Vasily Kamensky’s Tour of Georgia: On Artistic Behaviour

Abstract

This article analyses promotional and self-promotional activities of futurist Vasily Kamensky in Georgia between 1910 and 1920 with reference to his lectures, artistic performances, and poetry recitations during his tours. The article also presents critical reviews, which reflect the views of the provincial press on the advertising tactics of Vasily Kamensky and other futurists. The author describes the basic techniques Kamensky employed to form his own literary reputation and creative strategies that were supposed to secure the status of a futurist and innovator for him. The style of the self-representation of the poet, which is hyperbolised, deliberately bold and frank, resembles circus and theatre techniques, vulgar art, and his lively and playful self-promotion reminds of circus posters. Kamensky was influenced by the advertising techniques of his futurist peers, whose stage behaviour was scandal-oriented, shocking, and provocative. The main features that characterise Kamensky’s style of self-promotion are identified with reference to the texts of posters, leaflets, lectures, abstracts, and self-advertising publications. Thus, Kamensky’s self-promotion in Georgia can be called successful because he managed to stay in the mind of the general reader as a futurist, overthrowing old art, and an avant-gardist.

Keywords

• реклама
• самореклама
• литературная репутация
• Грузия
• самопродвижение
• саморепрезентация
• футуризм.