Female image 1975

Editor: This ink drawing from 1975, "Female image," by Hryhorii Havrylenko, has such an unfinished quality. The simplicity of the lines, the lack of shading… it feels so raw. What do you see in this piece? Curator: The reduction to line is, indeed, quite striking. Note how the artist uses hatching to define form, particularly on the head and neck. This strategic deployment of line creates a sense of volume and texture despite the absence of traditional shading. How does this linearity impact your perception of the subject? Editor: It almost feels like she's emerging from the page, like a ghost. The lines are confident but sparse. Is there any intention, in your opinion, related to incompleteness or pureness? Curator: Purity is a suggestive concept in the context of Formalism, isn't it? One might argue that by stripping away representational excess, the artist isolates the essential elements of form and structure. Look at the economy of the line describing the eye. There’s an almost diagrammatic precision. Editor: I see it! Like a technical drawing, almost, but for the human face. So the medium itself, ink on paper, reinforces that simplicity and directness. It's beautiful. Curator: Precisely. The work privileges the inherent qualities of line, and it is up to the interpreter to appreciate and reflect on these intrinsic components and techniques. Editor: It's interesting to think of stripping away detail as adding something essential. Thank you for pointing out those aspects!