Born in 1963.
In the 1960s Bulatov formed the Sretensky Boulevard Group with Ilya Kabakov, Edik Steinberg, Oleg Vassiliev, Vladimir Yankilevsky, and Viktor Pivovarov. Named by a Czech historian for the block on which they lived, the group often met at Kabakov's to discuss and show their work as they were not permitted to do so in "official" settings. This group was more of an association of like-minded artists rather than a school with similar stylistic tendencies.
Through the Sretensky Boulevard Group, Bulatov became a prominent member of the loosely affiliated Moscow Conceptualists. This group, related ideologically rather than stylistically, has defined the "Moscow School" of contemporary Russian art as it is known today.
It is thought that Bulatov works in sots art style. "Bulatov's paintings are large, colorful, realistic images of landscapes, skies, urban settings, and people, many of which are painted over and partially obscured by wry words or phrases. Metaphorically rich and poetic blue skies are overlaid with Russian texts that translate: 'Glory to the U.S.S.R.' or 'Trademark'. Lush, green landscapes toil under the labels 'Not To Be Leaned On' or 'Caution.' But Bulatov in one of his recent interview indicates that he has nothing to do with Sots Art. Sots Art according Bulatov is an irony. And irony is absent in his work.
Public collections The State Russian Museum, St. Petersburg, Russia, The State Tretyakov Gallery, Moscow, Russia, The State Hermitage Museum, St. Petersburg, Russia, The Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, New York, Centre Georges Pompidou, Paris, France, The Garage Museum of Contemporary Art, Moscow, Russia, The Moscow Museum of Modern Art (MMoMA), Moscow, Russia, The National Centre for Contemporary Arts, Moscow, Russia, The ART4.RU Museum of Contemporary Russian Art, Moscow, Russia, The Jane Voorhees Zimmerli Art Museum at Rutgers University, USA, The Nasher Museum of Art at Duke University, USA