Exlibris of U. Morina 1976

Editor: So, here we have Oleksandr Aksinin’s 1976 etching titled "Exlibris of U. Morina." It's got a slightly surreal quality to it with a strange sort of railway imagery. I’m drawn to the locomotive emerging from what looks like an unzipping zipper. How do you interpret this work? Curator: It's fascinating how Aksinin uses industrial motifs in this personalized bookplate. Consider how the railway functions here, not just as transportation, but as a connection. The 'zipper' form merges the mechanical with the personal, almost like revealing or concealing the 'contents' of U. Morina. What comes to mind when you consider a book's "ex libris?" Editor: I guess I always thought of it as just a nameplate… a label of ownership. Curator: Precisely, but consider that a symbolic act! Aksinin isn't just marking possession; he’s creating a symbolic gateway into Morina’s world, her literary landscape, suggested by the train—a journey into knowledge and imagination. Do you notice any other subtle symbolism? Editor: The smokestack above looks a bit like an ornate lamp. Is that significant? Curator: It could suggest enlightenment or illumination, a light source of ideas, fueled by the "engine" of the book itself. It’s interesting how Aksinin combines images of power, industry, and even domesticity into a concise emblem. There’s a real depth there. Editor: I see that! It's more than just a label; it’s like a miniature coat of arms… for a reader. I’ll never look at an ex libris the same way. Curator: Hopefully, you’ll begin to see these intimate objects as cultural artifacts loaded with memory.