Cover of magazine 'Art' 1920

This is Heorhiy Narbut's magazine cover for 'Art', made in Kyiv in 1920. The colour palette of peach, orange, and black is stark, and the composition is full of shapes and patterns. It’s easy to imagine Narbut at work on this piece. The image is figurative, with a person at the center; however, it feels as though Narbut wasn’t interested in making a likeness or representation. The whole scene is abstracted and mediated through a graphic sensibility, more of a cipher than a portrait. The figure is surrounded by stylized motifs such as birds in flight, bunches of grapes, and fields of flowers. These shapes are flattened and geometric, and feel modern, but at the same time echo folk art traditions. It reminds me that artists are always in conversation, borrowing and transforming the ideas of others. It’s easy to see how Narbut’s work might have influenced later graphic designers and illustrators. And thinking about making art as a process of continual exchange, I know that his work has definitely influenced mine.