Solomon Shaikin’s creative works in the context of creative strategies of Lviv non-conformism in the 1960-1980s

Abstract

Basing on the use of principles dealing with system approach, formal, stylish, semiotic, hermeneutic methods of the analysis it has been characterized image-thematic and artistic features of Solomon Shaikin’s creative works in the context of creative strategies of Lviv non-conformism in the 1960-1980s. S.Shaikin felt related to the freedom of author’s self-expression, poly-vectorness in forming experiments, applying for the experience of modernism, avant-garde, artistic trends of the 1960-1980s. The study states that characteristics of image-plastic conception of artist’s creative works are presented with “esthetic controversy”, drama and irony contrast, upsides and downsides, focusing on subjective and unconsciousness ones, depiction of routine, unsemantized life forms that are opposite to social realism pathos. The paper focuses on S.Shaikin’s use of traditional symbols, combination of innovation and naivety, echoes with classical traditions, unity of a ward and a picture, colors and stroke expressiveness. According to the relation of semantic, objective and formal levels of depiction among S.Shaikin and V. Lopotukhin’s creative works it is singled out several groups of paintings. The first one includes “compositions-memories” and “compositions-dreams” where children and youth life are presented in an illogical chronotope, color rhythmic and expression. The second group concerns with Chagall’s echoes of Hebrew thematic where shtetl’s triviality is interpreted as an original harmonious world. The third group reveals trivial scenes in the aspect of interpretations from subjectivity to the highlighted prosaism of being. The author points out essential aspects of an artist’s personality that depict artist’s moral and ethic reflections over the inadmissibility of violence and evil. It is demonstrated that the artist pays attention to color and rhythmic visualization in states of consciousness, fear, desperate, tension, and feeling of world and people imperfection characterized with pain or “widened” with all possible means.