Large and small state emblems of the Ukrainian People's Republic 1918

These are two emblems of the Ukrainian People's Republic by Vasyl Hryhorovych Krychevsky. You can see the outlines of each shape made with a steady hand, full of intention and without a hint of mess. Looking at the way the lines swell and taper, they aren’t quite uniform, you can almost feel the rhythm of the artist’s breath. There’s a different feel between the left and the right emblem too. The one on the left has a detailed, almost lacy interior, like a window, whereas the other is blockier, more substantial, as though it's carved from wood. The line work is really sharp. It makes me think about Josef Albers, who also believed that art was a conversation. Different artists and images, speaking to each other across time. Art doesn’t have to resolve everything, it can simply be a marker on a path, a moment of stillness amid chaos.