Let Us Be Silent At The Negotiation Table-Annie Kirkpatrick

The drawing's Ukrainian caption (Kavelina)

In this sketch by Dana Kavelina, six men in suits sit around a table where a naked woman lies motionless. The men are connected to the woman via red lines drawn from each of their mouths to a red scribble stretching across the woman's torso. These details clearly define the boundaries of the conversation happening within the drawing, making the men participants and the woman, their subject.

Kavelina’s drawing is incredibly reminiscent of Francisco Goya’s etchings of atrocities committed against civilians during the Napoleonic Wars in its minimal color scheme, focus on a small vignette, and title that prompts more critical questions about the piece’s components than it does simple answers about its purpose.

I, however, chose Kavelina’s piece as much for its blatant contrast to Goya’s art as I did for its similarity. Though Goya does not shy away from depictions of mutilation, he still beautifies his etchings, especially those concerned with women, with infusions of classical styles. Kavelina, on the other hand, deploys a more rudimentary style that makes her sktech feel raw and true to the experiences of commonplace people.

The woman's bloodied chest (Kavelina)

Though the sketch appears rudimentary in style, each detail has been meticulously crafted according to Kavelina's purpose. For instance, the men’s mouths, not their hands, are connected to the woman's body so that they are able to both mutilate the woman and suck something out of her as they do. That the incision runs from the woman’s heart to her crotch implies that the “something” they are sucking is erotic and deeply emotional in nature.

Follow this link to see how these parts work in the full image.