Sparta 2016

Dragan Ilić Di Vogo made 'Sparta' in 2016, and it’s a painting where realism dances with something else entirely. It’s a process of layering, I think, where careful rendering meets playful abstraction. Look at how the skin is painted – almost photographic in places – but then it dissolves into these splatters and shapes that seem to float around her. See how the artist uses drips and dots of paint around the figure? It’s like the painting is constantly becoming, never quite settled. And that crazy headpiece she’s wearing? It’s both part of her and something totally separate, an idea or a feeling made solid. That cube on her shoulder? That’s some playful geometry right there. The surface of this painting feels smooth, airbrushed almost, which makes the unexpected splatters even more surprising. This kind of juxtaposition reminds me of Sigmar Polke, but with a twist of its own. Di Vogo is having a conversation with painting, and he's inviting us to listen in.