Composition №111 1963

Hryhorii Havrylenko made this painting, Composition no. 111, with oil on canvas. Look at how Havrylenko builds this image from a series of overlapping planes. You can see the evidence of the brushstrokes everywhere. It’s like watching the painting come together, layer by layer. The colors, mostly reds, blues, and greens, feel both grounded and somehow, explosive. There’s this thick, juicy quality to the paint, especially in those dark green areas on the right-hand side. Notice how Havrylenko doesn't try to hide anything, every stroke is visible, revealing the painting’s history. I’m drawn to the smaller teal square that sits between the olive green plane and an adjacent soft pink surface. That tiny square creates a little window of space, it’s a formal device that also adds this emotional depth to the painting. This piece reminds me of some early work by Joan Mitchell, who also used color and gesture to convey feelings and ideas. Ultimately, the painting is about the act of painting itself, inviting us to get lost in its process.