Illustration to Daniil Kharms' book "Fairy Tale" 1971

This is Hryhorii Havrylenko’s illustration to Daniil Kharms' book "Fairy Tale," and the way it's made feels so direct. You can see the artist figuring it out as they go. Look at the bold colours, almost like cut-outs. The yellow background makes everything else pop. The figure is a worker, maybe? Check out the green apron and the blue clothing. It's like he’s been caught mid-motion. I love how the colours are so flat but still create a sense of depth. I'm drawn to the man's right arm. It’s got this confident bend at the elbow. It’s a little clumsy, a little off, but somehow it works perfectly. This piece reminds me of some of Fernand Léger’s figure studies, where he uses simplified forms and bold colours. It’s like Havrylenko is having a conversation across time with other artists about how we see and represent the world. Art is an ongoing, messy, and beautiful dialogue.