IMAGONYMS OF THE UKRAINIAN AVANT-GARDE: SEMANTICS, RELATIONSHIP WITH CONCEPTS OF ART DISCOURSE

Abstract

The article analyzes the semantic load of imagonyms, one of the little-studied onymic categories. The study covering imagonyms of the Ukrainian avant-garde of the early 20th century was carried out taking into account the specificity of the names of works of fine art of this movement and the ambiguity of the perception of the language of avant-garde works. The focus is on identifying the connections between the semantics of imagonyms and the dominant concepts of the pictorial discourse «movement», «genre», «color». The correlation of the semantic content of the paintings’ names with the conceptual space of art is demonstrated. The emphasis is on deepening the understanding of the exclusivity of avant-garde painting due to the figurative potential of conceptually filled lexemes placed in imagonyms. It has been observed, that proper units, performing nominative and semantic functions, often compensate for the vagueness of the meaning of works, the lack of systematicity and logic in the expression of aesthetic content, inherent in avant-gardism. It has been noted that imagonyms become an integral part of a work of fine art, since the viewer’s perception is focused simultaneously on the depicted object with its conceptual characteristics and on the painting’s title. Imagonyms are classified by the types of lexemes contained in them or derivatives thereof within the framework of the connection of their semantics with the three declared concepts.The combination of two or more different lexemes semantically related to the concepts of pictorial discourse in imagonyms has also been recorded. Such interparadigmatic connections of words enhance the understanding of the integrity of the content of the art canvas. Imagonyms reflect the desire of avant-garde artists to mark the belonging of their works to a certain movement due to the society’s rejection of the new trend with its creative experiments, external formal novelty, shockingness and unusual way of conveying reality. Imagonyms, the semantics of which are connected with the concept of «color», are also considered. These names reflect the coloristic element of avant- garde with its riot of colors, mosaicism, collage and other elements of playing with color. The semantic content of avant-garde imagonyms is described.