Lesson 7 s.Hordynsky

Sviatoslav Hordynsky, born 30 December 1906 in Kolomyia, Galicia. Painter, graphic artist, poet, translator, art and literary scholar, member of the Ukrainian Academy of Arts and Sciences and the Shevchenko Scientific Society.

He studied art at O.Novakivsky's school in Lviv, then in Berlin (1928) and in Paris at the Academie Julien and Academie de l'Art Moderne. Returning to Lviv, he worked as a painter and book designer. He cofounded the Association of Independent Ukrainian Artists, edited its journal Mystetstvo, and organized its art exhibitions (1931, 1933). Immigrating to the United States in 1947, he helped found the Ukrainian Artists' Association there, serving as its president (1956-63) and participating in its exhibitions. Since 1950 he had painted about 50 churches in North America and Europe. His wall paintings and iconostases are a synthesis of the neo-Byzantine and modernist styles.

Several of Hordynsky's poetry collections have been published. His poetry is close to that of the Neoclassicists. He was a versatile translator from Italian, French, English, German, and Polish. A jubilee edition of "The Tale of Ihor's Campaign" (1950), edited by Horodynsky, contains his rendering of the poem in contemporary Ukrainian!

* Ask and answer the questions.

1. Who ... S.Horodynsky? (be)

2. Where ... he ... art? (study)

3. What ... he ... in Lviv? (do)

4. What ... he ... in the USA? (found)

5. What ... he ... since 1950? (paint)

6. What languages ... he ...from? (translate)

Translate:

a).Member of the Ukrainian Academy of Arts and Sciences, Shevchenko Scientific Society, Paris Academie Julien, Academie de l'Art Moderne, the Association of Independent Ukrainian Artists, wall painting, iconostase, poetry collection, versatile translator.

b). Hordynsky studied art at O.Novakivsky's school in Lviv, then in Berlin (1928) and in Paris at the Academie Julien and Academie de l'Art Moderne.

c) Several of Hordynsky's poetry collections have been published.

Hordynsky worked as a painter and book designer.

d) A jubilee edition of "The Tale of Ihor's Campaign" (1950), edited by Horodynsky, contains his rendering of the poem in contemporary Ukrainian.

e) Hordynsky was the famous painter, graphic artist, poet, translator, art and literary scholar, member of the Ukrainian Academy of Arts and Sciences and the Shevchenko Scientific Society.

f). Since 1950 he had painted about 50 churches in North America and Europe.

Creative work:

1).You are the teacher of History of art. Tell your students about S. Hordynsky.

2).Write an essay about Hordynsky/

Lesson 8 Tetiana Yablons'ka

I. Before reading

Do you like paintings showing Ukrainian folk­lore traditions? Can you name artists that worked in this genre?

II. While reading

Read the text about T.Yablons'ka and say if you have learned some­thing you did not know.

The famous Ukrainian painter Tetiana Yablons'ka was born on 24 February 1917 in the city of Smolensk, in the land where the Dnieper River originates. She entered the art scene in the 1940s and soon established herself as an original and outstanding artist. When still young, she was awarded two USSR State prizes and other high honours and awards. She became the leader of many young Ukrainian artists in pursuit of new styles. But she never felt content with herself.

From 1935 to 1941, Yablons'ka was a student in Fedir Krichevsky's art studio at the Kyiv Art Institute where she developed her idea of painting — the painting of colour and form, the two principal components of the artist's flexible thinking. Her first attempts clearly demonstrate the forceful manner other famous teacher, his ability to fuse the achievements of the Renais­sance masters, vivid decor of Ukrainian icons and lucidity of the Impression­ists. Yablons'ka's artistic manner was evident even in the sketches done for her diploma painting Coming Back From Hay-Making which concluded Yablons'ka's pre-war period full of hopes and expectations.

In 1945 at the Eighth Republican Art Exhibition she displayed the canvas Enemy Is Approach ing which is noted for its deep insight into the war theme and for its exposure of the anti-humanistic nature of war.

The paintings that followed were full of kindness and aesthetical values. The artist who survived the grim war years was glad to watch people peace­fully sitting on the beach on a May day, or to see an enamoured couple.

The year 1949 saw the appearance of Yablons'ka's renowned picture Grain which made her famous as a first-grade painter and proved a milestone in Soviet visual art. The topics other works embrace various subjects: peace and work, the happiness of motherhood and youth, the wisdom of old people, people with their sorrows and joys. Yablons'ka is her own most exacting judge. She tries to avoid artificial feelings or empty formulas absolutely alien to genu­ine art. Her own evaluation of the painting Spring, for example, differed con siderably from the appreciation by complimentary critics in 1950; she was also discontent with some other works of the early 1950s.

What depressed Yablons'ka deeply was the decline in her creative career, mainly brought about by the limits imposed by the art establishment during the stagnation period with its pseudo-realistic political dogmas, a narrative approach and meaningless naturalism. In spite of everything, Yablons'ka's works continued to manifest talent, freedom and the painter's artistic creed.

New imagery in Soviet art was brought about by unrestrained creative thought in the 1960s. These new tendencies were readily reflected in Yablons'ka's painting Together With Dad, Young Mother, The Newly-Wed, The Bride, Swans and others. Her trips to Armenia, Polissia and the Transcarpathian area, played a significant role in her creative career and sharpened the artist's feeling of national identity and love for folk art.

Her career gained a fresh impetus. As in her youth Yablons'ka devoted considerable energies to the exploration of the possibilities in painting tech­nique. She had equally mastered pen, water colour, felt tip pen and monotype techniques demonstrating an immaculate professionalism in all these fields.