Russian+Art+AN

Alex Nowicki

“The Ransom of Russian Art”

This article focuses its attention on Norton Dodge, a very unique individual who has spent the better part of his life smuggling unofficial art out of Russia. At the time Norton was doing this, artists in Russian were divided into two categories. Official artists were endorsed by the state and were required to self censor their works for fear of reprisal, and the second group was the unofficial artists, those whose style or subject matter was deemed too controversial by the government. They had to paint in secret, because unofficial artists had a nasty habit of disappearing.

Norton Dodge, a seemingly normal economist, managed to smuggle over 10 000 works of art out of Russian in a forty year period. The article is primarily Dodge recounting his story to McPhee, who adds his own observations and other pertinent information he managed to find during his research.

One of the things that struck me as interesting was McPhee’s description of Dodge. The description does not happen all at once, it is instead spread out over the first third of the article, where McPhee mixes physical appearance, behaviour and also opinions others have of him. This excerpt I thought really showcased an essential character trait of Dodge, his almost careless attitude.

“While Norton Dodge is behind a steering wheel on Interstate 95 between New York City and his home in Maryland, he has been observed reading the newspaper. Funnies first. Looking up at his surroundings, he tends to concentrate on the rear view mirror, explaining, ‘I’m keeping the car aligned.’” P.79

I think this is a big part of McPhee’s writing. He doesn’t like to tell his reader how a person is, he shows us through descriptions and situations. I say this because the image I had of Dodge originally was a strong willed man, a fighter for freedom of expression who braved trips to Russia time and time again, with the constant threat of being arrested. I did not see him as careless. And I think in a normal news article, this depth of character would be missing.

A rather amusing part of “The Ransom of Russian Art” is McPhee’s obsession with Dodge’s moustache. He describes it several times, with different vivid imagery and similes.

“Dodge had a great deal more hair on his upper lip than elsewhere on his head. With his grand odobene moustache, he had everything but the tusks. P.79

“His words filtered softly through the Guinness Book Mustache. It was really a sight to see, like a barrel on his lip.”

For those wondering what Odobene means, it translates to walrus-like. I loved this imagery, especially the line about the tusks.

One thing I can’t get over is how McPhee came upon this story. While travelling on a train from Washington to Trenton, McPhee happened to sit next to Norton Dodge, who then began to tell him his story. And I think this is proof of McPhee’s openness to subject matter. Anything that presents itself that is interesting he jumps at it, no matter how vague or how lacking of interest from the public.

Towards the end of the article, McPhee’s focus switches from Dodge to a renowned unofficial artist, Evgeny Ruhkin. He spends some time describing him and his art, but the real interest is in his death. Though the truth of his death has never been confirmed, many believe he was killed by the KGB, by setting his studio on fire with him in it. McPhee describes this event in a very interesting way, through the accounts of three different people; Dodge, Evgeny’s wife and a former lover of his.

I would like to finish with a phrase that stuck out when reading the article. I think it’s the imagery that is so effective.

“What Dodge had evidently assembled was not so much of an era as the era itself. It was the whole tree – the growing cambium with the deadwood.”