An image, this image, stopped me in my in my tracks, or more correctly in my "Google search", and for awhile I just looked at it. IN SILENCE, mentally kept repeating to myself, " speechless, I am speechless". And periodically during that day I came back to look at the image created by Vika Krokhina, a first year art student at Poltava Technical University in Ukraine.
At one time, many decades ago I wrote about about art being used as propaganda. I won't bore you with the details of that paper, and anyway my Prof was totally unimpressed with my work and instructed me to turn in something on a "worthwhile" topic. However I surely did learn alot from writing it.
With that in mind, I looked at the image, and said if i didn't know there was a war going on in Ukraine,what does this mean. The first thought that came to me was about was mystic or if you prefer otherworldly, that the lives of this woman and her faithful cat, were snuffed out so suddenly, she, they didn't realize that they were dead. Continuing on their routine as if nothing had happened, perhaps they and other souls find comfort it this way. If that, should be the case, that our spirits go on long after our physical selves are completely gone, I feel they are comforted by being there.
A portrait of love and courage, an homage to grandmothers, mothers, sisters, kin and friends. Those who are forever near and dear, and forever gone because of violence struggle, natural disaster or the ravages of time.
Art Credit: Vika Krokhina, first year Art student at Poltava Technical University
