BATTLE & TRUCE

The Battle of Rotunda (oil on canvas) 72’’ x 120’’

Figuration and abstraction live as opposite ends of a boundary within the fundamentals of art. Works either lean into the figurative nature of a composition or abandon what tethers the work to reality for a glimpse of the spiritual and internal through abstraction. Yet, historically, artists have always transgressed boundaries—especially within the frame of the art historical canon. From the Dada movement emerging from World War I, the rise of Abstract Expressionism paralleling World War II, or the explosion of activist-centered work based in the United States following the Civil Rights Movement, artists have turned to the canvas to explore worldly dilemmas and unjust times through transgression.

“Battle & Truce” presents the dilemma of war and peace beyond physical battles by working on both sides of this fundamental boundary. Split between two halves, The Battles and The Truces, Leonovich explores the nature of the figure and utilizes each representation for a critique of the human act of war. Leonovich showcases her traditional abilities through straightforward rendered figures within the five “Battles” paintings; highlighting muscle definition and shadow and light. This practical anatomy of the figure becomes deconstructed later in the five continued works representing “Truces”; she distorts faces, warps perspectives, and takes liberties with the key anatomical measurements of the figures.

Duality rings from the mind onto the canvas in this display of the dilemma of the artist; what is right and wrong within conflict. Leonovich prompts us to consider the position of the figures within her work, the mortality of the battle displayed in arbitrary and absurd colors. The duality of positions of power and moral perspectives are highlighted by the two halves of the series.

“The Battles” presents us with structured and fleshed-out figures, harking back to the German Expressionist style of colorwork while maintaining a defined view of the body. The Battles wear the mask of vivid abstraction. luring the viewer in with the false promise of absurd and imaginative expression only to unveil the truth upon a closer look. These paintings display the true nature of war: fear, aggression, murder, and violence. The drama of these first five works paints a portrait of humanity’s battle form the past to the present.

“The Truces” offers a different perspective, alternates of the battles before them with each work serving as a mirror of the battles. The idea of a truce presupposes peace, the end to a conflict. However, truces often bring to light privilege, underlying power structures, and further injustices seen within conflict. However, truces often bring to light privilege, underlying power structures, and further injustices seen within conflict. Here, Leonovich’s figures break free of the rigidity of the battles; they shed the mask of the battle, wearing the toll of violence and aggression. These figures’ bodies melt and lose form and Leonovich allows her expression to take charge over form. The truces highlight wins, showing the gluttony to be found in acts of battles.

Leonovich not only poses questions of the duality of human conflict within this series but also the conflict of artistic style. On a long journey to produce her best and grow as an artist, Leonovich calls out the temptations to give into the pitfalls of style as a means of recognition. In an art world full of stylization and recognizable aesthetics pressing down on artists today, can one push back against these restraints? Leonovich finds comfort in the challenge, forever changing and adapting within each series while developing and honing the mediums and color palettes she finds most compelling. Leonovich chooses to push these boundaries within the art world, mirroring the intertwined relationship between societal conflicts and art since the canon’s inception. Similarly to movements of the past, Leonovich blurs boundaries; playing with contradictory artistic styles to reflect how contradictory our political landscapes feel today.

This series marks a clear moment in Katya Leonovich’s career with some of the largest-scale paintings she has created; “Alco Ménage” stands out as her largest work. Leonovich remains fascinated in her exploration of the male form as an expression of the complexities of human dissension. Here she bridges her traditional artistic training and skills with her notable expressive linework and colors to highlight the stark contrast of moments of disagreement within her paintings.

Allysa Barnaba

June 2025

Carnation Addiction (oil on canvas) 72’’ x 128’’