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Mihailo Vukelic: Memory Pages February 21May 26, 2002 Mihailo Vukelic. Holy Pantomime, mixed media Mihailo Vukelic: Memory Pages opens Thursday, February 21 and continues through Sunday, May 26 at the Tyler Museum of Art. The Tyler Museum of Art is the first museum to present this artist's work in a one-person exhibition. Guest curator for the exhibition is Michael T. Ricker of Garland, Texas. Mihailo Vukelic's art is a combination of media such as delicately carved plaster bas-relief, copper metalwork, graphite, and paint. There is a powerful presence in the imagery: stark human figures strangely grouped alongside oversized butterflies, and iconographic depictions of haloed saints rendered in a style highly reminiscent of Medieval and Renaissance devotional paintings. There are elements of history, architecture, mythology, theology, and philosophy evident in Vukelic's art. The works range in size from small, intimate drawings utilizing graphite, inks, and china white to works of near monumental proportion. His paintings are not simply paintings. Some areas of the composition are clearly drawn, others sculpted. Layering image upon image, often completely obscuring his initial forms, he may then abrade through surfaces to partially reveal subjects which were concealed. Eventually, over a period ranging from weeks to years, the final form of the work emerges. As a sculptor, Vukelic focuses his attention primarily on bas-relief, usually creating relief images in copper or plaster. While some of his creations are purely sculptural, he often combines sculpture and painting. In a few select works, he uses inset neon lighting to bring emphasis to small paintings, presented in a soft glow of light. Memory Pages is a summation of Mihailo Vukelic's work to date, encompassing five years of creativity. The exhibition constitutes a unifying effort and compacted autobiography of this complex and fascinating artist and individual. |