Fish 1974

Oleksandr Aksinin made this small etching, Fish, sometime before 1985, and the etched lines are so delicate and intricate, the result of an intensely intimate process. Look at the way the aquamarine ink pools across the surface of the paper, creating soft tonal variations, and it’s almost as though the fish is swimming through a sea of its own making. I love how Aksinin's method reveals as much as it conceals. In the center of the fish, a series of figures huddle together in a sort of spiritual communion, rendered in a style that feels both ancient and modern. The figures might reflect the influence of Byzantine icons, or perhaps the stylized forms of folk art. This etching reminds me a little of the work of Paul Klee, in its playful, dreamlike quality, and in the way it manages to be both incredibly detailed and wonderfully ambiguous. It’s as though Aksinin is inviting us to dive into a world of symbols and stories, without ever quite telling us what they mean.