Hvala ti – Thank you 2012

Dragan Ilić Di Vogo made this painting, called 'Hvala ti – Thank you' and I find the layers of meaning in this piece really engaging. It almost feels like the artist had to work through so many ideas before deciding that this was "finished." Look closely, and you'll see this isn't just a straightforward representation of Michelangelo’s David. It’s a David that is crumbling, literally falling apart in places! The way Di Vogo renders the cracks and fissures, it’s as if time itself is eroding this iconic figure. And then there's the splash of blue on David’s shoulder – a defacement, a mark of our times. But that splash also introduces a jolt of unexpected color within the work, a note of the artist’s hand within this otherwise classical scene. You can see a lot of art historical precedents here – Surrealism, maybe some Neo-Classical stuff – but ultimately it stands on its own two feet. It reminds us that art history is a conversation, and it’s one that’s always being rewritten.