Present from publishers to readers
The National Union of Artists of Ukraine is hosting the 2nd Triennial of Book Graphics
At the Triennial the audience can see the works of artists of various ages – from students to masters with many-year work experience. The exposition presents the projects which have been realized (books) and authors’ ideas that are waiting for their publisher.
The versatility of items in the exhibit has been marked by such original samples as art book, the so-called author’s book of an artist, which is created in only one copy according to the principle of free flight of fancy. It is worth adding that abroad the art book has taken root long time ago and already won adherents and collectors, but for Ukraine this kind of art is still a new one and it is patiently waiting for recognition. One can mention Polina Doroshenko’s voluminous many-colored textile item, which serves as an illustration to Daniil Kharms’s Day, and Iryna Ozarynska’s Author’s Book as examples of an art book.
A special section of the exhibit is dedicated exclusively to fonts as quite an independent, subtle, and complicated kind of art.
The most captious audience will be gratified by the fact that the illustrations at the Triennial meet every taste. There are classical (ink, pen, and watercolors) works, voluminous, tiny, and gigantic (one meter long) ones, as well as strict, uninhibited, surrealist, and naive childish illustrations. Looking at all this versatility it is easy to come to conclusion that book graphics in Ukraine is really able to compete with the Western samples. The only thing that evokes pity is that there are considerably more artists with wonderful ideas than the publishing houses able to realize them as specific projects.
In spite of the abovementioned versatility I would like to mention the names of several artists whose works immediately draw attention. These are illustrations by Raisa Kutaliova to Oleksa Rosych’s novel Otto, Prince of Lviv, which are executed in author’s technique with amazing “effect of stained glass,” although she used paper in her work. Olha Babak presented the brutal-grotesque illustrations to her fairytale Adventures of Captain Vrubel.
Children’s fairytales are a special warm world, which envelops us with an atmosphere of joy, fantasy, and naive openness to the unexplored Big World. The visitor will be able to see the very touching illustrations created by artist Volodymyr Shtanko to the novelette by Jan-Olof Ekholm Hurra for Ludvig Lurifax (Hurray to Ludwig the Cunning) in the technique of ink, pen, and watercolors. Lewis Carroll’s novel Alice in Wonderland is brilliantly illustrated by K. Matvieieva. The contrast of light and shadow, the refinement of lines, and tender lyricism are piercing Volodymyr Anikin’s illustrations to Astrid Lindgren’s Mio, My Son.
The talent of Ukrainian artists makes reading exciting for all ages, and this year’s Triennial is convincing proof of this.
