Running from a Thunderstorm 1989

Oleg Holosiy created this large oil on canvas, Running from a Thunderstorm, sometime before his untimely death in 1993. It's an expressionistic image of figures in flight, rendered in thick strokes of green and brown, reflecting the turbulent emotions of its time. Holosiy was a key figure in Ukrainian art's "New Wave," which emerged in the late 1980s as the Soviet Union began to disintegrate. This movement was characterized by its bold challenge to the strictures of socialist realism, embracing a more personal, often darker, vision. In paintings like this, we see a rejection of the idealized Soviet citizen, replaced by figures caught in moments of fear and uncertainty, mirroring the anxieties of a society in transition. To understand Holosiy's art, one might delve into the archives of Ukrainian cultural institutions, explore the writings of art critics who championed the New Wave, or examine the political and social conditions that fueled this artistic rebellion. The meaning of this work is contingent on the end of the Soviet Union and the social transformation that came with it.