Curatorial notes
Davyd Chychkan made this untitled piece with what looks like monochromatic graphite or charcoal, and it strikes me as a work of great process and labor. Looking at the density of marks, especially in the face and beard of the figure, I imagine Chychkan working slowly, building up tone and texture with thousands of tiny strokes. You can see the residue of his movements in the grainy quality of the lines, a beautiful interplay between light and shadow. The medium is straightforward, even humble, but it’s handled with precision and patience. I find myself drawn to the way the collar of the bust is rendered with such detail, a small area where Chychkan really lets the texture of the paper come through. This approach reminds me of some of the drawings of Jasper Johns, particularly his use of cross-hatching to create depth and volume. But while Johns is interested in the act of representation itself, I think Chychkan’s work speaks more to the enduring power of the human spirit to overcome. Art, after all, is always in conversation with what has come before.
