Illustration to the Book "Legacy" by M. Bazhan 1978

This illustration to the book "Legacy" by Hryhorii Havrylenko is playing with such a striking limited palette of red, blue, and black. With this approach to mark making you can tell Havrylenko is an artist deeply invested in the art making process. Just look at the blocks of colour, layered like stencils. They build up these scenes, almost like memories, right? The way the red pops against the blue, it’s like a shout, but a quiet one. It makes you think, what's hidden in the shadows? What stories are whispered in those dark corners? That cluster of figures in the lower right, huddled together, reading, planning, scheming. It is such a simple form, but its so full of life. It reminds me a little of Jacob Lawrence’s migration series, this use of colour to convey emotion and history. I like to think of art as one big conversation across time. There are no right or wrong answers here, just a feeling.