Turning the pages of Mykola Grokh's works. Exhibition dedicated to the 85th anniversary of his birth
There are artists whose works are incredibly exciting feelings, create a special state of daydreaming, encourage reflection, cultivate aesthetic features. The creative heritage of the People's Artist of Ukraine Mykola Nykyforovych Hrokh is filled with such a multifaceted content. High professionalism, found own artistic style, filigree technique, depth of creative ideas, philosophical depth are inherent in the work of a watercolor master. When I immerse myself in the works of M. Groh, the lines from T. Shevchenko's autobiographical poem "Fate" are mentioned against my will: We just walked. We don't have a grain of untruth behind us ... ”
MN Groh was born on May 16, 1936 in the city of Leningrad (now St. Petersburg). But when the child was 3 years old, the family returned to Ukraine in the village of Petrovske, and since 1956 lived in the capital of Ukraine. Mykola started painting as a child, so his creative destiny began to take shape from an early age. At first M. Groh studied at the Kyiv School of Applied Arts, then in 1957 he graduated from the Kyiv State Art Institute and immediately began his exhibition activities. Mykola Hrokh's teachers were well-known Ukrainian artists Vasyl Kasyan and Tymofiy Lyashchuk, whom he remembers with gratitude.
The artist's works are well known both in Ukraine and far beyond, in the USA, France and Canada. It is difficult to list the number of works created by Mykola Nikiforovych, but it should be noted that his creative legacy glorifies the Kyiv Art School at a high level. This statement was witnessed in 1970, when the works of the Ukrainian artist were seen in Canada. The exhibition had a deep philosophical title "We and the World". Even then, the artist declared himself as a specialist with a bright creative personality, full of original ideas.
M. Groh mastered almost all graphic techniques, created his own artistic style, his works are recognizable by a transparent palette, impeccable compositional construction, openness, dreamy mood. The philosophical credo of the artist, to show by artistic means the beauty of the surrounding world, to encourage the viewer to reflect on the meaning of life, to reveal the power of true art. The heroes of his still lifes can be ordinary thistles, horse sorrel, grass in the meadows, which turn into real artistic images of Mother Nature. In the process of viewing the paintings, the viewer has a state of positive energy, aesthetic features are formed, the level of general culture is enriched.
At the opening of the exhibition there were colleagues in creativity led by the head of the section of graphic arts KONSHU Honored Artist of Ukraine M. Kochubey. In his welcoming speech, Mykola Savovych stressed that the jubilee has an inexhaustible arsenal of artistic expression, which he is constantly improving. Mykola Nykyforovych is full of new plans and ideas, which he realizes thanks to his incredible ability to work. We are proud of the numerous creative achievements of the artist, who enriched the treasury of the Kyiv art school.
M. Groh gives priority to flowers, nature, portrait genre. It is in them that the inner world of the artist is revealed, who is able to openly and truthfully create vivid artistic images in which life boils. The artist confidently goes his own way collecting the beauty seen on the beads and inspiringly covers his creative works with mother-of-pearl placers. It is enough to look at such pictures as "On the river Ros", "Spring flood", "Evening sun", "Spaces of Sedniv".
The pride of the artist is his pedagogical activity in the creative studio at the Central House of Artists in Kyiv, which he founded in 1994. Groh uses primarily the program of mastering the classical art school. Over the years of fruitful practice, he has attracted hundreds of beginners to whom he passed on his skills and love for art. Pedagogical practice has become the meaning of the artist's life, so it is not in vain that he celebrated his anniversary surrounded by his pupils.
Zoya Chehusava, Candidate of Art History, Honored Artist of Ukraine, winner of the Taras Shevchenko National Prize, noted the high level of Mykola Hrokh's work. The compositional balance and the refined transparent palette of the subtle colorist give his works a special expressiveness. There is no falsehood in the paintings, everything is open, filled with light and life-giving energy. This is especially true of portraits, where the artist focuses on the inner state of the selected models, inviting the viewer to an interview.
Analyzing the artistic language of the artist, we enrich ourselves spiritually, cultivate ethical and aesthetic traits. M. Groh is a purely Ukrainian artist, infinitely in love with art, a master of original meaningful works, in which the culture of the Ukrainian people is raging. It is enough to pay attention to landscapes, where the artist uses a multifaceted gradation of pure colors, which sound the seen fluctuations of nature, bringing harmony to our urban world. Indeed, the artist has something to say to people and he mentally has a dialogue with them through the original landscapes of the majestic Kyiv, Sedniv, Obolon.
MN Groh is a laureate of many book decoration competitions, a graduate of the International Art Olympus program. Among the creative achievements of M. Groh are illustrations to the books: "Essays on the History of Costumes" by K. Stamerov and "Lyrics" by G. Lorca; triptych "Legends of ancient Kyiv", a series of etchings on the themes of Ukrainian songs, a series of pastels "Across Ukraine", albums: "Watercolor", "Mykola Grokh. Graphic observations "," Drawings for the publication "Essays on the history of K. Stamerov's costumes", etc.
Mykola Nykyforovych generously sows our present with bright creative achievements in which eternal values, including beauty, perfection and love, flourish.
Valentyna Yefremova is an art critic, honored worker of culture of Ukraine.
Photo by Sergei Komissarov
