Information about the work
The canvas Sicilian Still Life [Sytsyliiskyi naturmort] (oil and assemblage on canvas, 1981; acquired by the Sumy Regional Art Museum in 1988) was painted in the style of Surrealism and Transavantgarde, long before his time at the Parkommuna squat. The horizontal composition points to its narrative character, informative content, and philosophical undercurrent. Placed on a surface draped in a multi-colored and ornately patterned cloth—knotted on both sides of the table and cropped at the bottom edge—are various plaster objects. On the left edge of the surface lies a red and white pulled fabric; on the right, a male bust draped in black fabric, with the upper portion of its head cropped by the top edge of the canvas.
The tabletop acts as a dividing line that splits the canvas into two sections. The lower part, together with the tablecloth, forms a symbolic “triangle” with its downward apex cropped by the picture frame. Above, a dark, dense “rectangle” marked by black spots of various shapes presses with its form and mass upon the delicate graphic pattern below. Another division of the canvas is vertical. On the left, a vivid red fabric dominates, seemingly flowing or falling downward to evoke a sense of movement and drama. At the same time, the red drapery conveys associations with vital energy, wholeness, and passion. Overlaid upon it is a rhythmic ornament of repeating white elements resembling lace. This pattern reads as a symbol of order and tradition, standing in sharp contrast to the anxious, emotionally charged red background.
To the right, the composition becomes more complex with a dark mass traversed by expressive yellow lines. These register as nervous impulses or energy flows that disrupt the static quality of the form and heighten the sense of inner conflict and tension. Thus, chaos and structure, impulse and control coexist within this “still life.” In the background are objects resembling plaster or stone forms: a bust, slabs, and possibly fragments of sculptures. Cold and static, frozen in time, they appeal to classical tradition and art history, yet appear detached and fragmentary—like remnants of memory or a culture that has lost its cohesion.
The dark silhouette on the left side of the composition, which evokes a human figure, warrants special attention. This is a characteristic technique in which a form is deliberately left ambiguous, inviting the viewer to “complete” the image. It may symbolize the internal state of a person immersed in contemplation or burdened by heavy experiences. It serves as an observer within the scene—a bearer of memory or an inner state caught between past and present—whose presence imparts psychological depth to the work.
The work is constructed around coloristic, textural, and conceptual contrasts that build a tense emotional state: movement versus stasis, order versus chaos, life versus memory. The composition is rich in symbols: the unsettling red fabric creates a sense of movement and drama, while the static stone sculptures, frozen in time, emerge as vestiges of memory and history. Sicilian Still Life is no longer merely a depiction of objects, but rather the artist’s interrogation of the very possibility of depicting them. The work stands as a visual metaphor for the interplay of personal experience, cultural heritage, and anxious reality, inviting the viewer to interpret it while leaving room for individual reading and emotional resonance.