Great Prophets. Prophet Iol 2015

Dmytro Kavsan made this artwork titled, Great Prophets. Prophet Iol, in 2015 using ink. Just look at the confidence of the lines that build this otherworldly scene! Kavsan’s use of ink here is so direct and raw, it feels like a quick sketch, but it’s also so purposeful. The dark, almost smudged ink creates these shadowy figures that feel heavy, grounded. Then you’ve got the fish, floating above it all with delicate lines that give it this lightness, this sense of rising above. That fish, perched on the classical columns, it’s such a striking image. The columns feel so solid, so rooted in history, and then BAM, there’s this surreal fish. It’s like a jolt to the system, a reminder that art, like life, is full of surprises and unexpected combinations. You could say that it reminds me a little of the work of Philip Guston, who similarly was able to bring a sense of humor and humanity to his work, using a simple vocabulary of forms. Ultimately, art is about the questions, not the answers, right?