Field of variants 2013

Dragan Ilić Di Vogo painted 'Field of Variants' with what looks like oils, and a great deal of attention to detail, though it's hard to put a date on it. There's this figure, and the thing about figures is they always feel like a conversation – a conversation between the artist and the figure, and then between you and the painting. I wonder what Di Vogo was thinking about while applying thin layers of colour to describe the skin, in contrast to the ghostly face looming in the background? I see a real tenderness here, especially in how those butterflies, some more fully realised than others, land on the surface of her body. It's a kind of dance, a play of light and shadow. I'm reminded of Paula Rego's paintings, where the personal and the political get all mixed up. It’s like Di Vogo’s inviting us to consider how meaning can emerge when we give ourselves the space to be uncertain. The piece feels deeply personal, a testament to the way art allows us to explore the world, our feelings, and each other.