VICTOR, 1970S Jimi Hendrix

signed and dated ‘VICTOR 1972-1973’ with a Playboy bunny logo, inscribed in Cyrillic ‘Za togo parnia’ (on the reverse) watercolor on paper laid on wood 75 x 50 cm Executed in 1972-1973 In the early 1970s, the Soviet regime strictly banned Western rock music, hippie culture, and capitalistic symbols. Odessa, being a major cosmopolitan port city, became a black-market hub where foreign sailors smuggled original Western vinyl records under the coat. Since official rock posters did not exist in the USSR, non-conformist artists and music lovers created their own clandestine copies, known as samizdat. This painting of Jimi Hendrix (referencing his 1971–1972 albums) is a rare, handmade artifact of that forbidden counter-culture. The artist’s signature ‘VICTOR PRODUCTIONS’ paired with the Playboy bunny logo (the ultimate taboo Western symbol) represents a direct act of cultural rebellion. It aligns perfectly with the ironical, anti-establishment spirit of the Odessa Non-conformist art movement of 1972–1973