Illustration for the collection of short stories by Yevhen Gutsal "In the stork village" 1969

Editor: So, here we have Hryhorii Havrylenko's illustration from 1969 for "In the Stork Village" by Yevhen Gutsalo, rendered in ink. It's intensely textural, a web of fine lines… almost oppressive, don’t you think? What are your thoughts? Curator: Oppressive, maybe, but intriguingly so. The density of lines, that woven effect you mentioned, reminds me of the thickets, the almost suffocating undergrowth you'd find on the edge of a village – perhaps that stork village. Do you see the way he uses the ink? It's not just descriptive; it's emotional. It speaks to the tangled stories, the unseen narratives hidden in such a place. Almost as if it is hinting to secrets. Editor: I hadn’t considered it that way. It seemed almost abstract at first. It makes me wonder how this visual complements Gutsalo's writing. Curator: Exactly! It’s like visual poetry, reflecting the rhythm and concerns of Soviet Nonconformist Art. You see this piece, created in a very turbulent context; and it isn’t overtly political but subtly questions the expected narrative. Is there a stillness? Or do you notice motion? Does that absence create some emotional appeal? What kind? Editor: I do now; like peering into something secretive, it gives me a lot to consider about interpreting its history and literary tie. Thank you! Curator: Absolutely! Each line is a story waiting to be told, or retold; an evocative glimpse behind our usual understanding of Soviet-era art.