Work of Heorhii Yakutovych in the Context of Development of Ukrainian Graphics in the 1960s-1980s: Before the Question Is Posed

Abstract

The purpose of the article is to study the main aspects of the work of Ukrainian graphic artist Heorhii Yakutovych (1930–2000) in the 1960s and 1970s, with an emphasis on his contribution to the development of Ukrainian graphic art. Research methodology is based on the use of a set of methods, among which the most important are: analytical, historical and typological, systematisation, and synthesis. The analytical method is aimed at a deep study of literature and sources related to the history of Ukrainian graphics and Yakutovych's creative heritage. The historical and typological analysis helped to consider the artist's creative achievements in the context of the socio-political conditions and cultural changes of the twentieth century, as well as the artistic priorities that were formed in Ukrainian graphics of the 1960s–1980s. Systematisation is used to organise the material, classify it, and outline the main stages of the artist's work. The synthesis made it possible to integrate the results of research from various sources, forming a comprehensive picture of the artist's creative path. The scientific novelty of the article is based on a comprehensive study and generalisation of H. Yakutovych's work in the context of artistic, cultural and social processes in Ukraine in the 1960s–1980s. Conclusions. As an interpreter and innovator, H. Yakutovych created his own modernist visual language in printed graphics on folklore or historical national themes, achieving a complex aesthetic and cultural reflection, creating an artistic syncretism in which symbolic and ornamental motifs are carriers of the cultural code and collective memory, and formed a new model of national identity. In this context, the illustrations functioned as independent visual and narrative philosophical and symbolic systems that interacted with the text. The artist's creative heritage is a significant phenomenon in Ukrainian fine art, reflecting the author's constant search for originality and innovation, which brought Ukrainian book culture to new heights. His works emphasise the cultural and social significance of Ukrainian graphics of the Sixties-dissident era, and contribute to a deeper understanding of the evolution of Ukrainian graphic art.