This is a black and white pigment ink drawing with technical pens. I named it Слов'янський Новояз (Новомова) in Ukrainian and Russian, which means Slavic Newspeak:
- Slavic is relevant to a branch of the Indo-European language family containing Belarusian, Bulgarian, Czech, Polish, Serbian and Croatian, Slovene, Russian, and Ukrainian.
- Newspeak is the fictional language of Oceania, a totalitarian superstate that is the setting of the 1949 dystopian novel Nineteen Eighty-Four, by George Orwell.
The keyword here is BLACKWHITE. Like so many Newspeak words, this word has two mutually contradictory meanings. Applied to an opponent, it means the habit of impudently claiming that black is white, in contradiction of the plain facts. Applied to a Party member, it means a loyal willingness to say that black is white when Party discipline demands this. But it means also the ability to BELIEVE that black is white, and more, to KNOW that black is white, and to forget that one has ever believed the contrary.
George Orwell, 1984
It is bases on symbols from three cultures and illustrates the Russian invasion into Ukraine, that broke all promises between folks and quickly turned into large scale massacre and terror.
- The first two symbols are Slavic cross-stitch embroidery patterns.
- The central one is from the Kyiv area, designed for needlework by future mothers for the children's clothing. This area is sparkling with life. Two figures of children are on the sides, the one on the left is already partially taken away by the horror of war.
- The second angular area on the top (corresponding to the North on the war maps) encloses an embroidery motive from Moscow tradition of the Russian Empire era, depicting a crowned bird with a cross that turns into a weapon in the lower end. It invades the central area and reverses all values, removing any variety and individuality.
War is peace. Freedom is slavery. Ignorance is strength. - George Orwell, 1984
The violence and malice of the occupiers of Ukrainian territories are greater than of Nazi occupation in WWII. For Ukrainians, to give up would mean to be tormented and tortured for indefinite time.The object of torture is torture. The object of power is power.
If you want a picture of the future, imagine a boot stamping on a human face—for ever. - George Orwell, 1984
- The encircling the composition dry-brushed enso symbolizes the state of mind that may allow one to stay sane in face of atrocities of occupation.
According to my observations, in the last 10 years Russian language, my second native, was vulgarized and misused in Russia by relentless propaganda that went far beyond Nazi analogues in pre-war Germany in the last century. They use KGB disinformation and blackmail techniques on the whole population, including doublethink and blackwhite and rewrite history - on top of violent repression of the inhabitants. One can be tortures in jail for saying "peace to the world" or for calling war a "war". They destroyed science, journalism and liberties, and turned education system into a criminal pseudo-patriotic training.
Doublethink means the power of holding two contradictory beliefs in one's mind simultaneously, and accepting both of them.
Power is in tearing human minds to pieces and putting them together again in new shapes of your own choosing.
Who controls the past controls the future. Who controls the present controls the past.
But if thought corrupts language, language can also corrupt thought. - George Orwell, 1984
- Reference Code: LN22I15SNB
- Materials: pigment ink on recycled paper
