Composition 1982

Hryhorii Havrylenko made this untitled composition with colored pencils at some point in the mid-20th century. The approach here is methodical, like a careful meditation. The material quality is really interesting, you can see the grain of the paper coming through all those little strokes of pencil. The reds and blacks really pop against the muted bands of grey, green and blue, which seem to ebb and flow like tides in the ocean. Look at the individual marks within each coloured rectangle; they are made up of small, distinct strokes. This gives each form a kind of energy, like its vibrating slightly. It’s a controlled process, but it has a kind of freedom, too. I see echoes of Agnes Martin in the composition, but also maybe some Stuart Davis in those graphic shapes, it all comes back around, doesn’t it? Art is just one big conversation after all, full of ambiguities, little winks and nods, and open to so many interpretations.