Composition 1967

Editor: So, this watercolor piece, simply titled "Composition," was created by Hryhorii Havrylenko in 1967. The pastel shades and geometric blocks that form the figures almost remind me of stained glass. I'm intrigued by the semi-abstract figures in a landscape. What's your take on this, what jumps out at you? Curator: Oh, this is such a gem! For me, it's all about that tension between figuration and abstraction. Havrylenko gives us enough of a hint – those recognizable nudes in a landscape setting. But then he pulls us back with the fractured planes of color. I wonder if he was consciously playing with that push and pull – the way we perceive reality versus the artist's interpretation? Makes you question, doesn't it, what's "real"? Editor: Definitely. The colors too. They're soft, but the way they're pieced together creates a certain energy. Like a muted mosaic, almost? Curator: Exactly! It’s as though he's capturing fleeting moments, those impressions that flicker at the edge of our senses. Makes me wonder what inspired him. What was he seeing, what was he feeling when he laid down those washes of color? It's a puzzle, really. And don’t you just love that single blue dot above everything? Such a calming and disruptive element, a bit quirky even. Editor: Yeah, I do wonder what the inspiration was here. Perhaps a reflection on an old memory, rendered in soft abstraction. It's really something. Curator: Well, that's the beauty of art, isn't it? It's never quite pinned down. We each bring our own history and feelings to it and together we get to see it anew each time. Editor: That's very true. This whole conversation has really changed how I see the piece and the interesting questions about art in general. Thanks for sharing your insights.