Golden Mean 2011

Editor: This is Oleh Denysenko's "Golden Mean," created in 2011 using mixed media. It’s dominated by a very textured cross with a face in the center. There's almost a medieval, icon-like quality to the composition. What do you see in this piece, beyond the surface? Curator: I see an artist grappling with power, belief systems, and their historical legacies. The face at the cross's center—does it evoke a Christ-like figure for you, or something else entirely? Editor: I thought of a Byzantine emperor, actually, maybe even a Roman one. The cross feels more like a symbol of empire than religion, in this context. Curator: Exactly! Denysenko is likely engaging with how historical narratives shape our understanding of identity, power, and even spirituality. Look closely at the symbols etched around the central cross – how might those function as commentary on specific moments or figures of domination? It begs the question: Whose golden mean is being represented here, and at what cost? Editor: So it’s less about individual perfection and more about the dangers inherent in imposed ideals? Like the "golden mean" becoming a justification for authoritarianism? Curator: Precisely! By using this visual vocabulary—Byzantine iconography, historical symbols—Denysenko subtly critiques the ways societies have historically legitimized hierarchy. Art becomes a tool to unpack assumptions about the “natural” order of things. Editor: That makes the title “Golden Mean” seem almost sarcastic now. I appreciate understanding how the layering of symbols changes the entire message. Curator: And hopefully, prompts us to critically examine similar structures that may persist today!