The village of Stebliv 1957

Hryhorii Havrylenko made this ink drawing of The village of Stebliv sometime during his lifetime, though the exact date is unknown. Look at the landscape, it's captured with such sparse, direct marks, almost like a shorthand for a place. I’m drawn to how the density of the marks changes the feel of different areas. See how the road is defined by these clean, parallel lines, giving it a smooth, almost reflective quality? Then, just beside it, there's this scribbled, chaotic patch, suggesting rough terrain or maybe overgrown weeds. It's a simple technique, but it does so much to evoke texture and depth. There's something very honest about this drawing. It reminds me a little of Philip Guston's early representational work, the same kind of humble observation and willingness to embrace imperfection. Both artists show us that art isn't about perfect representation, but about seeing and feeling.