Over the Dnieper 1979

Yuriy Khymych made this painting, Over the Dnieper, using oil on cardboard, and it's got this fantastic graphic quality. You can really see the hand of the artist in the way the paint's been applied, it's all about the process. The textures in this painting are incredible. The paint isn’t too thick, but there's a real physicality to the surface. Look how he's used these broad strokes to define the sky and water. And then, those little dabs of color in the foreground, suggesting foliage. But my favorite part is the cross in the center. It's almost cartoonish. It gives the whole piece a playful, sort of folksy vibe. Khymych reminds me a little of someone like David Hockney, someone else who isn’t afraid to flatten perspective and use color in really unexpected ways. It's all about embracing the ambiguities and having fun with it.