Kyiv Diary 2014

Vlada Ralko made this drawing, Kyiv Diary, using watercolour and ink. Look at the way the ink bleeds into the paper, creating these dark, pooling areas of shadow, versus the dry brushstrokes that describe the diver’s body. You can see Ralko's process so clearly, each mark registers a decision made in response to something else, and that’s how she arrives at the final image. There’s a raw physicality to this work. The texture of the paper, the way the ink and watercolour settle into the surface, it’s all very present. Notice how the diver on the left seems to be emerging out of the water, or some viscous substance that is almost swallowing them up. Then look at the frantic energy of the lines radiating from the other diver's head. This reminds me of the work of Nicole Eisenman, who also uses drawing to create figures in the midst of existential crises. Ultimately, art is about exchange, both between the artist and their materials, and between artists across time.