Park West artist Igor Medvedev dies at 83

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Feb 23, 2015, 02:00 ET

SOUTHFIELD, Mich., Feb. 23, 2015 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Renowned Park West Gallery artist Igor Medvedev passed away the morning of Feb. 16, 2015. He was 83 years old.

"The world has lost a great artist and all of us at Park West have lost a great friend," said Albert Scaglione, Park West Gallery founder and CEO.

Born in Kharkov in Eastern Ukraine on Nov. 10, 1931, Medvedev's interest in art began with befriending artist Anatoly Martinov. Medvedev and his family fled Russia in 1943 to the American-occupied zone in Germany.

In Munich, Medvedev learned bronze casting and sculpture, with his talents helping his family move to the United States when he was 17 years old. Medvedev gained a scholarship to attend Dartmouth College, where he graduated with a bachelor's degree in art history. He continued his studies at the University of California, Berkley, earning a bachelor's degree in 1952 and a master's degree in 1953.

Medvedev's art is characterized by its composition, deep colors, use of light and shadow and a tranquil mood. He didn't attempt to copy what he saw, but instead create a "moment of intimation." During his career he worked with various mediums, including painting, printmaking, watercolor and sculpture.

Medvedev's artwork was well received, with 15 solo exhibitions in 1954 and 1955 in Germany and featuring in major shows in the U.S. from 1959 to 1963. He was co-founder of Graphics Art Center and Estamp Gallery in Palo Alto, and later owned the Mead Original Art Prints Gallery in San Francisco.

In the 1970s Medvedev taught at the San Mateo State College and Los Altos' Foothill College. In 1977 he married his second wife, Marina, and the couple moved to San Francisco, though they often traveled. In the 1990s through 2006, Medvedev worked exclusively for Park West, forming a great partnership and friendship with Scaglione.

"There is something leading all of us toward something," Medvedev once said. "Through life, I was motivated to create art."

About Park West Gallery:

Park West Gallery in Detroit connects artists to fine art enthusiasts via art auctions on cruise ships, auctions in major metropolitan areas, and via art gallery locations in Michigan and Florida. Park West Gallery prides itself on creating an entertaining, educational and welcoming environment that ignites a passion for the arts and offers an incomparable collecting experience.

CONTACT: Jillian Rowland, 248-354-2343 ext. 1282

SOURCE Park West Gallery