Abstract composition (Sketch for "Nika") 1963

Hryhorii Havrylenko made this abstract composition, a sketch for "Nika", sometime during his lifetime with ink on paper. Just look at those hatching marks, so indicative of tonal value and shading. It’s as if the artist has built the composition up through layers of feeling. Like a sculptor adding clay, mark upon mark, the artist seeks a form, maybe ‘Nika’ – whoever she may be! I bet he worked fast, letting his intuition lead the way, not afraid to make mistakes, each stroke informing the next. I know this way of working so well. The starkness of the black ink on white paper creates such a bold and graphic impact. It reminds me a bit of Franz Kline’s paintings, or even some of the abstract expressionist drawings where the energy and emotion are palpable. It makes me wonder what other artists were looking at and thinking about at the time Havrylenko was working. Because that’s the thing about painting, isn’t it? We’re all in conversation with each other, across time, inspiring and pushing each other to see the world in new ways.