Female image. Based on medieval art 1975

Hryhorii Havrylenko made this female image, based on medieval art, with a simple pen line on paper. The marks are confident, playful even, dancing between abstraction and figuration. It's like he's thinking through the act of looking. I love how the line barely contains the form, it’s tentative in places and bold in others, embracing the accidental. The surface of the paper feels exposed, raw, like a stage for the performance of the line. Check out the way the lines around the lips are slightly thicker and darker, giving her a sly, knowing smile. It is an image that leaves a lot to the imagination. This piece reminds me of Matisse's line drawings, where a single, continuous line captures the essence of a form. It's all about suggestion, the art of saying a lot with very little.