Acrobats 2010

Dmytro Kavsan's painting presents us with a fantastical scene populated by acrobats, painted with oil. The world above the water line is a still life of fruit and metallic objects, with small figures performing acrobatics. This Ukrainian painting seems to critique a society obsessed with wealth and status. The performers, dressed in harlequin costumes, use the luxury items as a stage for their absurd and dangerous acts. Kavsan also emphasizes the hidden depths beneath the surface. There is a parallel world of swimmers and other figures underwater, suggesting unseen social realities. To understand this painting more fully, one might research the revival of classical and Baroque still life in Ukraine and its relationship to the country’s political and economic transformations after the collapse of the Soviet Union. What is the role of art in critiquing the excesses of capitalism and the pursuit of pleasure?