Composition 1974

This untitled painting was made by Hryhorii Havrylenko, probably sometime mid-century, and looks to be oil on canvas. The composition, wow, it’s really something. A red band hovers at the bottom, grounding the picture plane in a kind of elemental way. And above, a pale blue sky is interrupted by a perfectly round orange sun, maybe, or is it the moon? I feel the artist relishing the push and pull of pure, unadulterated color, almost like a kid. It reminds me of the paintings of Agnes Martin. There’s this similar sense of peace, a focus on simple forms and delicate hues that draws you in. I imagine Havrylenko, mixing his colors, lost in thought, maybe listening to the radio, or the sounds of the city. He’s creating a space for himself and for us, a place to contemplate, to breathe, to simply be. And isn’t that what painting is all about?