Small Things 1965

Karlo Zvirynsky made this painting, Small Things, using oil paint probably sometime in the mid-sixties. It's a still life, but with a very particular kind of looking happening. The textures and colours! Everything feels solid, grounded, because of that dark moody background. Yet, there's also this playful quality in the brushstrokes, a kind of naive joy in representing the mundane, like those needles sticking out of the plate! It's like he's inviting us to reconsider these everyday objects, to find beauty in their simplicity. The brushstrokes are visible, each mark a testament to the process, each colour decision contributing to the overall harmony. In a way, Zvirynsky reminds me of Giorgio Morandi, another artist who found endless inspiration in the humble still life. But where Morandi's work is quiet and contemplative, Zvirynsky's feels more exuberant, more alive. It's a reminder that art isn't about perfection; it's about exploration, about seeing the world in new and unexpected ways.