Orans 1982

Curator: Immediately striking, isn't it? There's a fragility here, a gentleness, but with unexpected bold colours. Editor: This watercolor and ink work, "Orans," by Hryhorii Havrylenko, dates from 1982. It clearly nods to the medieval, both in style and theme. The 'Orans' pose is a classic posture of prayer. Curator: You can definitely sense the hand of the artist in the application of the watercolor. It seems almost raw, a direct translation of feeling to paper, rejecting traditional oil practices for these fluid mediums. Editor: Its figuration seems intentional, echoing byzantine art in its geometric forms. I think of its context. 1982, during a specific period within Soviet Ukraine. How might that period and geography shaped its imagery? Curator: That restriction perhaps informs his choice to focus intensely on colour and form. Looking closely, I love how the red interacts with the blues. Notice too the way he's built up layers, creating a luminous effect especially with the hands raised, drawing attention. I’m especially taken by how those colors interact with the production and the available materials for Ukrainian artist during Soviet era. Editor: Absolutely, the limited color palette perhaps becomes a strength, highlighting resourcefulness. The choice to emulate an 'Orans' pose is loaded, maybe conveying longing and seeking spiritual refuge through the figure. Considering the public life of Ukrainian art at the time, its private meaning deepens. Curator: In his choice of watercolor and ink rather than conventional artistic process there’s also the creation of sacred labor through art practice within restriction, allowing both intimate devotion. Editor: The socio-political constraints arguably elevate the symbolic nature of such choices within a specific public context. Art history provides that deeper understanding, that historical positioning which enhances meaning. Curator: Seeing his creation process reminds us to explore these art-historical approaches through practice; an active material engagement where, to feel with is to think with. Editor: Exactly. This has offered insight not just into its appearance and making but on Havrylenko's relationship with spirituality.