Paraphrase VI 1983

Curator: This unsettling artwork, titled "Paraphrase VI", was created by Oleksandr Aksinin in 1983 using acrylic paint. What do you make of this scene? Editor: My immediate impression is a sense of orchestrated chaos, a feeling that things are not quite in their rightful place. The clashing red and green, the surgical apparatus… Curator: That sense of unease may stem from Aksinin's fusion of seemingly disparate symbols. Note the recurring motif of the serpent—an archetypal image. Historically and cross-culturally, snakes have been symbols of both healing and toxicity. What might it signify in this particular configuration? Editor: Its presence near what looks like surgical lighting underscores a narrative tension, the interplay of creation and destruction. The sharp angles of the lights contrast with the sinuous lines of the snake. Formally, this juxtaposition enhances the work's overall dynamism, unsettling any attempt at easy categorization. Curator: And the figure bathed in green light below… Aksinin's paintings, frequently featuring female figures, delves into the hidden psychological currents, questioning cultural standards related to both body and soul. Do you see that reflected here? Editor: Indeed. The figure could embody vulnerability but is instead presented with unflinching directness, challenging conventional themes of female representation. Aksinin skillfully blends abstract symbolism with recognizable forms, and thus avoids trite representational traps. Curator: Consider, too, the historical moment in which Aksinin was working: the Soviet era. Works like these became vehicles for veiled expression and a way to process latent unease and political unrest through symbols. Editor: This historical perspective enriches my reading of it and clarifies why this work leaves such a profound impression, achieving formal complexity through layering thematic nuances. I will definitely be thinking more about those red verticals. Curator: Its symbolism now resonating with additional historical perspective. Thank you for shedding light on its intricacies!