The world of graphics by Dagdangijn Amgalan

Abstract

This article deals with the investigation of graphic works by an outstanding Mongolian artist Dagdangijn Amgalan (1933–2009). For the first time in the historiography of Mongolian art, we explore the specific position of the drawing art in his artistic output studying his main artworks in this specific medium. In the focus of our attention, there are three graphic series produced by Amgalan — “Socialist Ulaanbaatar” (1961), “My Land’s Morning” (1962), and “Birth of a Human Being” (1966). The main goal of this research consists in exploring the principles of reciprocal interconnections between different pieces within the framework of each series as well as expressive means used by the Mongolian artist. Given this, we are trying to demonstrate how Amgalan’s graphic style and narrative principles had been developing during the course of the 1960s. It was proved that Amgalan’s graphic art served for him as a kind of the testing laboratory for experimenting with different stylistic forms which, in their turn, consequently had been employed in other spheres of Amgalan’s prolific artistic activity.