Day R 1981

Oleksandr Aksinin made this ink drawing, sometime around 1981, and it's called Day R. It’s this otherworldly scene in black and white, built with such incredibly fine lines. The mark-making is just insane; it's almost obsessive in its detail, and really precise, like he's building this whole world dot by dot. Look closely, and you can see how the texture comes from the density of these tiny, controlled marks. The black ink is so solid and opaque, creating this deep, mysterious space. But then the white is where it comes alive, the figure is almost glowing against the dark, like a strange mechanical angel. The whole thing reminds me of Paul Klee, who was also obsessed with creating these intricate, symbolic worlds. But Aksinin has this darker, more intense edge. It’s all about layering meaning and leaving things open to interpretation, embracing the unknown in art.