Exlibris V. Valdemarov 1981

Oleksandr Aksinin made this bookplate called Exlibris V. Valdemarov using etching techniques, and what I notice right away is how much labor and love went into its making. You can tell he was obsessed. Look at how Aksinin built up the tones with all those tiny, tiny marks. Is that pointillism I see? The texture is incredible. The lines create this mesmerizing, almost hallucinatory effect. The two goddess figures flank the central image like a pair of sentinels. It reminds me of Odilon Redon's dreamlike visions. Do you notice the way the lines are cross-hatched to create depth and shadow? See, that intensity of detail invites us to slow down and really examine every single mark. Aksinin's work is about embracing ambiguity. It is a testament to the endless possibilities of art to shape our perceptions and create new ways of experiencing the world.