Exlibris of Severyn Orlyck 1979

Oleksandr Aksinin made this Exlibris of Severyn Orlyck, a bookplate, through the labor-intensive process of etching. Look closely and you'll notice a complex array of lines, carefully bitten into the metal plate with acid. The image is surreal, a sort of architectural fantasy, reminiscent of Piranesi's etchings of prisons. But instead of stone, we have these strange organic forms, like seed pods or eyeballs, suspended within the constructed space. The fine network of lines creates a dense, almost oppressive atmosphere. Aksinin was working in Soviet Ukraine, and this print resonates with the wider social context of controlled expression. The labor and craft that went into creating this bookplate becomes a subtle act of resistance, a quiet assertion of individuality in a world of state-sponsored art. The artwork asks us to consider the value of human skill in a world of mass production, challenging the divide between art and craft.