Sophia of Kyiv. View from the southeast side 1960

Yuriy Khymych painted this view of Sophia of Kyiv using oils, at some point during his career. The painting's all about blues, from the sky to the building itself. It's as if everything is submerged in a blue dream. Look closely, and you can see Khymych wasn't trying to hide the way the paint moves. It’s pretty obvious that he’s enjoying the ride, letting the brushstrokes define the shapes and forms, kinda clunky, kinda awkward. The paint’s not trying to be smooth or perfect, which gives the whole thing a very handmade, human feel. See that little patch of pink down at the bottom? It’s like a surprise, popping up amidst all that blue. It reminds me a little of Milton Avery, in the way he simplifies forms and uses color to create a mood. Both artists aren’t afraid to let a painting just be what it is: a collection of colors and shapes that somehow, magically, adds up to something more.