Composition (with Red Circle) 1983

Hryhorii Havrylenko made this untitled painting with watercolor. It's a medium often associated with preparatory sketches, or the work of amateurs. Yet here, we see it used to create a composition of striking, monumental form. The inherent properties of watercolor—its fluidity and capacity for blending—are crucial to the image. The blocks of color seem to hover and bleed into one another, generating a dynamic, almost architectural presence. The artist’s process involved layering, building up a dense, rich surface from many translucent washes. Havrylenko engaged with a skilled tradition, pushing watercolor beyond its conventional boundaries. The controlled yet improvisational quality suggests an engagement with both the history of fine art and the ethos of craft. By understanding the materials and methods used, we gain a deeper appreciation for the artist’s vision, and how he challenged the prevailing hierarchies of artistic practice.