Female image and a figure 1975

Editor: This is "Female image and a figure," a 1975 drawing by Hryhorii Havrylenko. The ink on paper gives it such a stark, almost haunting feel. The lines are so direct and unwavering, yet there's something unsettling about the overall composition. What do you see in this piece? Curator: Immediately striking is the interplay between line and form. Note how Havrylenko uses solely linear marks, modulating their density to imply shadow and volume, and how they achieve depth using only linear perspective. Observe the consistent directionality in various areas, creating unified surfaces while preserving individuality through small modifications and variations. The horizon line, for example, offers visual relief in this portrait. Editor: So, it’s about the relationships between lines and the shapes they create? I hadn’t thought about it like that, I was more focused on what was being depicted rather than how. Curator: Precisely. Disregarding what is being presented – figure, face, landscape, we notice the interplay of simple marks and textures; The single line separating figure from background – is that a connection or a partition? Editor: That’s a really interesting question, what do you think? Curator: To the formalist, that is ultimately secondary, but the line acts as both. Is the artist depicting duality or unity? Regardless, the most successful works hold these contradictory elements in balanced tension. Editor: I guess thinking about it just as a set of marks on paper allows for that kind of reading. This has given me a new perspective. Curator: And I think understanding the interplay between form and line creates depth in the drawing itself.