Composition From a Series 'Compositions With Colored Square Shapes' 1981

Editor: This print, titled "Composition From a Series 'Compositions With Colored Square Shapes'" by Hryhorii Havrylenko, was created in 1981. I’m immediately struck by how the geometric forms create this push-and-pull sensation. It’s playful, yet also feels very structured. What do you see in this piece? Curator: The repetition of the square form speaks volumes, doesn't it? Notice how the colors – the reds and greens – aren't just aesthetic choices. Colors accrue meanings across cultures and time, sometimes acting as direct signs but more often acting as signifiers or mnemonic devices of feeling or memory. How do these hues make you feel? Editor: I guess, looking at the colors that way, the red maybe makes me a little anxious and the green gives me some hope. Curator: Precisely! The colors have encoded meaning, though not uniformly felt. Given that it was created in 1981, we can consider its relationship to the socio-political climate of the time. Does it echo, perhaps, the anxieties of the late Soviet period, with glimpses of change symbolized by the emergent green? These shapes act as symbols, hinting at rigidity and hope in equal measure. Editor: That’s interesting, I hadn't considered the historical context influencing the color choices. The forms now feel like they represent societal structures. Curator: Absolutely. Visual symbols often echo collective emotions. It could be about finding symbolic resistance within rigid structures. Editor: This makes me think about how we often overlook the encoded narratives of everyday shapes and colors. It's amazing how much art can reflect the world, both outwardly and inwardly. Curator: Indeed. A deeper look reveals art as a reflection of a moment, inviting discourse with both conscious and unconscious awareness of society’s shared meanings and beliefs.