CHICAGO – The Ukrainian Institute of Modern Art (UIMA ) was very fortunate to receive from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, and with the support of the Ukrainian Consulate in Chicago, a splendid collection of graphic art from the major Ukrainian centers of art for exhibition in Chicago. The exhibit, titled “Contemporary Ukrainian Graphics at the Turn of the XX/XXI Century,” will be on view at the UIMA through December 16.
This fortuitous situation developed because of the active pursuit by Larysa Gerasko, Ukraine’s consul general in Chicago, of possible interface and cooperation of Ukrainian artists with diaspora artistic establishments. She was aware that Ukraine is engaged in an ambitious effort to showcase Ukrainian art to the world. Inquiries made to the Ukrainian Ministry of Foreign Affairs about this interface struck a positive chord.
The ministry identified a very successful current art initiative organized by Kateryna Pidhayna and Iryna Borovets in the field of contemporary Ukrainian graphics that had successfully exhibited this important branch of Ukrainian art in Europe to much acclaim. The consul general suggested that the Ukrainian Institute of Modern Art (UIMA) in Chicago would be the perfect fit. The Ministry agreed, and UIMA was delighted by this possibility to exhibit Ukrainian art in America. Realizing the high cost of such an exhibit, the ministry’s Cultural Diplomacy Branch was able to secure sufficient funds to implement this endeavor.
From the series “Intervention N27,” 2017, by Iryna Kalenyk of Chernivtsi.
The opening of the exhibit on Friday, October 12, was a great success with over 130 people present. Speaking at the opening was Adrienna Kochman, the UIMA curator, as well as Kateryna Pidhaina, art critic and the co-curator of this exhibit. Also involved in this exhibit but not present was co-curator, Iryna Borovets, a Ukrainian diplomat and art critic. With the help of Ukrainian designer Lara Yakovenko, this assembled group also prepared a very professional catalogue of the exhibit, which is available for purchase.
In general, Ukrainian art, and particularly graphic art, is not very well known in the West and the world.
The sad state of exposure of Ukrainian graphic art outside of Ukraine was complicated by several factors: infrequent solo exhibitions and the absence of group exhibitions. In Ukraine, graphic art was unevenly exhibited in museums. The graphic art that was shown was invariably by artists in open workshops or through private collectors. Public viewing was minimal and rare. The second factor was the physical separation of major Ukrainian art centers from each other and the lack of coordination of information exchange and interface between them. This fact did allow for the development of specific distinct personal styles among the artists.
One very positive outcome of the exhibit now at UIMA was global exposure as well as contact between artists from the various art centers in Ukraine
“Temptation,” 2018, by Oleg Denysenko of Lviv.
This exhibit identifies specific geographic art centers within the time frame of the 1990s and focused on the evolution of printed graphics since Ukraine’s independence in 1991 to the present day. The graphic arts during this period were in a state of uncertainty.
To better understand the circumstances that formed the particular styles of the artist in Ukraine in the 20th century one has to examine the impacts of Soviet artistic cannon on the development of graphic art in particular and on Ukrainian art in general. In the early years of communism, freedom of artistic expression was the norm. This was followed by the developing orthodoxy of Soviet Socialistic Realism in the 1930s. A limited freedom of artistic expression was allowed in the perestroika period up to the mid 1980s. This uneven politically motivated imposition on artistic freedom caused much confusion and ultimately a steady resistance on the part of Ukrainian artists to the utilitarian demands of the government regarding the use of graphic art to legitimize, propagate and expand the Soviet way of life. Brave artists maintained an independent spirit in these trying times and continued to secretly develop original graphics that were never exhibited publically.
In western Ukraine, the relative artistic freedom allowed the development of artistic trends of modernism and avant-garde art up to the start of World War II. This phase of western Ukrainian art ended abruptly with the unification of all Ukrainian lands under Soviet rule. Diaspora artists, who survived DP camps and immigration, vigorously continued artistic pursuits in all forms in their new homes.
With the collapse of the Soviet dictatorship and its artistic cannon, in the late 1980s artists found the new freedom a heady tonic in their search for new directions in all forms of art. The graphic artists embraced modernism and non-conformism, and quickly established a vibrant and original Ukrainian contemporary graphics. Graphic art schools in Kyiv, Lviv and Kharkiv became major centers for the expansion and development of this unappreciated and marginalized art form that is currently experiencing a renaissance.
The exhibit “Contemporary Ukrainian graphics at the turn of the XX/XI Century” features graphic arts works from major geographic centers: Kyiv (30 prints), Lviv (39 prints) and Kharkiv (12 prints). In addition there were prints from Luhansk (five prints) and from Chernivtsi (three prints). Secondary geographic centers such as Ivano-Frankivsk, Uzhhorod, Chernivtsi, Poltava, Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia, Dnipro, Vinnytsia, Cherkasy and Sumy represent unique styles of graphic art, however, UIMA did not have the space to include them in the current exhibit.
The graphic artists whose works are exhibited use many techniques, such as classical etching, aquatint, linoleum, lithographs, mezzotint, monotypes and drypoint, as well as specific techniques invented by the artists themselves and new techniques such as Japanese mokulito. In the past, paper was the material of choice used as the visual ground. Today the range of materials used includes fabric, metal, wood and other substances.
This exhibit highlights the creativity of three major Ukrainian art centers and their schools of graphic arts. Fifteen artists represent the Lviv School. The Kyiv School is represented by 11, and the Kharkiv School by four. The secondary artistic centers of Chernivtsi and Luhansk, with a more idiosyncratic style of graphic art, each have one example of graphic art. In total, the UIMA exhibit consists of 88 carefully selected graphic art works in various techniques.
Lviv School
The Lviv School of graphics was strongly influenced by the modernism of West European artistic trends and a strong national-cultural consciousness that opposed Socialist Realism. The Lviv city cosmopolitan milieu and the particular make-up of Lviv’s way of life created an artistic atmosphere conducive to the development of original and confident artistic expression in all of its forms.
The Lviv School is characterized by advanced compositional thinking, decorativeness, masterful work/virtuosity with color, experimental techniques and philosophical concepts, that are visualized in the artwork. The synthesis of various artistic components of the integrated artistic community of Lviv enhances the originality of the artists. Some examples of this school can be seen in the works of Oleg Denysenko’s 2017 print “Good Hunting” (2017) and Roman Romanyshyn’s “Carl and Clara” (Diptych, 2014).
Kyiv School
The Kyiv School’s graphic artists seem to symbolize a rebellion against the pace of modern life and its demands. This is evident in art that symbolizes the tensions of modernity and demands of evolving society and current life issues. This rebellion takes the form of comic-tragic depiction of fantastic creatures and absurd concepts. The art works of Kristina Yarosh (“Untitled,” 2018) and Anna Khodkova (“Untitled,” diptych, 2017) are a good example of this alienation from modern life. It should be noted that many women represent the Kyiv School of graphics.
Kharkiv School
The graphic works of Kharkiv appear to be chaotic and eclectic. The works of only four artists from the Kharkiv School are included in this exhibit. Viewing the work of Vitaliy Kulikov, Pavel Makov, Natalia Mironenko and Olena Kudinova, one can assume that the Kharkiv School encouraged a very wide range of possible styles of graphic art. Elements of stylized grotesque human forms, organic forms, abstract colored geometric forms and pseudo scientific symbolism predominate in the Kharkiv School of graphic arts.
Orest Hrynewych is a board member of the Ukrainian Institute of Modern Art.