The Fourth 'Book of Schemes'. Album #1, the First Folder 1978

Valerii Lamakh created 'The Fourth Book of Schemes' at an unknown date using ink on paper. The geometric scheme with human figures is fascinating for what it suggests about the artist's relationship to Soviet institutional norms. Born in Ukraine in 1925, Lamakh came of age in a society where art was mobilized for the purposes of state propaganda. Socialist Realism was the approved style, and artists were expected to celebrate Soviet ideals in an accessible, figurative way. Looking at this image, it is hard to imagine it being displayed in any official context. The figure is androgynous, almost alien; the series of circles and lines suggest scientific or occult diagrams. It seems to hint at hidden systems of power and control. We might consider the possibility that this image represents a form of private, coded resistance to the dominant culture of the Soviet Union. To understand its significance better, we might research the networks of unofficial artists operating at this time. Art is always shaped by the social conditions in which it is made.