Dream

A man screws up his face and stares at a pack of horses, as if surprised at their sudden bolt. Occurring on the frozen grass plain, it is an event of a brief moment as if in a dream. The strong impact of the piece lies in the composition of the comically expressive man and lively horses in the foreground, with an expanse of homogenous color in the background. Badamjavin Chogsom graduated from the Mongolian State University of Arts and Culture in 1948, also studied in Moscow, and is a pioneer of modern Mongolian art. He learned diplomacy in Moscow, but on returning to his home country remained consistently engaged in art education as a teacher at the university. Each year in socialist Mongolia, the best works of art were purchased by the union of artists, and therefore, the state. Badamjavin Chogsom's greatest works remain in the collection of the Mongolian National Modern Art Gallery as important pieces in the history of modern art in Mongolia. From the collection of the former artists' union, this superb piece displays the artist's characteristic skill at capturing the drama within an instance. (YY)