Nowadays it’s a seldom act for an artist like myself to talk about art or to actually create. The focus shifted from oil & canvas to drones, drop systems & initiators while delivering starlinks, potbelly stoves & our infamous MRE’s to Ukrainian Soldiers. Yet, here – I was backing up pictures from recent trips to the front lines and other deliveries, & found this photo of a curious piece that saw light of day in my studio a while ago.
The image presents a dense and vibrant collage measuring 4 by 2 meters, created in Ukraine during 2021-2022, just before the full-scale invasion by ruzzian cockroaches. Collages of this nature often serve as a cultural capsule, capturing the zeitgeist of a particular era or significant event – and this one’s curious because it has been put together by the people that came through Marlinski’s art studio. Taking into account the communal aspect of its creation, this collage emerges not only as a visual tapestry of international print media through a Ukrainian prism but also as a collective chronicle of human interaction.
Each participant, through their selection and placement of images, contributed their voice to a larger conversation taking place within the collage’s framework. The diverse range of images suggests that each person brought their own interests, concerns, and aesthetic preferences to the piece, resulting in a multifaceted portrayal of cultural and artistic diversity. This aspect of the collage’s creation imbues the artwork with a profound sense of unity and shared experience, reflecting a mosaic of perspectives and stories that converge within the artwork’s boundaries.
The collaborative nature of the artwork, fostered during a period of intense national hardship, represents a poignant juxtaposition: while the content of the collage is international in scope, the spirit of its creation is deeply rooted in the local experience, emblematic of the Ukrainian resilience and community solidarity in the face of adversity.
This collage, therefore, stands not only as an artistic endeavor of outstanding cultural value but also as a testament to the collective human spirit that thrives even during the darkest of times. It is a physical manifestation of the creativity, cooperation, and hope that serve as a beacon of the indomitable will to create, share, and find common ground to confront and overcome the chaos of war.
Little did we know – the war was about to engulf all of us and test our resilience while giving us a chance to rise up with the challenge…
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