The author tried to comprehend creative work, public position of the famous master of forged metal, honoured artist of Ukraine, assistant professor of the Artistic Metal Department of Lviv National Academy of Arts. O. Bonkovskyy have made his way from Volyn region into art, his contribution into the renaissance of the artistic forging in Lviv. This creative personality is famous not only for numerous works among members of public society but also in the scientific world thanks to his art research and popular works. The 70-year anniversary of the Artist (2013) had an occasion to the appearance of publications that have significantly broadened and enriched the scientific vision of his works and esthetic tastes.
Special attention should be paid to the book-album “The Blacksmith from Ukraine” by V.Mohylevskyy and Yu.Ivanchenko which comprises the pictures of many works grouped according to their function, theme, topic that are accompanied with target information, popular scientific texts in English and Ukrainian languages.
The 75-th jubilee was a strong reason for application to the works of the Artist, to the analysis of works of recent time, theoretical and practical issues on students preparation written by him, the participance in many blacksmith festivals and competitions in Ukraine and abroad: in Poland, Czech Republic, Switzerland, Russia, Belarus, Germany where he and his students got prizes and rewards.
Fruitful cooperation with the mayoralty of Austrian city Ybbsitz ended with production of the forged carpet “Ornamental music of the Carpathians” for city hall of its sessions which has been highly estimated by the specialists.
American period of creative cooperation in the forging shop “Iron Paradise”, was particularly special, though challenging. Dozens of things of functional use and creative invention such as chandeliers, candleholders, ashtrays, bells, crosses, series “Butterflies”, “Day dreaming of rainforest” have been forged there. The author has boldly combined different in size chimeric plastic arts fantastic leaves, flowers with exquisite bent stems, that create one fabulous plaiting and all the elements are decorative ensemble. Here he was admitted as a member of Blacksmith’s Association of North America.
The Artist resorts to folk art motives, mythological fictions of different interpretation, realistic and stylized artistic versions in order to enrich visual attractiveness of his works. The elements of the strict gothic style, the luxurious baroque, reserved classics, vintage secession, pragmatic historism, they are all represented in the park plastics, wall brackets, candelabrums, handrails, railings which often have romantic names. Peculiar landmark conclusion at the turn of the centuries was monumental and thematic panel “The tree of blacksmith’s craft” for Truskavets sanatorium “Karpaty” where all story lines from the history of the craft unfolded, they are enriched with the elements which are hold on not only because of the metal framing– “the tree trunk”, that is arrayed with the symbol of sun, but also because of compositional discovery. At the top of the panel there is the bronze trident. It was the year of 1990, that is before official declaration of Ukrainian state with its symbols, but the Artist, who had established himself as a creative personality, acknowledged his national and political position.
Other works including sacredly expressive and artistically attractive gates, stained-glass windows, iconostasis, cross railings made during 1998-2004 for Basilian monastery of St.Onufrius in Lviv helped to gain his credibility. They have enriched the aesthetics of exterior of the monastery, each of them is worthy of praise.
From the number of works for lighting, the candleholders in the café “Khors” in the historical part of Lviv in the basements of XVI c. with arch vaults , with rough stone and brick walls attracted attention. Here in 2006 pre-Christian mythological deities, who intensify the antiquity of the interior headed by Khors – the god of celestial fire and night light, with his image as all-seeing eye; then “Svaroh”- one who forged the first plough and engagement ring, the next is “Volos” the symbol of beauty and music; “Yarylo” is the personification of spring son and nature awakening. “Perun” is the lord of lightning and thunder also those who idolize wedding couple and family “Lado and Lelya”. Pagan believes, the legends of Slavonic tribes in particular Volyn region, that inspired Lesya Ukrayinka, other masters of feather and brush, interested the author long ago. He got especially imbued with them when the opportunity appeared to materialize them in the metal, stained glass.
Sacral Christian themes occupy remarkable place in the works of O. Bonkovskyy. He took it on openly with the fall of the atheistic regime focusing on the main Christian symbol – the cross. The symbol is simple, it is a perpendicular section of two (sections) lines. From ancient times it is famous, as solar symbol in paganism may be it was the first decoration for clothes when the people started the simplest cross stich embroidering. Every cross of the Artist is individually shaped. Mostly they are not intended for particular sacred object that is they appear as independent artistic thing. “Creative freedom” in this field allowed to experiment and fantasize resorting to diversified decorative elements and plastic forms without losing herein the canonical silhouette of the cross and not turning it into decorative ornamental creation.
One of the recent crosses is the monument of Heavenly Hundred Heroes and the fighters of CTO (ATO) which was opened in September 2017 in the village of Karachyniv of Yavoriv region. The landmark emerges in the shape of a cross surrounded by sunflowers and fixed on the granitical slab. This is the collaborative work with his two sons who got art education at the Academy, they had a moral right for realization of its creative ideas because they, like dozens of citizens of Yavoriv, with the arms in their hands protected the borders of our country in 2014.The sons have inherited their father’s skills and craft, they have someone to learn from, both theoretically and practically. Professional artist and teacher O. Bonkovskyy has written almost 40 texts where he highlighted his own experience and the experience of his colleagues’ creativity and studies, he hasn’t “betrayed” his first exercises that starts from the pencil, ink and paints . There are dozens of works in his collection with which he has the intention to acquaint the viewers at his one-man exhibition. We even suppose that he wouldn’t have become a recognized artist of metal, if he hadn’t had professional skills of drawing. It is risky to work with metal extempore without fixed imagination in the drawing. Sculptor or painter can correct the clay model or oil painting. The blacksmith can’t “afford” this: once he strikes without thinking and the thing is spoilt. An illustration of above mentioned is the grating for a fireplace “Budmo” made in a way of folksy humour, where two straight –faced friends with raised glasses as if they are going to swallow some very pleasant drink in a while are featured. Such types cannot be forged without well-thought drawing. Blacksmith of metal considerably expanded the circle of his worshippers also as a Wordsmith. His literary talent has nourished from childhood in love, thirst for a book, sprouted with years, abound on the fields of respected magazines, first of all of “Dzvin” that is published in Lviv.
We should also add his self-portrait in oils to this titled portrait. Piercing, strong-willed look is depicted in brightly ochre-colour against softened green background, phalanxes of his left wrist of the crossed hands are outlined anatomically distinctly clearly. These are not delicate fingers of pianist or violinist, these are fingers of blacksmith who is only 30 years old. He attests himself laconically without demonstrative modesty:” I am a blacksmith”. He has a code of life. He had always worked hard and relied only on himself. Physical labour doesn’t tire you it tempers. He is tired on Sunday, during a few day-offs, because he is convinced that successful person is the man that established himself as a personality and the biggest success is not to betray your principles and love your business and the best reward is sound health.