Induviduality Rejected by the System

It seems that any phenomenon in our life and society can be studied (depicted or described) by means of system analysis. As we know, for this purpose elements and links between them are identified within the systems, and it may turn out that some of the elements may relate to different structures. Since systems describe separate aspects of social life which should be looked at in terms of its progressive motion, with time the majority of them may change the number of elements and the nature of links between them.

In other words, systems may add one elements and reject (fully or partially) other ones. Paradoxical as it may seem, the rejected elements may create separate new structures. Let’s illustrate this theoretical provision with particular examples from creative biography of some architects who, in addition to their main job, practice painting professionally. I would like to tell about the art of Vladimir Levchenko.

He was born in 1941 and graduated from the art school and the architectural faculty of Mukhina Higher Arts and Crafts College in Leningrad. Since 1967 he works in Kyiv.

Levchenko is the author of a number of projects; he personally created many interiors of buildings in Kyiv. His most significant recent works are the Moscow Restaurant (1980), the swimming pool of the Republican Water Rescue Center (1988) and the Theater of Drama and Comedy.

Painting is another Vladimir’s long-term passion. I saw his works first in 1960s and follow them since then. Of course, at that time they were not exhibited in public and could be seen only in basement studio workshops. Vladimir worked hard experimenting with some motifs again and again. The artist’s rejection from the architectural system began when he was working at a design organization and had to take part in implementation of assignments which were of no interest to him and alien to his creative nature.

Having left the job at the institute, he worked for many organizations on the freelance terms. His avant-garde fine art paintings could not be demonstrated at public exhibitions during the stagnation period and waited for the better times, so to say, remaining in the underground.

In the recent years the paintings by Vladimir Levchenko were exhibited and sold at foreign exhibitions in Poland, France, Belgium, Canada, Italy, to say nothing of such exhibitions as “Myth-1” (1989) at the Moscow Manege Exhibition Hall, “Pogliad-2” in Kyiv etc.

If I am asked to characterize his works in brief, I would emphasize unusual motifs, diverse coloring and peculiar vision of an expressive and rather tough form…

ALEXANDER GORBIK

Architect, Ph.D

Vladimir Mykhailovych LEVCHENKO

Born on April 2 (August 27), 1941 in Kyiv, Ukraine. In 1958 graduated from Kyiv Art School, the class of Shkarupa I.N. In 1967 graduated from V.I. Mukhina (Shtiglitsa) Higher Arts and Crafts College in Leningrad (Saint-Petersburg), the workshop of professor M.A. Shepilevskiy. The Member of the Artists’ Union of Ukraine since 1993.

The artist’s works are exhibited in galleries and museums of Belgium, Canada, France, Italy, Poland, Russia, the USA, Ukraine. Artworks belong to public and private collections of Azerbaijan, the Czech Republic, France, Georgia, Germany, Italy, Israel, the Netherlands, Poland, Russia, Ukraine, the USA.

Creative and professional activity:

2003     Stained-glass panel in the Church of Intercession of the Holy Virgin in Nizhniaia Oreanda, Bolshaia Yalta, Ukraine.

2001     The Republican Exhibition, Kyiv.

2000     The All-Ukrainian Exhibition in commemoration of the 2000^th anniversary of the Nativity of Christ, Kyiv.

1989—2006  Participation in 8 all-Ukrainian exhibitions in the Central House of Artists in Kyiv.

1995     International exhibition organized by the Chief Department of Culture, Kyiv, Ukraine.

1994     Exhibition in Munich, Germany.

1991     International exhibition in Warsaws, Poland.

1990     International exhibition in Krakow, Poland.

1990     Exhibition “Contemporary Art of the USSR”, Belgium.

1989     The Drama and Comedy Theater in Kyiv, the interior, co-author: Maliukov G.

1989     Exhibition “Myth-1”, Manege Exhibition Center, Moscow, Russia.

1988     Exhibition of monument sculptors “Pogliad-2”, Kyiv.

1988     Exhibition of Ukrainian artists in Toronto, Canada.

1988     The Republican Water Rescue Center, mosaic panels, Kyiv, co-author: Sverdlichenko V.

1985     Painting and six stained-glass panels, town of Stena, co-author: Rak V.

1980     Architectural and design project, monumental works for the Moscow Restaurant in Kyiv, co-author: Kuznetsov V.

1976     Draft design of the European Gymnastics Championship, the Sports Palace in Kyiv.

1976     Draft design of the Judo World Championship, the Sports Palace in Kyiv.

1969     Participation in the republican contest for the best project of the monument to Lesia Ukrainka in Kyiv, co-author: sculptor Ziuzin V.