Untitled 2022

Editor: This drawing, titled "Untitled" by Alevtyna Kakhidze, was created in 2022 using pen and ink. It strikes me as both playful and analytical, almost like a visual essay in comic form. What elements stand out to you most prominently? Curator: The linear quality is most striking, wouldn't you agree? The use of simple lines, reminiscent of comic book illustration, works to flatten pictorial space. Note how Kakhidze uses red ink to demarcate certain figures and text. It emphasizes a specific reading of the portrayed scene, creating a hierarchy within the composition. Editor: Yes, the red immediately draws my eye to the seated figure, presumably representing Marcel Duchamp himself. What does the inscription "L.H.O.O.Q" on the drawing within the drawing suggest to you, regarding artistic intent? Curator: Exactly, notice also the pointedly simplistic rendering, alongside more direct reference in the style to the Duchamp iconoclasm: these graphic marks call attention to both medium and composition as constructed representations. Kakhidze prompts us to analyze how meaning is built through the work's structure, from the visual shorthand to the conceptual gesture of appropriation. The line becomes, thus, more than just contour: it performs an argumentative role. Editor: So, instead of primarily focusing on any cultural meaning, you're highlighting how the very act of drawing constructs its own form of commentary? Curator: Precisely. Consider also, Kakhidze may be wryly examining the reproduction and reception of artistic gestures across time; or even the status of drawing itself. Our focus is thereby driven to consider materiality and representation. Editor: I see. I came expecting historical interpretation but found a focus on the language of the drawing itself! Thanks. Curator: An insightful perspective gained from exploring form and function, don’t you agree?