Ladies Snakes 2000

Editor: This is Dmytro Kavsan's "Ladies Snakes" from the year 2000, executed in oil paint. I’m immediately struck by its surreal combination of realism and fantasy—like a 17th-century still life invaded by… well, winged figures and miniature people. How do you read this composition? Curator: Formally, the painting constructs an interesting dialogue between traditional still life elements and surreal intrusions. The stark contrast between the detailed rendering of objects—fruits, glassware, fabrics—and the whimsically rendered flying figures introduces a sense of visual dissonance. What structural techniques contribute to this uncanny feeling, in your view? Editor: Perhaps the contrasting scales of the figures compared to the still life create that feeling. Plus, the dramatic chiaroscuro emphasizes certain elements, making them feel more tangible than the fantastical additions. What’s your take on Kavsan's manipulation of depth and perspective? Curator: Indeed. The painting adopts and then subtly disrupts familiar codes of representation, inviting the viewer to actively question what is ‘real’ and what is imagined. The figures do not behave, nor are situated, within expected logical constraints. Semiotically, how do these fantastical elements alter our perception of the objects depicted? Editor: They completely transform it! A simple glass of wine or bowl of fruit now carries this air of…otherworldliness. Seeing those elements juxtaposed forces you to reinterpret everything within the frame. I’ve definitely learned something new. Curator: Precisely. By understanding the structural composition, the piece yields much to our perception. It allows one to appreciate its playful critique of representation itself. A worthwhile endeavor!