 Dramatic artistic statements about identity, social awareness and morality are set in sharp focus, comparing two contemporary generations in Ukraine and the United States.
I was quite prepared to be skeptical about the Pinchuk Center exhibition entitled "Generations USA" and expected to be bored with further cliche's about America but the refreshing views of contemporary artists and their responses to society are challenging.
It is hard to avoid cliche's and generalizations and some artworks do harbor some of them while others jump right out and confront. Using new methods that are at our fingertips like the computer and email, video, and the ever-versatile paper, the exhibition generates a new awakening to the recycle generation.
There are many works that have salvaged the old and use accessible methods; this is a part of the way artists are responding now to get their message across.
 Quick screen grabs and flashy images, Internet emails, a dialogue, some of the most prominent art works are refreshing. A bit like a graduate show of student art at first, the exhibition bites off and chews at contemporary issues using materials in gritty statements of morality. The very lack of polish in some works gives them their redeeming features.
This use of new materials, the combination of attention-grabbing video and smoke painting in the "Smoked Pictures" by Olena Polyashchenko, artworks made from acrylic, silicone and smoking fumes burnt on the wall, are reminiscent of burnt out houses, shelters and graphitized dumps. The artwork holds a candle to youth and to rebellious culture.
Our TV numbed brains are hooked on a horror scene about to happen, as the images of a stealth bomber crashing at an air show somewhere in Middle America, hold us gob smacked. The images are disturbing and it is even trivialized as it is screened in someone's living room, complete with lounge carpet with candy wrappers! Is this a comment on further desensitization to the now horror of our lives? The aircraft is torn apart and in its wake the camera in close up, focuses on severed limbs, a hand, and other grisly remains of unfortunate passers by. The scene is made all the more bizarre by the crowds who continue to stroll around on their day out somewhat oblivious to what has actually taken place. Reminded of the war in Iraq…. images grabbed illicitly giving us further opportunities to experience at close hand the terror, the adulation, the exuberance of some situations. How desensitized are we likely to become in time to such images?
 Miami-born Naomi Fisher's environmental message in a trio of Coachwomen photographs was lyrical in its delivery. It stated with sensitivity the growing threat to the environment and how we need a more delicate side to deal with it but I couldn't help thinking of those Vogue fashion shoots... as a girl/woman is draped amongst nature's wilder parts... complete with machete in her hand. Why beautify the images of the woman? Could this be more a fear of nature rather than empathy? It certainly felt there was a conflict going on rather than a "oneness". The diary-like drawings that accompany the photographs are disconnected from them. You do feel the artist has more to say but it ends in a cul-de-sac.
One of the punchiest images was the banner style paper poster art with "Obey" printed in decorative font by Shepherd Fairy, who lives in L.A. The mural sized work called "Chinese Soldiers," is a blazing red and yellow with layered writing, such as the words "Make Art not War" in the background. Coupled in the same space by another artwork by Lada Nakonechna and Kseniya Gnylytska, is a novel, giant tie with "Made in Ukraine" on its tag. "Cravat 2007," hangs down like a noose and is representative of stifling social values. There are some confused messages that perhaps without text close at hand will lose the viewer but people will generally read what they want to into these works.
Actually... one of the most moving artworks was a video called "Be Happy," by Bella Logachova and Mykola Ridny from Kharkiv, of a homeless woman and her son who live under a balcony, amidst all their humble belongings in garbage bags. They shuffle around scrounging for food with their numerous dogs. Despite their obvious deprivation it showed they could find moments of happiness in their miserable lives.
There was a general preoccupation throughout the entire exhibition towards new media, and new responses to materials. The video is more widely used these days but can often lose the average viewer, and become utterly boring with repetition and abstract preoccupations. This group of videos is more "people friendly" - they have more to say and draw the viewer into their worlds.
Chicago based, Dzine's work reads like a rap number or beat poem... magazine... limelight... rhyme... tight... get paid... it was all a dream... blowing like a bubble... guiliani gotti... raw power casket... moves... hash stash... make some quick cash... double digit thousand stacks... The artwork set in a spiral has no beginning or end.
A golden record player plays endlessly soporific classical, a recognizable tune. The artist's interest in music is played out in his rhythmic pieces.
"On the day Tara was born" by Swoon, a Brooklyn based artist; the mixed media element of this work is more fascinating than its message. Large paper stencils are stuck and layered over the top of walled surfaces so that a whole room is covered, almost embalmed over each other in a ritualistic way, each layer creating one more layer to this visual narrative. On one wall they are so densely layered that it looks obsessive. This I found more refreshing and expansive than the contained and technically refined acrylic images of New York artist, Ryan McGinnis.
A heartbeat like sound draws you in to a room lit with the shapes of large spiked landmines… a rather cliche'd work but particularly conscience laden. The work called "Beach" by Oleksandre Semenov is reminiscent of all our fears, left behind still ticking. We can't shake off the perils we have created… life is like that … wars leave remains, some that will affect our future generations.
The exhibition is on show at the Pinchuk Art Center until March 25, 2007.
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