Prica za Dunju 2014

Dragan Ilić Di Vogo gives us this painting, Prica za Dunju. The colours blend, creating warm shadows. This feels like a memory. I am struck by the balance between the detailed rendering of the girl and the bird, versus the more fluid and gestural marks in her clothing. Look at the drips and splatters of red and brown paint! They add a layer of raw physicality. This approach asks us to consider the painting as an object, not just an image. I wonder if the artist has seen the work of Gerhard Richter, whose blurred realism also plays with presence and absence. There is something about Di Vogo's light touch that reminds me of Richter. The girl’s soft gaze, the bird’s delicate perch, and the splatters create a story. It is a story that feels both personal and universal. It's like a half-remembered dream. That tension between representation and abstraction really sings to me.