Skip to content
Call Us Today! 212-533-4646 | MON-FRI 12PM - 4PM (EST)
DONATE
SUBSCRIBE
Search for:
About Us
UNWLA 100
Publications
FAQ
Annual Report 2023
Annual Report 2022
Annual Report 2021
Initiatives
Advocate
Educate
Cultivate
Care
News
Newsletters
Sign Up For Our Newsletter
Join UNWLA
Become a Member
Volunteer With Us
Donate to UNWLA
Members Portal
Calendar
Shop to Support Ukraine
Search for:
Print
Print Page
Download
Download Page
Download Right Page
Open
1
2-3
4-5
6-7
8-9
10-11
12-13
14-15
16-17
18-19
20-21
22-23
24-25
26-27
28-29
30-31
32-33
34-35
36-37
38-39
40
(Тарасові) Тиха ніч Fig. 2. Jars Balan. “Kapelia іт. Н. Kytastoho” (“ The Н. Kytasty Ensemble"). clearly expressed by visual means, inviting the reader to grasp the magnitude of this national catastrophe. In this and other works, Balan often employs letters of the Ukrainian alphabet as primary structu ral units. These letters function as clues for identi fication of ethnic themes. “Kapelia im H. Kytas toho” (Figure 2), for example, may be viewed as a friendly caricature and visual illustration of the Ukrainian ensemble’s rehearsal. Some of the chosen typeface details hint at the choristers’ ethnicity by suggesting moustaches and scalplocks. The letters are arranged to represent members of the choir, grouped according to vocal timbre. The open vowels may be understood as a routine warm-up exercise — ah, eh, ee, o, oo —for the rehearsal to start with. The poem entitled “Tykha Nich” (Figure 3) serves as an example of linguistic games that Balan attempts in both English and Ukrainian. Here we see the quietness af night visually symbo lized by a conglomeration of мяхкі знаки, “soft signs” which do not correspond to any sounds, but are used in Ukrainian orthography to indicate that the preceding consonant is “soft” or “pala- tized”. Balan’s visual poetry also experiments with letters and typographical signs which are anthro pomorphized, that is, suggesting human form, appearance or behavior. In “At the park” (Figure 4), he uses letters of the English alphabet, many of them presented in motion. It is not difficult for the reader to fancy scenes and situations the letter characters are involved in. “Alphablutions” (Figure 5) and “Clothes Lines” (Figure 6) continue to explore this letter theme with an explicitly humor ous content. Fig. 3. Jars Balan. “Tykha nich" (“Silent night”). ’’НАШЕ ЖИТТЯ”, ЧЕРВЕНЬ 1997 17
Page load link
Go to Top
1 
2-3 
4-5 
6-7 
8-9 
10-11 
12-13 
14-15 
16-17 
18-19 
20-21 
22-23 
24-25 
26-27 
28-29 
30-31 
32-33 
34-35 
36-37 
38-39 
40 
