SERIES OF SCULPTURES BY NATALIA MUDRUK OF THE 2010s

Abstract

The purpose of the article is to investigate and characterize the mature period of work of the Ukrainian sculptor Natalia Mudruk on the example of works from the second series and a separate block of relatively recent works. Research methods. The article uses art history and general scientific methods: historical and biographical methods are used in order to delineate chronological boundaries; formal-stylistic, analyticaldescriptive and interpretation methods – to determine the main parameters of the works and their art analysis; method of classification and generalization – for their arrangement. The results. The creativity of N. Mudruk is an example of an original author's manner, which cannot be subordinated to a specific style and in which the desire to go beyond the boundaries of traditional sculpture can be traced through the involvement of techniques and techniques from other types of art, from painting and scenography in particular. These trends, demonstrated in the first series of «The Gallant Century», continue to develop in subsequent works. The second series is not yet finished and does not have a title, so here it is conventionally called «insect people». Her idea is to stylize the characters as insects, due to the larger size of the works, the plastic language becomes more detailed and looser, a hint of eroticism appears, the grotesqueness of the images increases («Happy end», «Musical journey»). Another development of the mature period of creativity is a block of large-sized, partially unfinished sculptures, not yet formed into a separate series. In these works, whimsical images prevail, in which kinetic details and/or elements complementing the composition are used, which gives the sculptures a certain theatricality, involving the viewer in this game. Among the compositions, one can single out allegories («Allegory of Rain»), couples in love («In the Sky»), historical figures («Shakespeare's Dream»). Conclusions. The results of the research clearly demonstrate the evolution of the artist's work: from chamber compositions in the style of magical realism to larger and looser plastic, more fantastic works and finally to large atypical spatial solutions, saturated with scenographic solutions and bizarre images. Among the general features of N. Mudruk's sculptures, it is worth noting the thoughtfulness and originality of the interpretation of compositions, attention to the subtleties of technical execution, the sophistication of character modeling, recognizable grotesque stylization, references to different artistic eras, the transcendence of imagery, the syncretism of genres and art forms.