N 1980

Editor: This is “N,” an etching made on paper in 1980 by Oleksandr Aksinin. The meticulous detail is astounding, almost dizzying. What can you tell me about this artwork? Curator: It’s a fascinating piece to consider through the lens of its making. Notice the title, the letter "N", presented within the artwork itself. It suggests an interest in seriality, repetition, and potentially challenges the idea of the unique, auratic artwork. The meticulous, hand-printed quality, given the time it was made, raises questions about labor, artistic production, and the perceived hierarchy between 'high' art and 'craft.' Editor: I see what you mean about the implied commentary of ‘craft’ through repetition! Curator: Exactly! The pattern and repeated letter, the use of what appears to be an aged or deliberately toned paper – these all speak to choices about materials and their inherent meaning. Consider too, the embossed effect, the textures… Aksinin is deliberately engaging with the materiality of the print. Does the 'N' reference a particular context of the 1980s? Is it related to language? Editor: Well, the figure seems to be interacting with language given the desk and posture, but that repeated N—was there perhaps a commentary on consumption or industry by presenting this single letter? Curator: That’s exactly the type of question to pursue here! Look at how he presents figuration surrounded by pattern. Aksinin makes a clear argument through materials and presentation—and it's clearly one of consumption by framing the figure this way. Considering Aksinin's historical context, it hints to the means of production for the masses versus that of the artisan. Editor: This has made me realize that analyzing art doesn't always have to center on interpretation alone, it can be material, too. Curator: Precisely. Aksinin is actively forcing us to face this point, no pun intended! And, now thinking about his processes I can see other points, too!