PRINTMAKING APPROACH TO THE TECHNIQUE OF HOT ENAMEL IN THE ART PRACTICE OF OKSANA STRATIYCHUK AND OLEKSII KOVAL

Abstract

The technique of hot enamel has been known to mankind since ancient times – it was used to decorate jewelry by Egyptians, Greeks and Scythians. In the Middle Ages and later, this technique was preserved and developed in Europe in some centers. At the end of the XIX century, enamel is part of the arsenal of professional artists, that is, from jewelry, decorative and applied techniques to the field of free art. However, due to its technical complexity, cost of materials and capriciousness in the manufacturing process, hot enamel is still a rather rare technique that is passed from cell to cell, from master to master. The article describes the specific usage of hot enamel technique combined with intaglio printmaking technique of etching developed by Kyiv artists Oksana Stratiychuk and Oleksii Koval. The history of technical transfer and it’s development in each artist’s practice is traced from the beginning of 1990’s till today. The article also describes their main themes and vectors of personal creative interest, as well as the perspective of this method’s distribution in Ukraine.