Female image 1975

Curator: This ink drawing by Hryhorii Havrylenko, titled “Female image”, was created in 1975 and is currently held in a private collection. Editor: My immediate thought is: stark. There’s a compelling intensity to the subject’s gaze, rendered with what appears to be rather quick, expressive pen strokes. Curator: I agree. The artist’s mark-making is incredibly important here. Notice the layering of those parallel pen lines to create depth and shadow. What can you tell me about the materiality and the role of mark-making? Editor: For me, the cross-hatching technique tells us a lot. The choice of ink— a readily available material – hints at the artist’s pragmatic approach. These quick strokes might show idea generation at play or suggest that this sketch served the public in some way. Curator: It's definitely a portrait that moves away from rigid academic constraints, embracing a contemporary style more interested in capturing a moment or feeling. It begs the question of who the subject might have been and how such portraits entered the public realm in Soviet-era Ukraine. Editor: I find it really interesting how this image exists at a juncture between fine art and, say, illustration, because the labor seems intentionally on display. How did this piece find its audience, considering the sociopolitical landscape of its time? Did its method of distribution shape its reception? Curator: That's a really valuable question to consider within a broader historical context. Perhaps it circulated within a close-knit network of artists. Or maybe its simplicity made it universally relatable despite the political tensions. Either way, understanding the forces at play will allow viewers to look at its content more clearly. Editor: Thinking about the artist's intention combined with how we see the work today certainly does reveal new things! Thank you! Curator: Indeed. The piece leaves you contemplating its origins. Thanks!