REVIEW: Photography by Tania Mychajlyshyn-D'Avignon (09/03/00)

REVIEW: Photography by Tania Mychajlyshyn-D'Avignon

by Lana Y. Babij

HARTFORD, Conn. - The greater Hartford area community recently had the pleasure of hosting an exhibition of photography by the well-known photographer and photojournalist Tania Mychajlyshyn-D'Avignon. Ms. D'Avignon's years as a free lance photographer have included numerous assignments in Ukraine for National Geographic, as well as assignments with the executive offices of both the U.S. and Ukrainian governments.

Ms. D'Avignon graciously accepted the invitation to display and offer for sale a selection of her work for the benefit of the Children of Chornobyl Relief Fund. The newly remodeled church hall of St. Michael's Ukrainian Catholic Church in Hartford provided a warm and suitably intimate setting for this two-day exhibit featuring images of Ukraine. The exhibit was expertly mounted and displayed, the large photographs immediately presenting to the viewer the keen eye and assurance of a skilled professional.

Three documentary-style series were presented in the exhibit. The first, immediately engaging each viewer entering the hall, was of a Bukovynian wedding. It was evident from the photographs that the subjects' families wished to recreate a traditional wedding in all its extended rituals and sumptuous costume, and the end result as captured by Ms. D'Avignon provides an exquisite record. We watched the bride, in the soft shadow of morning, being bathed by her mother and godmother. We glimpsed the bevy of bridesmaids in their plumed headdresses and richly embroidered costumes, chatting among themselves as they awaited the start of the formal wedding procession. Many other images from the celebration captured not only the richness of the traditions, but, more intimately, the love, the warmth and the exuberance of the day.

The next narrative series transported viewers to a stark world traditionally closed to public view: a women's penal institution near Lviv. Here we were presented with glimpses of the women going about their daily routines, and we grasped the harsh circumstances of the prisoners' existence. Riveting portraits of individual inmates showed these women as individuals not defeated by their punishment, but as determined and often defiant survivors.

Another series invited us to the seasonal herding of sheep and goats for grazing in the pasturelands of the Carpathian Mountains (Karpaty). Through Ms. D'Avignon's eyes, we met with shepherds young and old and participated in the first-day activities, which included a lively milking contest.

In her exhibit Ms. D'Avignon also shared some of her personal images of Ukraine's land: the morning sun glinting off the treetops near a meadow, snow-covered fields with haystacks, the Karpaty, and the cranes. In addition, we were shown a few photographs from Ms. D'Avignon's more extensive series on the Chornobyl aftermath, among them particularly poignant still-lifes of homes hastily yet reluctantly abandoned, bearing witness to the fatefully interrupted lives of their residents.

As one experienced the exhibit more closely, it has the trust and familiarity in the faces looking back at us that seemed to make the strongest impression. Indeed, Ms. D'Avignon is a master of the human-interest portrait.

A particularly effective part of the exhibit was an extensive grouping of portraits, suspended by wire as if on a transparent grid, that spanned one end of the hall. It featured many of Ukraine's well-known personalities, ranging from President Leonid Kuchma and former President Leonid Kravchuk to several others prominent in the political, economic and cultural arenas.

Scattered throughout the remainder of the exhibit were many other portraits, though less formal, of children, friends and acquaintances of the moment from all walks of life. In every case one sensed the rapport struck between the photographer and the subject: Ms. D'Avignon's warmth and respect for each individual has met with a corresponding responsiveness in her subjects that, in turn, served to captivate the viewer.

By the end of the exhibit, one could imagine Ms. D'Avignon putting down her camera and dancing with the groom at the wedding, or raising a glass with the sheepherders at the festivities, or swooping up that laughing child and twirling her around. Ms. D'Avignon's photographs say this is my land, these are my people; this is our family in all its rich complexity; unabashedly, I share this love with you.

Ms. D'Avignon's artistry, skill and deep sense of humanity make her a photographer not to be missed. Last year, a large format volume containing more than 200 of her photographs was published in Kyiv, titled "Simply Ukraine" (Prosto Ukraina). This superb, high-quality album is available directly from: Tania D'Avignon, 25 Church St., Newton, MA 02458; call (617) 964-1942 or e-mail [email protected] for details.

The exhibit, which was on view May 6-7, was sponsored by the Children of Chornobyl Relief Fund, Greater Hartford Chapter. Nadia Haftkowycz, chapter head, organized and managed the exhibit. Stefania and Peter Pryshlak donated the display panels; Irene and Myron Krasij and Wanda Baxer handled the layout and mounting of the exhibit; Julie Nestoruk, with the assistance of Ulana Hryn and Oksana and Orest Kuzma, served as hospitality coordinator; Ihor Mychajluk and Ihor Stefak directed the transportation of display props; Ihor Chaban and Eugene Babij were in charge of set-up and break-down; and Lana Babij took care of reporting. Special thanks were expressed to the Rev. Oksana Chouter for use of the church hall.

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