Chimeral Disintegration

Oleksiy Kustovsky, December 15, 2014.
- do click the images for the detailing and the feeling of it.

Texture is the very first feeling at seeing Oleksiy Kustovsky's works. There is texture through color, naturally. Each color tone is modulated everywhere on the picture plane creating a shimmering surface.

And then there is his use of the line. It has that classical density to it of a graphical work, delivered with a free flowing hand which adds movement to the composition.

Oleksiy Kustovsky, December 22, 2014.

The doubling of techniques is mirrored on the pictorial level. Oleksiy Kustovsky defines figuration in layers in which each element turns out to contain another layer of imagery. At closer inspection the scales of the snail is created through tiny human sculls just like the hammer and sickle is the plug and cord that feeds the iron. 

Which in turn leads to that we as beholders are dissectors, digging into the composition. The layer within is a direct commentary on the one before it, creating a back story or revealing an aspiration. Dissecting is the relevant word here, since the image literally begins to crumble before us into the still smaller pieces pieces of insight on what the protagonist wishes to keep from us.

The true portrait reveals the person within, we all know that. In this case, it is the true physical format of the protagonist, transforming into a chimera on world history coupled the protagonist's own intention; intention as in aspiration of taking that history upon him, recreating what once was.

Oleksiy Kustovsky, November 20, 2014.

Oleksiy Kustovsky, October 27, 2014.

An interesting element to his very aspiration is his vulnerability. In spite of tentacles and grasshopper's wings, or covering his wished-for stone on the ground with a hammer and sickle with that off-centered colorless eye, there is no demonisation, His aspirations is his weakness or at the very least each time discloses his weakness as the constant at the peak of his life.

Still, the chimera is all the more dangerous for his fear of not succeeding; leaving blood in his trail of lower automatic weaponry tentacles - a scientific cartooning term - at the same time as his scull is cracking open and the upper tentacle eyes, off-centered as always, makes for the outer portrait. 

Oleksiy Kustovsky, January 26, 2015.

The cartoons shown are courtesy of Oleksiy Kustovsky and must not be reproduced without his permission.