Konstantin Akinsha on the “sin of seriousness” of Serhiy Panich

“The Sin of Seriousness. Western critics who had the opportunity to get acquainted with the “Ukrainian wave” noted as a positive aspect of this movement the absence of grotesque or even “harsh irony,” which is rather traditional for representatives of Western European postmodern painting (especially for neoarchaics). The softness of the South Russian school undoubtedly belongs to its merits. But the complete absence of irony, inherent in some of its representatives, sometimes looks strange. A typical example of such hypertrophied seriousness can be Sergey Panich. Being on the periphery of the “Ukrainian wave” and being closer to it stylistically rather than spiritually, Panich tries to turn his paintings into concentrated philosophy, combining spectacular painting, essentially not devoid of an element of parody of the “museum painting,” with extremely serious content, sometimes evoking memories of the notorious “parabolic” nature of the seventies. The attempt to solve world problems through the creation of pictorial works seems somewhat naive today. But perhaps Panich’s strength lies in this absurd combination of language and tasks?”[Akynsha K. A Wreath on the Grave of Ukrainian Postmodernism: Portfolio. Art of Odessa in the 1990s. Collection of texts / ed. Mykhailovska E., Roitburd A., Rashkovetsky M. – Odessa, 1999. pp. 12-15]Comment type: Published comment
Author: Kostyantyn Akynsha
Sources: Akynsha K. A Wreath on the Grave of Ukrainian Postmodernism: Portfolio. Art of Odessa in the 1990s. Collection of texts / ed. Mykhailovska E., Roitburd A., Rashkovetsky M. – Odessa, 1999. pp. 12-15