Program of the Russian symphony concerts 1905

This program cover for Russian symphony concerts was made by Ivan Bilibin in 1905, and it’s so interesting to see how illustration and typography can be painting too. Look at the balance between the dark and light grey paisley shapes, and the way they create this incredible repeating pattern. I can imagine Bilibin carefully inking each line, building up the layers to create this really rich visual texture. It almost feels like the music itself is visualized here – all these complex, interwoven motifs that mirror the harmonies and melodies of a symphony. You know, it’s kind of like those conversations between Matisse and Picasso; artists always riffing off each other, pushing the boundaries, finding new ways to see and feel. And the shapes, they remind me of folk art and textile design. How these forms can create a rhythm and a movement. Painting is an exchange of ideas, it’s an ongoing conversation. We are constantly learning from each other, even across time.