The Dancing Bacha - Formal Analysis
Formal Analysis
July 28, 2013
ARHA 2305
The Dancing Bacha (1926) by Alexander N. Volkov pencil on paper
Viewed at Arkansas Arts Center permanent collection (July 15, 2013)
Scene of an Uzbekistani Teahouse Alexander N. Volkov’s piece entitled The Dancing Bacha is a drawing of a gathering of males, featuring a dancing boy (the bacha) who often performed in the streets of pre-Soviet Central Asia.1 The piece was made in 1926 and most likely depicts a traditional teahouse in Uzbekistan. 2 The piece’s present location is the Arkansas Arts Center in Little Rock, Arkansas. Although its original location is not noted, it is thought to have originated in Uzbekistan, as previously mentioned. The work is said to be typical of the era, described as Russian Modernism. The artist was born and raised in Uzbekistan, but ethnically Russian and trained in Kiev during the height of European Modernism.3 The piece is pencil on paper and is approximately five inches by seven inches. It is framed in a large, black frame with a thick, white mat approximately four inches in width. It hangs alone on a narrow section of wall and is well-lit. It can only be viewed on one side due to the frame and position on the wall. The drawing is a monochromatic, gray scale depiction of a group of four males. One, the bacha, is dancing while another, to the right, is playing a stringed instrument called the ghidjak. The ghidjak is “a type of spike fiddle played with a bow.”4 The other two appear to simply be onlookers. The dancer and player seem to be more important characters, because the others are overlapped by them. There is not much room for anything other than these four figures, but the artist incorporates much detail in the background, including a few objects that appear to be hanging on the wall. The drawing is representational, but not wholly naturalistic, as the fabrics still look flat although there is a texturized appearance. Volkov drew this piece almost entirely
July 28, 2013
ARHA 2305
The Dancing Bacha (1926) by Alexander N. Volkov pencil on paper
Viewed at Arkansas Arts Center permanent collection (July 15, 2013)
Scene of an Uzbekistani Teahouse Alexander N. Volkov’s piece entitled The Dancing Bacha is a drawing of a gathering of males, featuring a dancing boy (the bacha) who often performed in the streets of pre-Soviet Central Asia.1 The piece was made in 1926 and most likely depicts a traditional teahouse in Uzbekistan. 2 The piece’s present location is the Arkansas Arts Center in Little Rock, Arkansas. Although its original location is not noted, it is thought to have originated in Uzbekistan, as previously mentioned. The work is said to be typical of the era, described as Russian Modernism. The artist was born and raised in Uzbekistan, but ethnically Russian and trained in Kiev during the height of European Modernism.3 The piece is pencil on paper and is approximately five inches by seven inches. It is framed in a large, black frame with a thick, white mat approximately four inches in width. It hangs alone on a narrow section of wall and is well-lit. It can only be viewed on one side due to the frame and position on the wall. The drawing is a monochromatic, gray scale depiction of a group of four males. One, the bacha, is dancing while another, to the right, is playing a stringed instrument called the ghidjak. The ghidjak is “a type of spike fiddle played with a bow.”4 The other two appear to simply be onlookers. The dancer and player seem to be more important characters, because the others are overlapped by them. There is not much room for anything other than these four figures, but the artist incorporates much detail in the background, including a few objects that appear to be hanging on the wall. The drawing is representational, but not wholly naturalistic, as the fabrics still look flat although there is a texturized appearance. Volkov drew this piece almost entirely