Woman with a duck 1964

Curator: Here we have David Burliuk's "Woman with a Duck," painted in 1964. Burliuk, a key figure in the Russian avant-garde, particularly Futurism, immigrated to the United States, and this work, now in a private collection, offers insight into his later, more folksy style. Editor: Oh, wow. It’s so… bold! All those impasto brushstrokes make it feel almost three-dimensional. The colors are wonderfully intense and it gives me a very childlike feeling, so wonderfully unsophisticated. I want to reach out and touch the paint. Curator: That tactility is key. The heavy impasto aligns with Expressionistic tendencies—emphasizing emotional expression over precise representation. And regarding your point about naive art, there is this interest in simplicity, too, even in this late period, we could discuss Burliuk's desire to bypass academic constraints. The subject itself, a woman holding a duck, connects to agrarian themes prevalent in much Ukrainian folk art. Editor: I hadn't thought of the folk connection, but it's totally there. It's got a very earthy feel, almost like she's some sort of goddess of the harvest, even holding a wee green offering. Though her expression is quite serious. Almost stern, wouldn’t you say? Curator: Her seeming lack of adornment, with what appears to be a very rigid posture is contrasted to the duck she carries. A key aspect might involve contemplating the ways that portraits of women can uphold expectations of domesticity, while in contrast her somewhat masculine presence defies expectations. Editor: Yeah! Absolutely. And that bright red headscarf — almost looks like a halo! It certainly makes you sit up and notice her, even amid the riot of colors. There is definitely some power in her stare. Curator: Burliuk, it’s important to note, engaged with radical politics during his Futurist period, supporting workers’ rights and challenging societal norms, yet this interest transformed as he grew older in America. It’s worth researching these themes as we observe and question these later images of women. Editor: Hmmm. So, a fascinating little painting full of layers, visually explosive, and a little bit tricky. She invites us into a colourful world while guarding her secrets… I find her endlessly interesting! Curator: I completely agree. She encourages us to revisit both historical and ongoing dialogs around representations of the female form.