Milenko R Katic'

Artist's Statement

The End of Paint as Decor...

The End of Traditional Art...

RETHINKING ART

My new work is in mixed media. Just exploration of technique in painting is no longer a challenge. Now the search is for art nouveau. The end of traditional painting is a new begining. Truly new work implies denial of what has come before. By immersing my self in different media, I found more opportunity to explore new dimension of art.

Since I began using acrylic, charcoal, conte crayon, paper and found object together in one painting, I feel the power of mixed media. Now I feel liberated from painting-as-decor and have crossed a new frontier in art.

I begin in collage, acrylic, charcoal and crayon. Combing abstract and representational forms, I walk a fine line between these two styles. When I finish painting, i let time pass to age my work before reconsidering it. Then I confront the work, rework it, finish it and let age again. Through this process the work stay alive, becoming an integral part of "the artist's life" while it remains with the artist. Being alive here means aging and changing, developing with the chance to becoming increasingly original, different.

In the moment when work leaves the artist, thus becoming dead work, it can no longer be part of the artist's search. Dead work risks becoming decor and soon may finish in the trash; or it can become quality work with originality that carries it forth to become part of a private or museum collection. In a museum collection, if the work is original and distinctive, it may become important, but nevertheless it becomes mummified, encased in a museum.

Working in this rhythmic cycle, e.g. work-finish-age-confront, work-finish-age-confront, I find excitement with each project, as each work may leads me to create a different and important piece of art.

Awards

Atlanta Dogwood Arts Festival, Atlanta, Georgia

Art Show, Columbus, OH

Boardwalk Art Show, Virginia Beach, Virginia

Fall Folliage Art Festival, Waynesboro, Virginia

Stockley Gardens Arts Festival, Norfolk, Virginia

Sea Wall Art Show, Portsmouth, Virginia

Winter Park Sidewalk Art Show, Winter Park, Florida