Monsters' Eyes 1989

Editor: So here we have Oleg Holosiy's "Monsters' Eyes" from 1989, created as a matter-painting. The texture looks incredibly thick and layered. What strikes me most is how the darkness almost seems to be swallowing the light. What do you see in this piece? Curator: From a materialist perspective, I am drawn to the application of the "matter-painting" technique itself. It’s not just about representing monster’s eyes, but it’s about the very act of applying and manipulating material, this layering, and the texture which serves as a visual language of labor, and it evokes feeling. How does the title "Monster's Eyes" shape how we perceive these layered materials, especially given the socio-political context of 1989? Editor: That's fascinating. The late 80s in Ukraine were a time of immense upheaval and societal shift, a society being challenged. It seems like a commentary on a chaotic era being reflected in the physical process of building up and layering, and partially obscuring the canvas surface itself, in Holosiy's methods, and the materials he uses, instead of focusing solely on the monstrous images presented.. Curator: Precisely. Think about the resources available, or not available, to Holosiy. What was he using? Was it readily available, cheap? Or scavenged, rationed. Even his choice of "matter-painting" reflects on societal consumption, which adds another dimension, suggesting something about the anxieties and unease felt by the population. Does viewing it through this lends a different perspective from simply seeing abstract, expressionist art? Editor: It really does. Considering the materials as part of the message – as reflections of social conditions and a direct product of societal labor - opens up entirely new pathways for understanding it. I never considered before how the material means shape our emotional perception, particularly in matter-paintings. Curator: Indeed, and understanding the production illuminates layers of meaning.