Feigin is a profound painter and a giant of his time

Mara Devereaux is an American postwar and contemporary artist born in 1925 in Brooklyn, New York, to a Jewish family of Russian descent who were both circus performers. She had a sister, Elaine Brogdon (1934-2009).

Mara came of age during the Great Depression in a cold apartment in Brooklyn. She began studying art at the Brooklyn Museum when she was eight years old, primarily as a means to keep warm in New York winters. At first, Mara was considered too young to participate, but she was allowed to attend classes nonetheless. However, her focus quickly shifted to painting, and she began to develop a vocabulary required for abstract art. A year later, at the age of nine, Mara held her first exhibition at the Brooklyn Museum.

The paintings of Moses Feigin literally vibrate with a passion for his subject matter. There is no artifice, no hesitancy, just pure talent moving paint around the canvas capturing form and surrounding it with negative space that is so perfect it has a life of its own. This negative space moves around the subject with beautiful abstract passages.

MARA DEVEREUX

661 Shatto Place, #100

Los Angeles, CA 90005

(213) 427-0045

June 22, 2006

The paintings of Moses Feigin literally vibrate with a passion for his subject matter. There is no artifice, no hesitancy, just pure talent moving paint around the canvas capturing form and surrounding it with negative space that is so perfect it has a life of its own. This negative space moves around the subject with beautiful abstract passages. Feigin achieved this where many artists fail.

One of Feigin's paintings, 'Artist with model", is so simply executed, yet so complex in its meaning, the observer can hardly look away. Why is the model so tall? Why is she in the dark? She, as subject matter, dominates the canvas, while the artist plays the part of the poor soul almost doubting his ability to paint the overwhelmingly imposing lady. There is silence between them as they take the measure of each other, but the brilliant light behind him is telling us that beauty and creativity live in the little rumpled man and her presence will be recreated into his idea of her not her idea of her. Of course his will be the truer one, as its artistic objectivity will not be clouded by her ego.

Feigin's other paintings shock us with the honesty of his vision and intellect so seldom found in this era of the pursuit of the new and startling when the mediocre work in anything but new and startling. Feigin is a profound painter and a giant of his time.

Mara Devereux, Los Angeles, CA

MARA DEVEREUX

661 Shatto Place, #100

Los Angeles, CA 90005

(213) 427-0045

July 14, 2010
This collection of Luba Matusovsky's paintings and rare compositions utilizing foil by the extraordinary artist Moses Feigin, captures the soul of the viewer with reflections and visions of their own life. It is incredibly rare to see such splendid and profound works by the master artist Feigin to be displayed in a large spectrum. It will be certain to call Luba Matusovsky's collection as the world's largest private collection of Feigin, crafted and built over the years with the most endearing and careful cultivation in mind for the artist — truly a sign of profound dedication to his transcendental and enigmatic artistry.


It must, as it is so evident in his work that Art truly imitates life.
We could say that life imitates art, but in the work of Moses Feigin there is no escaping either.


In his painting of "Temptation of St. Anthony" (1971, 76x83cm, press-board, foil and oil), the placement of the Saint is a "why not"? We usually "read" a painting from right to left and the Saints' importance is obvious with the switch (opposing the old Masters). We linger on his presence. The passion evident in Feigin's work "Imprisoned" from the series Damnation to War and You'll Be Hung, (1975, 100x80, press-board, foil and oil) says much about his personal struggles with his religion, his dissidence and his bewilderment with God ignoring the plight of imprisoned Jews!


In some paintings form is entangled with form as though there is no escape. Each form is imprisoned. Other works have forms living with each other in splendid harmony.


There are paintings that resonate joy, others exist in despair, of cause echoing the pain of the Jewish people. I know and felt this in his work as my own family had to flee Russia. I am blessed to be born an American. There also exist elements of the American painter Rauschenberg, where you are bodily moved into a painting — "Light Signal of Life", (1971,70x49cm, press-board, foil and oil).


Has Moses Feigin been foretelling our future with his work? Of coursel This man of blessed memory was so in touch with the human condition (as Charlie Chaplin appears) he could tell us through his painting that things don't really change. They just shift — order becomes chaos and then order returns, so we can laugh and love again. Feigin is telling us this in his painting where light pierces its center and an ethereal object is reaching into it. He is telling us there is always hope.

Mara Devereaux
Los Angeles, CA

Who's Who in American Art
2010-2011

Feigin achieved this where many artists fail. One of Feigin’s paintings, “Artist with model”, is so simply executed, yet so complex in its meaning, the observer can hardly look away. Why is the model so tall? Why is she in the dark? She, as subject matter, dominates the canvas, while the artist plays the part of the poor soul almost doubting his ability to paint the overwhelmingly imposing lady. There is silence between them as they take the measure of each other, but the brilliant light behind him is telling us that beauty and creativity live in the little rumpled man and her presence will be recreated into his idea of her not her idea of her. Of course his will be the truer one, as its artistic objectivity will not be clouded by her ego. Feigin’s other paintings shock us with the honesty of his vision and intellect so seldom found in this era of the pursuit of the new and startling when the mediocre work is anything but new and startling.

Feigin is a profound painter and a giant of his time.