Theatrical methods in graphics: The K.S. Stanislavsky system in the creative process of Evgeny Kibrik

The article is devoted to a comprehensive study of the unique creative method of the graphic artist Evgeny Adolfovich Kibrik (1906–1978), considered as an integral system synthesizing the practices of book illustration, theatrical directing and psychological portraiture. The focus is on the analysis of Kibrik’s adaptation of the principles of Konstantin Sergeevich Stanislavsky’s “system” for solving the problems of graphic art, in particular, for overcoming the static nature of the image and achieving maximum psychological authenticity of literary characters. The key components of the method are investigated: the organization of “sketches” involving actors and models, the technique of fixing «experienced» action in quick sketches, strategies for searching and synthesizing a type based on working with several sitters, as well as the role of numerous experimental versions in the crystallization of the final image. Data from the archive of the artist’s heirs (the collection of N.P.”Nikolaev) are introduced into scientific circulation, allowing to trace the evolution of the concept using the examples of the images of Lasochka, the Holy Fool, and Cola Breugnon. The aim of the study is not only to systematize Kibrik’s methodology, but also to assess its influence on the tradition of Russian psychological graphics of the 20^th century. The main conclusion is the statement that Kibrik’s method, built on a deep internalization of theatrical principles, is a special technology of visual storytelling, where illustration becomes not an addition to the text, but an independent act of interpretation, equal in complexity to the work of a director.

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