Conceptual and Artistic Fundamentals of Tetiana Yablonska’s Neo-Folklorism

The paper examines the establishment and development of folk style in the works of Ukrainian artist Tetiana Yablonska (1917–2005), namely in her mid-1950s–1960s paintings. Recent publications allowed to apply general-to-specific approach to the material: identifying socio-political and cultural transformations of the Thaw period in Ukraine and outlining the personal factors that contributed to Yablonska’s fascination with folk art. Based on the material of the corpus of works, the changes of stylistic fabric are examined and the dominant tendencies of neo-folklorism evolution in Yablonska’s artworks are revealed. Three-stage periodization of her creative biography is introduced into the broad scientific discourse: preparatory stage (study in the Kyiv Art Institute under Fedir Krychevsky’s mentorship during 1935–1941), an academic and folklore stage of the late 1950s, and a folklore stage in the 1960s. The issue of co-relation of the artistic and emblematic language of neo-folk style in painting with other kinds of art, in particular, the search for corresponding stylistics in the Ukrainian cinema in order to refresh theoretical studies concerning tendencies of development of visual art of Ukraine of the period is covered. The main artistic principles of neo-folklorism are outlined, in particular, the sculptural generalization and two-dimensionality of the form, the locally unique color scheme, the concision of folk ornamental motifs. The research question is the folklore theme in paintings of Yablonska in mid-1950s–60s, the preconditions of its origins and evolution. The aim of the study is to identify the stock-in-trade of neo-folklorism in the artist’s canvases based on the analysis of socio-political and cultural factors. The methodology of work is grounded in the complex use of art analysis techniques in the study of the body of artworks, and interdisciplinary principles of culturological analysis in the study of ideological and worldview principles of the period. For the first time, Yablonska’s creations are considered in correlation with poetry (album Tetiana Yablonska. Ivan Drach. The Book that was Destroyed, 1969), common rhythmic and figurative features and philosophical and symbolic principles of creation are revealed.