Classics, contemporaries, companions: images of the “others” in David Burliuk’s magazine “Color and Rhyme”

Abstract

INTRODUCTION. The magazine “Color and Rhyme”, published by David Burliuk in emigration, has traditionally been interpreted as a tool of his self-presentation. However, it also contained materials devoted to other writers and artists – ranging from the classics to American authors, representatives of Russian America, and fellow Futurists. These texts, previously only mentioned, are analyzed here for the first time.
MATERIALS AND METHODS. Issues of the magazine from 1931 to 1966 are examined using historical-literary and literary-biographical method.
RESULTS AND DISCUSSION. The analysis reveals that the magazine featured not only figures of classical literature and painting but also contemporaries in America: local poets and artists, as well as émigrés from Russia. The publications fulfilled an educational function, supported emerging authors and artists, and preserved the memory of fellow Futurists, above all V. Khlebnikov, V. Kamensky, and V. Mayakovsky.
CONCLUSION. The materials devoted to figures of literature and art reflect David Burliuk’s particular commitment to educational activity. His magazine project acted as a cultural bridge between different spaces – Russia and America, the émigré milieu and the artistic metropolis, classical heritage and avant-garde experimentation. Thus, “Color and Rhyme” served as a platform of cultural mediation, performing important functions of information, education, and the shaping of artistic taste.