Four Sketches to Compositions 1975

Hryhorii Havrylenko made this piece, entitled 'Four Sketches to Compositions', with ink on paper, and it looks like the process was his focus. The thin, consistent lines suggest the use of a technical pen, almost as if he's thinking through architectural plans or some kind of personal notation. Each sketch has its own rhythm, from geometric forms to animalistic figures, all rendered with the same evenness of tone. The overall texture is surprisingly varied given the limited means, the hatching and cross-hatching creating different densities and weights within each composition. In the second sketch, the central figure feels unstable and awkward. The marks that define the figure have a tentative quality, mirroring the vulnerability of the subject, a really intriguing and beautiful moment! This work reminds me a bit of the drawings of Philip Guston, in the way it elevates the sketch to a work of art in its own right, and invites us to witness the artist's thought process. It is in this spirit of experimentation and investigation that art remains vital and relevant.