Davor Vukovic's Artist Profile
Davor Vukovic from Zapresic, Costa Rica
i like artist
NY Arts Magazine 473 Broadway 7th Floor | NY, NY 10013 212.274.8993 | www.nyartsmagazine.com Davor Vukovic’s paintings, like his personality are provocative, full of vigor and a zest for life. Most noticeable is his use of vibrant colors, freely dashed about the canvas. Yet, his paintings are far less abstract upon analyzation. They are at first, intense and uninhibited, full of playful innocence. Yet, they are also hallucinatory and psychedelic. Behind swaths of paint resembling a rich atmosphere, there is a sense of mystery. He is a master of formal innovation and his work sets off sparks like fireworks. Davor Vukovic's work is incredibly connected to his sense of environment and home, close to the sea. He describes his paintings as a recurrent image of islands and coasts. In a way, this description of his surroundings goes deeper than representation. They are not objective, but emotional. They are reflections, memories and dreams combined with his reality. Like in his poems, he is seeking for the essence of life. Over time, one notices that his paintings are existential: he finds the essence in life itself. And his varied experiences become elaborate motifs. Stylistically, Vukovic finds his way between abstraction and action painting. His use of color is parallel to the way that French impressionists such as Monet tried to evidence the shades, the hues in the air and water. And in some of his paintings he even dabbles in a neo-cubism. As far as influences are concerned, one can also notice similarities with the work of the Serbian painter and Vukovic’s friend, Milan Konjovic. And once the artist de Kooning was quoted as saying that “I don't paint to live, I live to paint.” It is a sentiment that seems aptly suited to Vukovic’s personality. But influences aside, Vukovic has remained loyal to original approach, a self-educated technique. And few artists compare to his signature style. I recently had the chance to interview him to learn more about his work and life. Abraham Lubelski: Tell us a little bit about how you became an artist. Did you always know you would be one? Davor Vukovic: My art and my life are the same. I live my poetry and painting. That is my life style. Thus I adore Nature for its free gifts. My gratitude for life and creativity is unspeakable. With my paintings and poetry I celebrate Nature. Nature is a major artist. And it is so beautifully natural that the painter in me is compelled into an ancient game of representing it again and again. So I've come to realize that art and life is nothing but amazing game. Hence I try to share my joy with everybody in my exhibits. So, thank you for receive my overflow. Giving and receiving are the way to breath. At one time, I had to run to painting as much as I could, and I was lucky to catch up with it. In fact, I never wanted to become a painter, I wanted to play football. From eleven to eighteen years of age I was the junior star in the football club from Split. I always knew I was a talented painter, but I feared the fate of painting, as I have already experienced some tragic. AL: Your colors are incredibly vivid. Are they rooted in nature or in imagination? DV: My colors have their roots in nature, but I don't mimic the colors of nature. My color is a reflection of my appreciation for the splendor and glory I see in nature of which I am an indispensable and vital part. My colors reflect the state of joy of my being. AL: Do you see your works as abstracted landscapes or as pure abstractions? Does it matter how the viewer interprets them? DV: My recent paintings are a combination of classical, modern painting and action painting. They are vivid as I am and I totally do not care whether people will perceive them as a landscapes or abstractions. If they recognize the splendor and joy of life in my artworks, the deeper message is conveyed. AL: Where do you find inspiration for your work? Do you have particular influences that you go back to, artists or writers or musicians? Are you planning any major exhibits this year that we should look out for? DV: My inspiration is inexhaustible, because I am completely open to nature and life that current of life flows effortlessly through me. And I am always surprised by the final outcome. I can only paint one image once, because it is unique, so I can never make two identical paintings. Right now, all of my efforts are in the planning of my future exhibition in October at Broadway Gallery, NYC. I also have an offer for a solo exhibition at a London gallery and plan to exhibit there in September of 2013. I have achieved my domestic and international success thanks to my talent, hard work, and the continued support of my community. Particularly important is the support of Zapresic, Zagreb County, the Croatian Ministry of Culture, Zagreb and many other sponsors. As we anticipate Vukovic's future works, readers can glimpse some of his most significant works to date as a preview, right here. A moving work, Archipelago in the Night, translates as a deep blue sea, ferociously waving during the night. A touch of deep blue induces that required ray of hope. But behind the untamed waves, there is more agitation: explosions of color under a surface that is almost impermeable. This work captures the romantic impulse with stunning results. Its nature is that of appearance and concealment. It helps us identify our place in the universe as well. This work ultimately has a transforming agent in it, as we come to understand ourselves viewing this piece, and realize that nature is a dynamic presence. From an artistic point of view Romanticism dominated the last decade of the 18th century and moved well into the first decades of the 20th century. Originating first in Europe with the "Sturm und Drang" Movement of the 1770's to its vibrant first flowering in England in the 1790's to its importation to American soil from the 1820's onward, Romanticism has exerted a powerful hold on Western thought and culture. And it makes perfect sense that an artist as cosmopolitan, well traveled, and talented as Vukovic has picked up on its resurgence. As Western culture has entered into a post-industrial and increasingly virtual channels of communication, Romanticism posits a return to basics. Those basics being preoccupied with articulating the personal experience that becomes, in turn, a representative one. With all abstract art, the interpretation of the audience becomes a part of the artwork. And in Vukovic’s painting, the spectator really gets sucked into the vortex of color and emotion. Especially, the pristine white, green, orange, yellow, maroon and turquoise contrasted by the subtle pink, which brings balance to this piece. This work is intense, brooding and sweetly melancholic like a Whistler or Van Gogh. In Wind, we notice a more abrupt division in the landscape. There is an assertive, transcendental power, an ethereal field that is conjured up by this piece. This comes thought via the colors. Therein, a consoling blue haze brings peace to the canvas. The lower part of the canvas is akin to a reflection of evening light on a pond. Deep blues and bright oranges are remarkably present. Underneath the light blue brush strokes, purple and olive green dominate. But, most striking about this work, is that the whole piece seems like it is soaring. Composed of gestural hatch marks that resemble birds, it creates an effervescent, rich atmosphere that conjures up the majesty of flight. Most unique is his work, Gentle Archipelago. It is spontaneous, more freely painted and the color palette, mature. This works captures the sensation of early morning dew or the first frost. Its cooler palette mixed with darker forms creates incredibly marked divisions. But it is his work entitled Africa, which is full of wonderful experimentation and endless imagination. Albert Einstein once wrote that “Imagination is more important than knowledge. Knowledge is limited. Imagination encircles the world.” This work encircles the viewer in a refulgent, gleaming sensation that highlights the immense creative capacity within Vukovic. This work is all about play. It is obvious that this landscape wasn’t based on the artist’s surroundings, at least not entirely. There are no signs of islands or the Croatian coastline. The artist is less familiar with this environment. There are fewer details. The heavy layer of white paint has different nuances. The mélange is still white, but less banal. It feels like part of the earth is falling, collapsing onto the sediment below. This powerful tension is present in all of Vukovic’s paintings. Vukovic's work is visceral, challenging and full of endless wonder. The tangled webbed lines and spatters ruthlessly slice through thick ones in a show of bravado and excitement. His work captures the human drama with his masterful use of light and dark, chaos and anxiety. And his story continues to inspire.
Artist's Statement
NY Arts Magazine 473 Broadway 7th Floor | NY, NY 10013 212.274.8993 | www.nyartsmagazine.com Davor Vukovic’s paintings, like his personality are provocative, full of vigor and a zest for life. Most noticeable is his use of vibrant colors, freely dashed about the canvas. Yet, his paintings are far less abstract upon analyzation. They are at first, intense and uninhibited, full of playful innocence. Yet, they are also hallucinatory and psychedelic. Behind swaths of paint resembling a rich atmosphere, there is a sense of mystery. He is a master of formal innovation and his work sets off sparks like fireworks. Davor Vukovic's work is incredibly connected to his sense of environment and home, close to the sea. He describes his paintings as a recurrent image of islands and coasts. In a way, this description of his surroundings goes deeper than representation. They are not objective, but emotional. They are reflections, memories and dreams combined with his reality. Like in his poems, he is seeking for the essence of life. Over time, one notices that his paintings are existential: he finds the essence in life itself. And his varied experiences become elaborate motifs. Stylistically, Vukovic finds his way between abstraction and action painting. His use of color is parallel to the way that French impressionists such as Monet tried to evidence the shades, the hues in the air and water. And in some of his paintings he even dabbles in a neo-cubism. As far as influences are concerned, one can also notice similarities with the work of the Serbian painter and Vukovic’s friend, Milan Konjovic. And once the artist de Kooning was quoted as saying that “I don't paint to live, I live to paint.” It is a sentiment that seems aptly suited to Vukovic’s personality. But influences aside, Vukovic has remained loyal to original approach, a self-educated technique. And few artists compare to his signature style. I recently had the chance to interview him to learn more about his work and life. Abraham Lubelski: Tell us a little bit about how you became an artist. Did you always know you would be one? Davor Vukovic: My art and my life are the same. I live my poetry and painting. That is my life style. Thus I adore Nature for its free gifts. My gratitude for life and creativity is unspeakable. With my paintings and poetry I celebrate Nature. Nature is a major artist. And it is so beautifully natural that the painter in me is compelled into an ancient game of representing it again and again. So I've come to realize that art and life is nothing but amazing game. Hence I try to share my joy with everybody in my exhibits. So, thank you for receive my overflow. Giving and receiving are the way to breath. At one time, I had to run to painting as much as I could, and I was lucky to catch up with it. In fact, I never wanted to become a painter, I wanted to play football. From eleven to eighteen years of age I was the junior star in the football club from Split. I always knew I was a talented painter, but I feared the fate of painting, as I have already experienced some tragic. AL: Your colors are incredibly vivid. Are they rooted in nature or in imagination? DV: My colors have their roots in nature, but I don't mimic the colors of nature. My color is a reflection of my appreciation for the splendor and glory I see in nature of which I am an indispensable and vital part. My colors reflect the state of joy of my being. AL: Do you see your works as abstracted landscapes or as pure abstractions? Does it matter how the viewer interprets them? DV: My recent paintings are a combination of classical, modern painting and action painting. They are vivid as I am and I totally do not care whether people will perceive them as a landscapes or abstractions. If they recognize the splendor and joy of life in my artworks, the deeper message is conveyed. AL: Where do you find inspiration for your work? Do you have particular influences that you go back to, artists or writers or musicians? Are you planning any major exhibits this year that we should look out for? DV: My inspiration is inexhaustible, because I am completely open to nature and life that current of life flows effortlessly through me. And I am always surprised by the final outcome. I can only paint one image once, because it is unique, so I can never make two identical paintings. Right now, all of my efforts are in the planning of my future exhibition in October at Broadway Gallery, NYC. I also have an offer for a solo exhibition at a London gallery and plan to exhibit there in September of 2013. I have achieved my domestic and international success thanks to my talent, hard work, and the continued support of my community. Particularly important is the support of Zapresic, Zagreb County, the Croatian Ministry of Culture, Zagreb and many other sponsors. As we anticipate Vukovic's future works, readers can glimpse some of his most significant works to date as a preview, right here. A moving work, Archipelago in the Night, translates as a deep blue sea, ferociously waving during the night. A touch of deep blue induces that required ray of hope. But behind the untamed waves, there is more agitation: explosions of color under a surface that is almost impermeable. This work captures the romantic impulse with stunning results. Its nature is that of appearance and concealment. It helps us identify our place in the universe as well. This work ultimately has a transforming agent in it, as we come to understand ourselves viewing this piece, and realize that nature is a dynamic presence. From an artistic point of view Romanticism dominated the last decade of the 18th century and moved well into the first decades of the 20th century. Originating first in Europe with the "Sturm und Drang" Movement of the 1770's to its vibrant first flowering in England in the 1790's to its importation to American soil from the 1820's onward, Romanticism has exerted a powerful hold on Western thought and culture. And it makes perfect sense that an artist as cosmopolitan, well traveled, and talented as Vukovic has picked up on its resurgence. As Western culture has entered into a post-industrial and increasingly virtual channels of communication, Romanticism posits a return to basics. Those basics being preoccupied with articulating the personal experience that becomes, in turn, a representative one. With all abstract art, the interpretation of the audience becomes a part of the artwork. And in Vukovic’s painting, the spectator really gets sucked into the vortex of color and emotion. Especially, the pristine white, green, orange, yellow, maroon and turquoise contrasted by the subtle pink, which brings balance to this piece. This work is intense, brooding and sweetly melancholic like a Whistler or Van Gogh. In Wind, we notice a more abrupt division in the landscape. There is an assertive, transcendental power, an ethereal field that is conjured up by this piece. This comes thought via the colors. Therein, a consoling blue haze brings peace to the canvas. The lower part of the canvas is akin to a reflection of evening light on a pond. Deep blues and bright oranges are remarkably present. Underneath the light blue brush strokes, purple and olive green dominate. But, most striking about this work, is that the whole piece seems like it is soaring. Composed of gestural hatch marks that resemble birds, it creates an effervescent, rich atmosphere that conjures up the majesty of flight. Most unique is his work, Gentle Archipelago. It is spontaneous, more freely painted and the color palette, mature. This works captures the sensation of early morning dew or the first frost. Its cooler palette mixed with darker forms creates incredibly marked divisions. But it is his work entitled Africa, which is full of wonderful experimentation and endless imagination. Albert Einstein once wrote that “Imagination is more important than knowledge. Knowledge is limited. Imagination encircles the world.” This work encircles the viewer in a refulgent, gleaming sensation that highlights the immense creative capacity within Vukovic. This work is all about play. It is obvious that this landscape wasn’t based on the artist’s surroundings, at least not entirely. There are no signs of islands or the Croatian coastline. The artist is less familiar with this environment. There are fewer details. The heavy layer of white paint has different nuances. The mélange is still white, but less banal. It feels like part of the earth is falling, collapsing onto the sediment below. This powerful tension is present in all of Vukovic’s paintings. Vukovic's work is visceral, challenging and full of endless wonder. The tangled webbed lines and spatters ruthlessly slice through thick ones in a show of bravado and excitement. His work captures the human drama with his masterful use of light and dark, chaos and anxiety. And his story continues to inspire.
Davor Vuković comes from Poljice (Krilo Jesenice) near Split. He was born on the 24th of October, 1951 in Herceg Novi, where his father was temporarily positioned. He attended primary school and secondaryschool Ćiro Gamulin in Split between 1957 and 1969. After moving to Zagreb he studied at the faculty of Economics from 1970 until1975. He became absorbed with Zagreb’s cultural climate of the time and the literary, musical, theatrical and fine arts events. He met Emil Cosetto, who introduced him to ‘Joža Vlahović’ choir, where Vuković was an active member for a short period of time. He wrote poetry full of existentialistic forms, concerning the essence of life, dreams, God and eternal faith in goodness, with which he tried to fill both space and time. He became strongly attracted to painting, so from 1980 until 1982 he attended Fine Arts Education Centre at Roko’s Perivoj in Zagreb, where he committed to and with discipline studied drawing, composition, painting techniques, as well as discovered the magical power of colour, which was set to influence the forming of his painting expression quite strongly. At XVI Ratković Poetry Evenings, a competition for young artists in Bijelo Polje, Montenegro, he won the third place, and in 1985 he was awarded Plaketa grada Zagreba for his painting achievements. These recognition for poetry and painting were exceptionally motivating for his further research into the world of fine arts. He got to know Ferdinand Kulmer, a brilliant painter, professor and pedagogic, who guided him into revealing the gestural, expressionistic, non conventional painting in which his dreams became landscapes full of vibrating colours. Furthermore, he became acquainted with Mladen Veža, who thought highly of his work and from whom he received further education. While socialising with Tonko Maroević, professor and art critic, he realised a highly praised solo exhibition in 1989 at ‘Miroslav Kraljević’ gallery, which for Vuković opened the doors to the world of painting and he officially became a contemporary painter. The exhibitions that followed took plac at‘Shira’ gallery in Zagreb in 1992 and he also made painting donations as a part of Kiwanis club stands at Mladost, Masarykova Street, Zagreb, during the Croatian War of Independence. In 1995 Vuković left his job as an economist and started earning his living as a painter, supported by his friends artists and art critics. Since that year he has been a member of the Croatian Association of Artists and Likum. He has had more than 50 solo exhibitions and 25 group ones, as well as international, conceptual and triennial exhibitions in Croatia and the world, always presenting new cycles, graphic albums, literary and poetry readings. Critical writings an essays which accompanied his growth, which has until this very day been indisputable and mature, have been written by renowned fine arts critics and theorists, such as poet Josip Palada, academic Tonko Maroević, Josip Depolo, Tomislav Lalin, Branka Hlevnjak, Stanko Špoljarić, Mirjana Repanić- Braun, all the way to a special acknowledgement from Vjesnik’s fine atrs critic Marina Tenžera, ‘Finally – painting’, who elevated his most recent cycles to ‘leading places on the Croatian painting scene’. A critical essay by the recently departed Darko Glavan in the monograph edited by Tonko Maroević, published in 2010, presented a systematic analysis of Vuković’s entire opus, which is in its painting ingenuity an essential part of contemporary Croatian art. Besides his intensive activity at exhibitions, Vuković published poetry collections Gatara (Fortune-teller) and Oslanjam se na tišinu (I Rely on Silence), and he exhibited and made graphic albums in dedication to national parks Paklenica, Risnjak and Plitvice Lakes. As a part of HRT and HGK project in 2003, he had solo exhibitions in Kongesshaus in Zürich. Moreover, from 2007 until 2009, he took part in international fine arts colonies by Akademija art. He exhibited solo in London, Tarare near Lyon, and in 2009 he was invited to exhibit in New York for the first time, where he took part in a group exhibition“ Collide“, Tribeca, New York, where he was in May chosen the artist of the month. In 2010 he again took part in a group exhibition of Croatian artists at MC Gallery and at Ico Gallery in New York, which was a group exhibition titled ‘Heat’. In early 2011. he exhibit with Elisabeth Ochsenfeld from Heidelberger Akademie at Art Museum in Timsoara, Romania and in Warmia and Mazury Music Hall in Olsztyn, Poland. with most famous and greatest artists from the whole world. In May 2011. he exhibit at the international exhibition Artists at Home & Abroad at Broadway Gallery in New York. In October 2011.he exhibit in Denmark in Sigvardson Gallery. The first time he solo exhibits in New York 2012th at Broadway Gallery. For that occasion he received a welcome letter from the Office of the Mayor of New York, Mr. Michael R. Bloomberg with words: “The Vukovic artworks are filled with vibrancy, extraordinary colors and unique beauty that make Croatia such a special place.”The New York State Governor, Mr. Andrew M. Cuomo, send his monograph “to New York State Library so that all New Yorkers have a chance to read it and see these wonderful examples of modern Croatian art.“ Davor Vuković is a member of Croatian Association of visual artists, and Croatian Composers Society. He works and lives in Zaprešić. Address: 10290 Zaprešić, Augusta Šenoe 39, Phone: +385 1 3353 054, GSM: +385 95 909 6624, E-mail: [email protected] www.davor-vukovic.iz.hr http://galerija-branimir.com http://www.remek-djela.com http://vukovic-davor.fineartamerica.com http://www.icosahedrongallery.org www.newartoriginals.com/artistlogon