Profile 1960

This is Vilen Barsky’s 'Profile,' a work of stark simplicity in monochrome. Note the subject’s posture, bent nearly in two; this is a gesture we have seen across millennia, in depictions of supplication, suffering, and profound grief. The simple stark lines may seem modern, but they echo ancient forms. For example, the distinct headdress with vertical lines atop the head reminds me of the ancient Egyptian Nemes headdress, worn by pharaohs. But here, instead of a symbol of power, it appears almost as a cage or barrier. Consider how the 'Profile' affects you, stirring perhaps feelings of constraint and introspection. Such feelings are primal, carried in the collective unconscious, triggered by images that resonate with our deepest fears and anxieties. This cyclical progression of symbols, reappearing across time, evolves, and adopts new meanings in different historical contexts.