Ravens 1981

Curator: Let's turn our attention to Oleksandr Aksinin's "Ravens" from 1981, executed in acrylic paint. Editor: Striking. At first glance, the stark geometry and restricted palette evoke a feeling of both isolation and precise control. The hard edges and flatness lend a sense of almost unsettling order. Curator: The composition is deliberately arranged to disrupt any sense of naturalism. The floating geometric forms—primarily circles— deny spatial logic. Note the relationships of color; the strong black against the interspersed white and the singular, compelling use of red. Aksinin's mastery of hard-edge painting techniques renders a powerfully simple and ambiguous experience. Editor: Absolutely. The circles, while seemingly simple shapes, become weighted with symbolic meaning in this context. Black is traditionally linked with night, mystery, or even death, while the contrasting white suggests purity or emptiness. Then you have that vivid red—a color deeply embedded in our psyche as passion, danger, even blood. The 'ravens', while unseen, make their symbolic presence through form. Curator: Indeed. We are compelled to ponder. The painting eschews obvious representation, pushing instead for a direct sensory and intellectual response. The recurring circular motifs serve to tie the disparate elements into a cohesive whole, demanding we read its visual language. The symbolic power exists in this very geometric tension. Editor: Aksinin gives us space to invest ourselves. Looking closer, I'm also drawn to those very thin white vertical lines; almost like fractures running through a dark void. They accentuate a feeling of confinement. There is perhaps a subversive commentary at work regarding control. Curator: Aksinin allows each viewer their own decryption. We can observe the composition and interpret the stark aesthetic on many levels, both as a cohesive, considered art object, or we may extract meaning. Its intrinsic value will persist either way. Editor: I think that interplay between rigid form and latent, suggestive symbolism creates its lasting resonance, compelling us to decipher its enigmatic message decades after its creation.