PARTICULARITY OF ARTWORKS BY VASYL KORCHOVYI VASYL

Abstract

Abstract. This article explores Vasyl Korchovyi’s artistic heritage, his unparalleled style, and notable manner of working. Vasyl Korchovyi is a Ukrainian sculptor, graduate from National Academy of Fine Arts and Architecture, representative of the Academic school of sculpture creation. This sculptor has not been neglected today and is an often and widely recognizable guest and/or participant of/in numerous exhibitions, art competitions, and sculpture symposiums including the latest one, the Xth Kaniv International Sculptural Symposium (September–October, 2021). Despite that, his artworks have been discussed in a quite occasional and random way in artistic articles and other kind of publications. This is the reason of why this study focuses on the major subjects and gentres used by Korchovyi for his artworks, as well as on his manner and techniques for working with stone. The studу is one of the first-ever attempts to use the art criticism approach to evaluate three sculpture works by Korchovyi: with two of them being complete and one piece still unfinished: the work from the Kaniv sculptural symposium above. First, Altar of Dionysus, an indoor sculpture, carved of sandstone, is discussed. It depicts a bacchante, a woman who holds a bowl and a grapevine, with her hair ingrown in the branches and the two goat heads that flank the composition on both sides; the attributes associated with fer­tility, sweet delight and also with wild Dionysian origin, while calm or even being asleep at the moment. Second sculptural work is the tombstone of Vasyl Korchovyi’s father, Ivan Sobko. For this reason, its design is marked with Korchovyi’s personal feelings and sentiments. The composition of the sandstone-made sculptural part of the tombstone represents an angel with outstretched wings, inscribed in the area of a trefoil cross. The openwork pattern of weaves of winding shoots with remains of leaves in some places adds depth to the background framed with smoothly polished parts of the surface, where the figure of angel is located, and carefully surround the upper part of the medallion with a photo of the deceased one; the composition that brings the feeling of a deep anguish and imminence, the painful emotions to be eventually accepted.