Oleksandr Hnylytskiy is considered one of the renowned contemporary artists of Ukrainian art scene. This is the third exhibition of his works after his passing in 2009. The title, «Reality of Illusion,» alludes to the mind-bending blockbuster trilogy of the ‘90s, – «Matrix.» The idea, that our surroundings are illusory. This is an implicit motif, that permeates the entire exhibition. The idea of ‘neo’ – ‘new,’ that Oleksandr Hnylytskiy wanted to establish – away from postmodernism and trans-avante-garde. Instead, he aimed to create his own discourse; as his colleagues from the Paris Commune – the first, bona-fide movement of contemporary Ukrainian artists in the 1990s .The artist oscillates between reality and illusion, which is the idea behind, and precisely the name of, this exhibition – «Reality of Illusion». At first glance, Hnylytskiy’s works are perceived as furtive; they are infused with mystery and irony, as if they don’t reveal all of the artists intent.
Hnylytskiy is known for his whimsical intepretations of classics, such as Monet, Mondrian, Richter, Warhol, Hockney to name a few. These dexterous transformations came quite easy to him. When drawing Mondrian, he deconstructs the process of how the geometric figures are being painted, whereas in «Media Hockney,» he depicts one of the famous Hockney’s pool paintings, which comes alive as an animation. In another series, Hnylytskiy aptly adapts Warhol’s idea of reproductions and applies it to a number of his own works – be that of vinyls, shirts or springs on a mattress.
Hnylytskiy often used fictional characters as subjects of his paintings – Shtirlitz, Frankenstein, Phantomas, the Little Mermaid all inhibit his canvases. It is almost as though he preferred to paint unrealistic subjects, rather than people whom he knew. Even when he painted his prominent «Stereoksiu,» the subject also appears otherworldly, almost alien-like. He wasn’t so concerned with the physicality of his characters, as much as with their mystical features and capabilities.
One of Hnylytskiy’s works that really captures attention, is his «Aqua Minerale.» A monumental glass of water towers over from a canvas. It’s effect is overwhelming. The technique is of hyper-realism, when one aims to re-create reality and even enhance it. The artist here provides no evidence or proof of an implicit or hidden message, however the work of the surrealist Renee Magritte comes to mind, namely, «The treachery of the images,» where he famously captioned an image of a pipe with the phrase, ‘c’est ne pas un pipe’ (‘this is not a pipe’). The assumption is, is that an image equals the object itself, even though, it is merely it’s representation.
Velazquez’s celebrated work, «Las Meninas,» hasn’t escaped Hnylytskiy’s radar – he also immortalised a version of her in one of his canvases. However, it isn’t so as much of the real heroine, as much as her symbol that she attained in art – this immortal status that represents classical art. Hnylitskiy expanded on this view, by painting the heroine in monochrome colour palette, rather stiffly, as if she is a statue, rather than a human being. Perhaps, that is what the artist wanted to achieve – the idea of ‘simulacra’ – Jean Baudrillard’s idea of ‘copy of a copy.’ Similarly, perhaps such a state, also reflects the heroine’s life – she died when she was only 22, due to a severe cold. Initially, «Infanta,» was a diptych, however, the artist soon used the other canvas for another of his works. Nevertheless, the ‘missing’ part is demarcated by a dashed line in the exhibition.
Hnylytskiy was fond of illusions and deceptions. He employed a few of them in some of his works. For instance, «Stereoksiu,» – a painting of a girl, which is floating underwater, holding her breath. One can view this painting on its own. However, the concept is only complete, when audience views the two identical images of the girl through a stereoscope, which, in turn, converges them into one single image. Therefore, without the aid of audience, the work is incomplete. This makes us question the role of the author in this painting – does it remain solely with the painter? Or does part of it is being relegated to the audience, since they ‘complete’ the painting, even though through artist’s suggestion? In other ways, «Stereoksiu» inspires one to ponder upon the nature of time; how sometimes we yearn to stop a moment, because we’re afraid that it won’t continue for much longer. This idea of one immersed underwater and holding a breath, is a metaphor for such a notion.
Vinyls were one of the beloved objects of Hnylytskiy. It is evident, because they appear in three different series of works. Primarily, we see a giant «Vinyl Moon», painted on canvas. Secondly, there is a series of vinyls, objects, which artist painted over with portraits of musicians. Thirdly, he exhibits vinyls mounted on a wall. The collection of these revised vinyls cannot not conjure image of Warhol’s series of reproductions, be that of Marilyn Monroe or Campbell’s Soup Cans, in a similar Pop Art manner.
A lot of attention should be paid to Hnylytskiy’s installations. They were the first of their kind among Ukrainian artists, therefore should not be judged too strictly. «The Room» is a part of the larger project by Oleksandr Hnylytskiy and Lesya Zajec, «Insitute of Unstable Thoughts.» «The Room» is a meditative space, which is modern-day interpretation of Plato’s cave, whereby shadows are drifting from wall to wall, creating an ambience of eternity and monotony. Another project proposed by the «Institute…» was a «Puzzle,» which is a comparison between two skeletons, one of a human body and another of a goose. It is a reproduction of a 16th century work by Belon, only in a deconstructed form, in a form of a puzzle. This, rather ambigious work, could be interpreted as part of a larger discourse, whereby people are starting to question the nature of the future skeleton – with the advancement of the artificial intelligence and increasing technological prowess, who knows what skeletons might look like in the future.
Hnylytskiy was an idealogue, as well as an artist. All artists think, however, not everyone records their thoughts. He meditated on the nature of pluralism, obsevations from life, and his artistic community – The Paris Commune. His journals consist of private musings, observations and whimsical illustrations. Here, you can have a glimpse at the artist’s sense of humour.
Paris Commune was a big part of Hnylytskiy’s life. Paris Commune was a group of artists in the early 1990s, which formed themselves into a community. They would live and work together, all in one place – Paris Commune 18A. His contemporaries, such as Golosiy, Roytburdt, Savadov, were also prominent Ukrainian artists. They were the trailblazers of Ukrainian contemporary art. Hnylytskiy was invited to Munich residencies, even exhibited his work («Dance,» video installation, 1993), in New York. For those times in Ukraine, it was a breakthrough for the artists. The aesthetic of Paris Commune was quite specific – they created many works, which distorted human body – from video-installation, which comprised of dancing in front of curved mirrors («Dance»), to image manipulations – an autoportrait, which comprised of a reflection of one in a faucet.
In conclusion, it could be stated that Hnylytskiy’s works are tantalizing; they are the works, which were conceived in one of the most incredible time in recent history – the fall of the Soviet Union. His works are a fusion of subtle colours, which represent the realities of Soviet Union, and on the other hand, his ‘flight of thought’ – he drew his cosmic, psychedelic world, which went against the notions of Social Realism, the only agreeable art movement during the Soviet era. It is satisfying to draw connections between Eastern European artists and their Western counterparts, it must be remembered that it wasn’t the intention of Ukrainian artists to mimic the Western artists; they had to gain their knowledge from somewhere, and despite the despotic system, which confined artists to explore their boundaries, vision of some artists prevailed; such statement can definitely be attributed to Hnylytskiy; as well as the fact that his impact on Ukrainian contemporary art scene is unassailable.
Alma libera 