Information about the work
His work Scarecrow [Opudalo] (canvas, oil, 1990; entered the Sumy Regional Art Museum in 1991) features a decorative, stylized, and planar composition, giving the impression of an impulsive painterly statement that leans toward the traditions of Abstract Expressionism. Applied across the full format of the canvas is a geometrized depiction of a scarecrow, tilted to the left. The cross-shaped structure of the scarecrow is dressed in a shirt with colorful local spots, stripes, and dots.
In the center of the work, a dense, concentrated image emerges from multicolored brushstrokes, seemingly exploding from within. It resembles an anthropomorphic figure, albeit an indistinctly defined one. The composition has a vertical orientation: elongated lines and splatters of paint create a sense of upward movement, which can be associated with a gesture of soaring or, conversely, with a downward fall and internal tension. The background at the top of the canvas is dark green; at the bottom left, it is dark greenish-gray; on the right, gray. The palette used by the artist is contrasting: the dark, almost black background acts as a neutral field against which the dynamics of vibrant colors—red, blue, green, yellow, white, and brown—unfold. These accents are placed chaotic, yet simultaneously form an internal rhythm that enhances the sense of energy and movement.
The artist works not only with color, but also with gesture; the very process of applying paint becomes a vital component of the content. The use of thick brushstrokes, splatters, and layering points to a technique close to impasto. The surface appears saturated, almost relief-like, which reinforces the three-dimensionality of the image.
The composition evokes associations linked to an internal state of perception—an emotional explosion or chaos. The diagonal line, moving either upward or downward, speaks to the concepts of “fall” and “catastrophe.”
The central image of the scarecrow can be perceived as a symbol of a person in a state of tension or struggle, or as an embodiment of energy bursting forth or collapsing under the impact of life’s cataclysms. Scarecrow is not merely an inanimate figure or an anthropomorphic structure made from old clothes to ward off birds; metaphorically, it represents a proxy for a human being—one who seemingly exists, yet lacks life. A presence without life. It is precisely this substitution that becomes the core content of the work. The canvas is painted in the traditions of Abstract Expressionism, where the artist’s gesture, spontaneity, and emotional saturation play the primary role. This is a work dominated not by depiction as such, but by the process and energy of creation. The canvas appeals to the viewer on the level of sensations, experiences, and immersion into a dynamic, almost chaotic world of color and movement.