May 1965

Curator: Ah, yes, Tetyana Yablonska’s "May," painted in 1965. Isn't she luminous, bathed in all that optimistic light? Editor: She is. It's…unexpected. A woman in white, posed heroically in a field. There's a touch of Fauvism here as well. What do you make of the visual narrative? Curator: Narrative...I feel more a celebration, almost an incantation, to spring itself. That beaming woman *is* May, a fresh spirit coaxing life from the earth. What do you see in her face? A stern worker, or something more whimsical? Editor: There's a strength, definitely. But I agree, there is also something playful in her pose. It’s as though she's personally responsible for this land. And I thought social realism was supposed to be all grim tractors! Curator: Precisely! Yablonska flirts with the style but subverts it. Here, the "common worker" is almost a goddess of springtime. The simplification of form and vibrant color also contribute to this feeling. Do you think the title restricts our viewing of it or does it add to the scene? Editor: I suppose it both anchors it, dating it firmly, and lifts it somehow – turning a scene into an ideal. I never would have read so much optimism in this! Curator: It’s Yablonska's slyness, I think. Underneath the accessible surface, she's weaving something deeply personal. I think seeing 'May' as not only an artwork of an epoch, but an echo of the artist herself makes the artpiece stand out to me. What would be your ultimate impression of this work, Editor? Editor: That context matters – knowing the 'rules' Yablonska was bending helps appreciate how she lets her light shine through. Curator: Well said. Maybe May shines for all of us a little brighter now!