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.

Born in Belgrade, Serbia in 1971, Mihailo moved with his family to New York in 1982. At the age of fifteen, Mihailo attended classes at the Art Students' League. In 1987, the Vukelic family moved to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, where Mihailo completed his secondary education. He earned a B.F.A. degree in art from Slippery Rock University. "College was my renaissance. My 'religious' odyssey began at Slippery Rock," the artist recalls. "My experiences with heretofore unexplained phenomena stirred an interest in the supernatural. In time, and with the intervention of friends, I found my answers in the Bible." Vukelic was (and still remains) an avid reader, and he was much impressed by such writers as Dostoyevsky, Gogol, Hesse, and Kafka. His formal studies were devoted to art and biology, which he pursued with the intent of becoming a medical illustrator. He abandoned this plan because, as he says, "I lacked the stomach to delve into the world of dissection." While in college, Mihailo also developed an intense interest in film, being especially affected by such filmmakers as Andrei Tarkovsky, Michelangelo Antonioni, and Alejandro Jodorowsky. In 1994 Vukelic began his graduate studies in studio art at Stephen F. Austin State University in Nacogdoches, where he continued to develop ideas and techniques that he had begun to explore as an undergraduate. He received his M.A. from SFA in 1997 and his M.F.A. in the spring of 2000. He currently lives in Kingwood, Texas, where he maintains his studio.

A full-color catalogue has been published in conjunction with the exhibition and will be available for purchase at the Museum Shop. There will be an Artist's Lecture and Reception with Mihailo Vukelic on Sunday, April 14 from 2:00 to 4:00 p.m. at the Tyler Museum of Art. Both the exhibition and the reception are free and open to the public. A voluntary admission fee of $3.50 for adults, $1.50 for seniors and children is appreciated and helps fund Museum programs and exhibitions.

The Tyler Museum of Art is supported by its members, the City of Tyler, and Tyler Junior College. Additional funding for exhibitions is provided by the Rogers Foundation and the Watson W. Wise Foundation.

The Tyler Museum of Art is located on the east side of the Tyler Junior College campus at 1300 South Mahon. Museum hours are 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday and 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. Sunday. The Museum is closed Mondays and major holidays.