Female image 1975

This drawing of a woman was made by Hryhorii Havrylenko, and done with what looks like graphite on paper. I like how economical and straightforward it is, you get a sense of the artist feeling around for the form. Havrylenko’s lines are like gentle whispers, building up the image with short, hatched strokes. See how the shading around her hair creates a soft, almost halo-like effect? The texture is very light, the paper still visible beneath, giving it a raw, unfinished feel, like a fleeting thought captured on paper. I am also drawn to the way the short strokes define the shape of the woman's face. There’s something about the simplicity and directness of this drawing that reminds me of Agnes Martin’s subtle and meditative works. Both artists share a similar interest in quietness, capturing a delicate balance between presence and absence. In the end, it’s the open-endedness of the work that invites us to bring our own experiences to it.