Invitation 1974

Oleksandr Aksinin made this etching, Invitation, in 1974, using line as a primary tool. He really commits to the process. The texture of the etching creates a rich surface, the lines alive with both precision and a kind of ecstatic release. The image shows a group of figures in a boat, sailing towards an unknown destination, a landscape of symbols and glyphs surrounding them. There is a real contrast between the graphic nature of the image, and the almost dreamlike quality of the composition. The figures are rendered with a quirky sensibility and the marks and textures feel very physical and intimate. Look at the the woman on the left – she has her arms crossed and is turned slightly inward. It brings a sense of uncertainty and unease to the piece. Aksinin's work reminds me of Paul Klee, another artist who had a real knack for the mysterious, while embracing a kind of visual language. And like Klee, Aksinin invites us to join him in a space where ambiguity is not a problem, but an opportunity.