Yulia Gasio, Escaping Violence, 60 x 72, 2019
Born in Ukraine around the time it emerged from the Soviet Union, Yulia Gasio left for America at age 21 and soon earned an MA in art history and an MFA . Whether or not she studied studio art in her homeland, her narrative style does seem to reflect the official art of the Soviet Union. It’s no-frills storytelling - direct and unambiguous. And sad. Soviet Art always feels sad - even when smiles are plastered on the faces of happy workers.
But the above piece is more than sad - it also feels fearful, anxious, and depressing - amplified by that bright light pouring in from the window. And then there’s the weird details: the corpse-like suit in the suitcase; the ghost-like white drapes in the window; the ghost-like figure adjacent to them; the open casement window whose corner defies physics to inter-penetrate the corner of a wooden table; the cheesy furniture obviously purchased at Goodwill or salvaged from an alley.
Here’s my other favorite - the aftermath of violent destruction that feels as much like a Milton Resnick painting as a convincing record of war atrocities against civilians.
Gasio did not choose these tragic themes so much as she grew up in them. The paintings are her response as a person who studies art history. She is far from being an outsider artist.
What will she do when the war is over ? Contemporary American art is mostly about itself if it’s not ironic or promoting some racial/ethnic/gender identity. She is certainly capable of strong, compelling, narrative painting. Every American except for a few deluded MAGA’s are concerned about the fate of Ukraine. How else can she connect to her new homeland?
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