Sculptural memorial recalls victims of genocidal famine (04/09/00)

Sculptural memorial recalls victims of genocidal famine

NEW YORK - A temporary sculptural memorial recognizing victims of the Great Ukrainian Famine of 1932-1933 titled "Winter Provisions" by Karla Roberts has been installed in Tompkins Square Park near the eastern edge of the Ukrainian neighborhood in Manhattan, where it will be on display through Eastertime.

The beautiful and unassuming work, a quiet yet profound statement on the oppression of the Ukrainian people, takes the form of a bird feeder. Made of steel and glass, it consists of three posts varied in height, each delicately supporting a small structure that invites birds to come and feed. By using seeds as bird feed in the sculpture, the artist has created a metaphor for the lost human lives and the stolen grain.

On its base are depicted symbolic images taken from pysanky, or Ukrainian Easter eggs: rakes, meaning a plentiful harvest; ladders, symbolizing the passing into another existence; and birds, representing spring, good harvests and the warding off of evil. The physical design of the feeders was derived from the architecture of both grain silos and wooden churches. The community element is represented by multiple feeders.

The inscription on the base, which appears in both English and Ukrainian, reads: "In the memory of the more than 5 million souls who were victims of the Great Famine, winter 1932-1933, Ukraine."

Ms. Roberts recieved a grant from the Society for Environmental Graphic Design to research and produce the work. She came upon the theme of the famine three years ago while living in the Ukrainian neighborhood in Chicago and conversing with people in the community.

In her statement regarding the proposed installation, Ms. Roberts noted that upon having interviewed several Ukrainians, she "know[s] this to be a very imbedded part of their history that has personally touched many." She added that "As a resident of Seventh Street [in Manhattan], I appreciate their conservation of their own culture and (the) ethnic diversity they contribute to the city of New York."

A graduate with an MFA degree from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, Ms. Roberts lives in the Ukrainian neighborhood in New York and teaches typography and graphic design at the Parsons School of Design. Her special area of interest is sculptural work in various media, especially artwork for public spaces. This is her second installation in New York.

A card issued by the City of New York Parks and Recreation announcing the exhibit notes: "During the winter of 1932-33, Stalin commenced the collectivization of agricultural regions in the Soviet Union to make the nation more homogenous. As part of his plan, he oppressed the Ukrainian people, systematically eradicating their individual freedoms of culture, religion and language. Because their land was one of the largest and most fertile in the Soviet Union, Stalin confiscated all wheat, animals and farmlands, claiming these as Soviet property. Reports vary that from 3 million to 12 million Ukrainians starved to death during the winter. Although millions starved, any existence of a famine was denied by the Soviet government, and only recently, discovered by the public at large."

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