Culver City,
California
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Dinner is Served
Date Made: 1991
Country: Soviet Union
Measurements: 90 cm x 60 cm; 35 7/16 in x 23 5/8 in
Although entitled, “Dinner is Served,” the food on the serving tray appears to be dessert with rainbow paint splatterings as sprinkles, miniature tanks as embellishments, and a Communist Party hammer and sickle on a red star as the topping. The Russian acronym, “GKChP” is spelled out in pastel colored frosting, and the tray is held by two hands with olive-branch patterned sleeves, a symbol of peace. GKChP stands for the State Committee on the State of Emergency, the group of men that engineered the failed 1991 coup attempt to remove Gorbachev from power. This coup was a relatively peaceful affair, for the Soviet army made a decision not to fire on citizens but instead to turn their tanks around and defend Russia’s parliament building. However, several citizens were killed and wounded on August 21, the third day of the coup attempt.
Accession Number: 2009.053.044
Item Name: Painting
Credit Line: The Ferris Russian Collection, Donated by Tom and Jeri Ferris
Collection/Series: The Ferris Russian Collection, Donated by Tom and Jeri Ferris