Apocalypse 1983

Editor: This is Oleksandr Aksinin's "Apocalypse" from 1983, a print using engraving techniques. The fine lines and the almost medieval imagery create a feeling of doom and foreboding. How do you approach interpreting something with this much detail and apparent symbolism? Curator: I see a careful laboring of the image, evident in the density of the engraved lines. The choice of printmaking—a medium often associated with reproducibility and dissemination—suggests that the artist is perhaps commenting on the broad distribution of such apocalyptic anxieties in contemporary society. The meticulous, almost obsessive, quality of the mark-making, also visible, indicates not just skill but also an intense engagement with the material process itself. What's your take on the diamond shape of the image? Editor: I noticed that shape too. The figures are reminiscent of the crucifixion and a gathering of mythical figures beneath the cross. It's like a snapshot of history, distorted and dreamlike, and the diamond shape makes me feel slightly off-kilter. Does the form have some cultural significance related to production, or social consumption perhaps? Curator: Absolutely. Consider how the formal elements amplify its symbolic resonance. The frame itself could evoke a playing card, as if destiny is dealt. Considering that this piece was made in 1983, towards the end of the Soviet period in Ukraine, could the material and production of graphic art - accessible but censored - reflect Aksinin's social commentary and critique through coded, symbolic gestures? Editor: That makes sense. The accessibility of prints allowed Aksinin to circulate these ideas in a way other mediums might not have. It brings new weight to the images themselves as objects and ideas. I wouldn't have thought about the Soviet context if you hadn't pointed it out! Curator: Considering how the social conditions surrounding the production influenced the choice of materials can give us great insight. Editor: Thank you. I now see how crucial it is to consider both the material creation of the artwork and the environment it comes from to unveil its true meaning.