Female image 1975

Editor: This is "Female Image," a 1975 ink drawing by Hryhorii Havrylenko. The simplicity of the lines is quite striking, giving her a modern, almost iconic feel. It’s very minimalist, a touch austere perhaps? What do you see in this piece? Curator: Austere... yes, I can see that. For me, it evokes a quiet strength. Look at the way her arms are crossed; it suggests self-possession, maybe even defiance. The deliberate, almost childlike lines give her an undeniable, unforgettable presence. Don't you think she reminds us of someone we know? It's that power to see our neighbours, our friends and family staring back at us. It asks "who are you in this portrait?". Editor: Absolutely, it's like a universal woman. It makes me wonder about the historical context...Ukraine in 1975. Do you think the minimalist style was a deliberate artistic choice, or perhaps influenced by external constraints of the time? Curator: It's an interesting point. Art often echoes, if not screams, of the era in which it’s born. Perhaps a constrained palette mirrored other constraints, but it also shouts "resistance" doesn't it? Taking simple materials and making such a statement, such presence. It really whispers, or bellows about what’s really essential and unforgettable in the female experience. It is up to you, to me, to finish the piece with what that is! Editor: That’s fascinating; I hadn’t considered that connection. So it’s not just a portrait, it’s almost a statement. I’m definitely seeing it differently now. Curator: Glad to crack a window open! Every work is so alive with voices and ghosts waiting for us.