Exlibris of the Janitor and Philosopher A. Toyberg 1975

Oleksandr Aksinin made this bookplate, Exlibris of the Janitor and Philosopher A. Toyberg, using a graphic process that looks like wood or linoleum block printing. The images are high contrast and the kind of mark-making that makes me think about process, how the artist has constructed this image in a series of steps using different tools, maybe gouges or knives. The contrast between the dark, solid blacks and the crisp, white paper has real visual impact. The artist seems to revel in the materiality of the printing process, the way the ink sits on the surface, and the textures that emerge from the printing. There's an area on the upper left with vertical, parallel white lines set against a black background; it feels like a deliberate exploration of pattern, texture, and the inherent qualities of the medium. I also love the border that wraps around the image, it looks like a woven basket! The mix of figuration with abstraction is really appealing. This reminds me of other Ukrainian artists like Alexandra Exter. There's a similar interest in how art can reflect on itself, creating a dialogue around art’s possibilities for representing different ways of seeing and experiencing the world.