10-29. Trove. en.
  12. Web site: St Vladimir Monument Australia. 2020-10-29. www.monumentaustralia.org.au.
  13. Web site: James Cook University Brisbane. 2020-10-29. www.facebook.com. en.
  14. Web site: Photograph 7502131 Destination Australia. 2020-10-29. www.destinationaustralia.gov.au.
  15. Web site: George Virine (1920-2017) - Find A Grave Memorial. 2020-10-29. www.findagrave.com. en.
  16. Web site: TRIBUTES. 2020-10-29. tributes.couriermail.com.au.
  17. Virine, George (1938). George Virine photographs and papers.