In a society that has adopted the principles of imitation and copying, many habitually function by relying on other people's patterns of behavior, while forgetting their own power of thinking, creating, learning, growing, says an academic painter from Serbia in an interview for "Vijesti" Ivana Zivic.
Stimulated by the situation that she describes as a mud of meaninglessness in which it is necessary to make constant efforts to stay afloat, the work "Silence" was created, which depicts a girl in that action, in an attempt to "swim" in a chaotic time and world without clear meaning.
Ivana Živić's work "Silence" won first prize at this year's Hercegnov Winter Salon, which opened on February XNUMX in the "Josip Bepo Benković" gallery.
Selector of the 56th edition of one of the most important art manifestations of Montenegro, academic painter Goran Cetkovic, gathered 34 representative authors from the country and abroad who presented their works responding to the theme "From figurative to abstract". The jury that decided on the awards consisted of the president, the museum advisor Lucia Đurašković, and members, painter Vojislav Kilibard and art historian Jasmina Granary, the oil on canvas by Ivana Živić was singled out as the best work with a clear explanation.
"The artist has expressed her visual inventiveness in a rarely creative way, which is a reflection of a deep thought process refined by an emotional state that calls for awakening and dialogue within ourselves, opening the hard-to-reach depths of the human being," they pointed out, among other things.
In an interview for "Vijesti", Živić conveys her impressions from the opening of the Salon, and emphasizes that she is glad that the artists she appreciates are among the awardees. The second prize went to him Petru to Hranuelli from Croatia for the sculpture "The Angel is Coming", and the third was shared equally by Montenegrin sculptors Marko Petrovic Njegos for the work of "Gay" and Milia Stojanovic for the sculpture "Luggage II".
Živić adds that awards are important in every profession, because they indicate value and quality, but also a shortcut to the audience. In addition, she talks in more detail about her works, which are distinguished by striking female figures in the water, the combination of a cramped interior and the endless ocean, but also by color, as well as by the complete atmosphere of peace and tranquility in contrast to everything around that suffocates. With her handwriting, Živić leaves a strong mark on the mind of the observer, and reveals that a new cycle is slowly emerging which, although from a similar foundation, brings a different spirit and energy, like a party, a party, with an undertone of "modern paradise"... In addition to other things, she announces a solo exhibition in Paris, next year in Budva, and already on April 18 with Peter Hranuelli, he will present himself in Belgrade, at the Legate House, and invites everyone who is able to visit the Salon in Herceg Novi by March 15.
You won the first prize at the Hercegnov Winter Salon. How much does this recognition mean to you, and in general the evaluations of critics and colleagues when it comes to your work? Also, what attitude do you have towards awards, but also the opinion of others about your work?
The tradition of the Winter Salon and the big names of talented people who received awards in previous years, as well as the competition from colleagues who now participate in the exhibition, make me feel very happy and grateful that I received the first award. I'm also happy that the people I love won the other awards. Petar Hranuelli the second and Milija the third. Awards in every profession are important, because they indicate value and quality, especially when it comes to museum institutions, with a qualified jury. When you are an award-winning author, the audience recognizes you more easily and quickly, and colleagues and friends from the profession value you more.
You were awarded for the work "Silence". The jury noticed that you combined a deep thought process in a rarely creative way, as well as an emotional state that calls for awakening, but also an internal dialogue. How would you present your work and what does the title of the work "Silence" suggest?
There is no noise in the underwater world. There is no story. There is silence all around you. That silence implies a feeling of peace, calmness, harmony with oneself in contrast to the world from the surface where there is a multitude of voices, information, anything and everything that creates confusion and chaos. Silence is actually a mental image of letting go, relaxing and letting go. A state of harmony, with yourself and the world around you.
The theme of this year's Salon is "From figurative to abstract". What is that path from figuration to abstraction and how much of it is in what you do, given that your works belong to contemporary surrealism?
I definitely belong to pure figuration stylistically. But ideas such as freedom, love, peace... are abstract, and it is precisely these that I strive to portray in my paintings. Thus, my work could be connected with that title, although I believe that the selector Goran Ćetković had something else in mind. It aimed more to unify the differences in the approaches of all participants and provide breadth to the Salon itself.
Looking at your other works, it seems that you are investigating human processes, with a focus on women, emotions and introspection, but also external life and the relationship to it. Given the carefully thought out elements and top-notch composition, do you have a clear idea or concept at the very beginning to guide you in creating?
A large number of people paint swimming, water, pool, diving, body in light and color distortion. However, no one has included the interior in all of that. With the appearance of clear and precise edges of space, architecture and furniture, swimming and water scenes become unreal. But also unpleasant. Associations range from the banal, such as drowning, flooding, drowning and death, through a symbolic search for a way out, surrendering to emotions, swimming through life and circumstances, accepting and enjoying beauty... By refracting light, the movement of the body itself, swaying draperies and scenic space, a technically very challenging situation is obtained.
Art historian Slavica Obradinović pointed out that your paintings are like water that provides peace, purifies, but also brings whirlwinds, passion, uncertainty, restlessness and fear. The element of water is found in most of your works. Why is it important to you, in what way does it inspire you and how do you use it in your works, especially if we know that life originates from water, but also that man with his actions pollutes it more and more and destroys water surfaces, forgetting that he is made of it?
Water as a universal symbol has many meanings through different cultures and climates. In my artistic language, she is synonymous with emotions and the feminine principle. The very words you use to describe water: turbulent, restless, calm, overflowing, and the like, are also used to describe emotions and emotional states in humans. Question: "How do you feel?" I consider it the most important question today. Because everything we do in our lives, everything we strive for, everything we want, everything we give attention and time to, when we get naked, we do it because we think we will feel better that way or then or with it.
Next to water, in its depth, you usually show different interiors, and on the surface of women, women's bodies. That triangle is quite interesting to think about and decode, depending on the observer. Are states of peace, introspection, perhaps empathy and awakening something that you want to convey to the person standing in front of the picture? And why yes/no?
Yes, the idea is to make the pictures meditative. To be mental images of a certain state of consciousness, rather than a concrete representation of water, interior and person. We are used to functioning in a society of imitation and copying and we rely on other people's patterns to such an extent that we have forgotten that we ourselves have the power to think, create, learn, grow. In this sense, the girl in the picture is any of us trying to "swim" in this chaotic time and world without clear meaning. Whoever is trying, or has already found himself, and now needs to "stay afloat", not to sink into the mud of meaninglessness that spreads all around us.
In your works, it's as if you're creating a scenery or an image that is accompanied by an additional story, whether it's a picture book for children or a film, a science fiction project... Have you ever thought about combining or applying your images in other media, such as film or digital art? Do you yourself perhaps create the subtext of the work in progress during the creation process?
All that you have listed are the elements of a contemporary image, it was created from new media and yes, I often think of promoting my ideas through photography or photomontage. I am currently working with a printing house on the realization of large formats, we will see how it will look.
Do and to what extent do the daily topics and social circumstances in which you live and which surround you/us influence your work?
I'm not trying to be topical, but it's inevitable that the current moment, environment, and cultural milieu both shape what you create. I tend more towards some universal, general values, which are timeless. Few have noticed that my paintings do not bear the characteristics of today's times. There is no environment that would classify them in this 21st century. They could comfortably belong to some past times, and perhaps future ones.
What are your artistic ambitions in the future and is there a particular theme or style that interests you and that you would like to work on and explore further? Or do you stay in the current cycle and techniques?
I definitely stay in the same slowly developing story... Every inspiration comes from within. From a small, intimate, lived moment. All the time, I advocate the hedonistic attitude of surrendering to the moment and letting it be some lightness of existence that is colored by peace. Now I think that in recent pictures "peace and meditation" will turn into "party". The images will have a slightly stronger contrast and all those spaces will get a different light, as if some discos are in question, as if some party has started. That would be some modern vision of heaven (or hell).
When it comes to the Salon, what are your impressions of the exhibition and how important are events of this type for the sake of getting to know and collaborating with artists, but also for the audience?
I am at the Salon in Herceg Novi for the first time. The exhibition is of high quality and it meant a lot to me that I learned about some very talented colleagues, and even more that I met some of them personally. States were falling apart and new ones were emerging, governments and regimes were changing, a lot has happened in the 56 years of existence and survival of this cultural manifestation, and that is why it is of great importance, both for the local environment and much more widely... It is nice that the audience here recognizes that .
At the end of last year, you had an independent exhibition in Serbia, and after the award in Herceg Novi, can we perhaps expect an independent exhibition in Montenegro?
I received and accepted the invitation of the "Jovo Ivanović" Modern Gallery in Budva to exhibit independently next year. This year I have a big exhibition with Peter Hranuelli in the Kuće Legata gallery in Belgrade from April 18, and I am exhibiting independently in the Boris gallery in Paris in September.
Would you like to add something, tell the readers?
Yes, if they have the opportunity to visit the Salon in Herceg Novi by March 15, because the best thing is to see and experience live art.
Painting that accumulates all hedonistic principles
Do and to what extent do you deal with social, political and cultural issues through your painting, possibly some contemporary socio-political challenges, such as climate change, unplanned and/or excessive urbanization, inequality and the like? Can painting be a social engagement in that context?
My art is not engaged. I'm not trying to improve, fix the world around me, or raise awareness, ask questions, point the finger at a certain phenomenon... I don't believe in painting as a tool of politics or any kind of activism. I stand on the complete opposite side. Although I adore the works of Barbara Kruger, Olafur Eliasson and others, my painting accumulates all hedonistic principles. It is completely and absolutely useless, beautiful and self-sufficient. It is there for enjoyment, emotion, relaxation... If I were to attach a purpose to it, it would rather be a therapeutic-shamanic one...
Image has never been more important in human history
What is the position of painting and painters in the 21st century and what are the main challenges of the time we live in for the fine arts?
As much as it seems that time today, with all the new technologies, social networks and the speed it carries, has overtaken painting in the classical sense of the word, pushed it into a corner and made painters invisible, that's exactly how it is today, in fact the time of painting. Never in the history of mankind has the image been more important, it goes before each of us today. In the sphere of social networks that hold primacy over all other media, it is the image that they are based on. Everything that makes a good picture: idea, color, composition..., also makes a good photograph... and the need for it is everywhere. People leave their professions of law, economics or whatever they studied, pick up a camera and overnight become necessary and economically successful.
It has been known since ancient times that in the material sense it is difficult to make a living from art, perhaps especially fine art. What would you say about that and how is it (inversely) proportional to what man and society really need?
It would be nice if there was a greater need and recognition of art globally. If only people would understand that art, even painting, can fill them, inspire them, give them some kind of new energy and purpose. But not a small number of people realize it. From individuals who buy to enhance their living space to the formation of serious contemporary collections.
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