Returning a Neglected Identity
An exploration of identity, graphic design and cultural legacy by the designer and PJAIT student Vladyslav Boyko.
A while ago a group of volunteering creatives and researchers from Chernihiv, my hometown, got in contact with me. The mission of this organisation was to popularise monumental art in Ukraine and fight for the pieces which are in danger of extinction.
Monumental art can be defined as a branch of the plastic arts embracing a broad range of works created to harmonise with a specific architectural environment, both in theme and in structural and chromatic design. Monumental art includes monuments, architectural ornamentation (sculpture, painting, and mosaics), stained glass, public sculpture, and fountains;some writers also consider architecture to be a form of monumental art. The problem now is with the destruction of monumental art in post-soviet countries, and particularly in Ukraine. This is quite relevant nowadays because of all the global conversations on legacy, history and identity. Their extinction is generally based on the perception that these pieces are not to be considered valuable artworks. In addition to the government being mostly ignorant when regarding this topic, there’s also a huge part of the population who consider everything that reminds them of the Soviet Union to be disturbing and sometimes terrifying (I think, it’s quite clear why). That’s why Chernihiv Monumentalism needed new visuals which would present the monumental art in a simple and contemporary way, attract attention to this cause and break existing stereotypes.
The idea I had in mind was to somehow put the image of a monumental piece into the contemporary context, into something we are familiar with and something we would like to associate ourselves with. As with my work I mostly focus on typography, so I decided to create a custom font as a basis for the whole visual identity. Basically, it’s a mixture of three very different typefaces which fulfill themselves in order to create a collective mood: “Extended Akzidenz Grotesk” feels brutal and monumental, retro “VCR” which comes from old VHS cassette tapes and one of last year’s superstars — “Misto”, created by Ukrainian type designer Katerina Korolevtseva, and inspired by the architecture of another Ukrainian town, Slavutich.
This selection of typography might not be exact enough. However it features the tendency of eclecticism and adds somehow bizarre dynamics to the writing, simultaneously featuring monumentalism’s brutal and playful sides. I then started to search for a set of appropriate tools to place the monumental art in a contemporary and somehow “trendy” context. The visual style of the graphics itself was gonna transmit such a postmodern kind of message (collages, high-contrast variable typography are used quite often now), however I still needed a particular medium to make people pay attention to this story. I thought about the stickers as one of the possible solutions, since they are very convenient and fun. You can find them in the form of merch at different art fairs, cultural events or as a part of visual identities of some brands. People are familiar with stickers, they love them and can put them anywhere: on their personal things, devices, just keep them in a sketchbook or bomb somewhere around the city. Meanwhile the sticker still remains the holder of the message and the means of the brand’s identity.
In other words, I placed monumental art in a trendy and in some way interactive context which was well-perceived by the audience and, hopefully has become a tool for sharing awareness about the relevant problem. The project is not finished yet and these visuals are only the beginning of the global campaign accompanied by searching for sponsors and arranging a series of exhibitions and conferences.
A Final Note:
Nowadays post-soviet countries are questioning their national identity and their visual aspects in particular. How to do this when design education is so international? Take the International (Swiss) school of design, for example, which has remained one of the most influential in Europe for the last century, as well as the Bauhaus and Constructivism. All of them are deeply rooted in our visual culture from west to the east. Being influenced by the above mentioned schools we implement them into our education and creative processes. Which isn’t bad in its own right, however in the end a question appears: Are we still us?
In order to retain our identity, we need to gather the pieces of our culture and history together.
Sometimes it’s enough to only raise your head.
Vlad Boyko — PJAIT student, graphic designer and visual artist born in Chernihiv, Ukraine. His work is mostly based on the usage of typography and simple symbols connected with various media and contexts, applying it to printed and digital matters. In his creative activity he tries to experiment with the mediums and perception , considering the form and the experience to be more important than the content.
After a year of working as a freelancer mostly for cultural and art institutions, he is now based in Warsaw, creating visuals at Oko I Ucho creative studio and assisting at Kwiaciarnia Grafiki Silkscreen workshop.
