Untitled 1944

This untitled print from Kukryniksy is a real lesson in visual storytelling. The artists lay out a before and after, with the invasion of 1941 and its consequences in 1944. I can imagine them working on this piece together in their studio, each bringing their own perspective to the composition. It's a collaborative dance of ideas, not unlike the way I approach my own painting process. There is a character with his telescope and his sight set on Moscow. Then he is in ruins. The shift in his expression says it all—a mix of disbelief, anger, and maybe a little bit of fear. I love the use of black and white here, it lends a stark, almost brutal quality to the work. It's as if the artists are saying, "this is what war looks like, in simple, graphic terms.