Consulate General of the Republic of Serbia New York In collaboration with Slag Gallery New York

Miljan Suknovic

“Untitled”

Curated by Jovana Stokic

Miljan’s work presented at this exhibition deals with the fundamental concepts of painting. His recent body of work represents his exploration of the basic principles that create syntax within the abstract language of painting. The artist sees the act of painting as an exploration within the limits of these parameters. He establishes the limitations and sets up the rules of juxtaposition between basic elements: namely line and color. Line is never in the foreground – it is purposefully emphasized in relation to color fields. The colors are bright, but treated with a sense of irony: they seem to signal painterly abundance, only to be restrained. Geometric hard-edge abstract language is for Miljan just another way of introducing elements of reduction to this boundless abundance of color. It exists in parallel to paintings that are more gestural. Uniting elements between two modes is the artist’s interest; finding the logic within painting itself – the harmony within painterly elements. Ultimately, this is painting that both addresses and leaves aside the history of 20th century abstractions, from Suprematism to Minimalism, only to return to the primary quest for the internal logic of a painting. The success of these explorations are not to be measured in terms of science, they exist out of the artist’s necessity to continue his investigation, inviting the viewer to participate by taking pleasure in the results.