Nemoj to da kazes 2009

Curator: So, here we have “Nemoj to da kazes,” or "Don't Say That" a 2009 oil painting by Dragan Ilic Di Vogo. Quite the surreal landscape, isn’t it? Editor: Oh my, yes! It gives off this wonderfully melancholic, dreamy vibe. Like a half-remembered myth playing out on a stage designed by Dalí. Curator: The juxtaposition is key here, wouldn't you agree? We have a reclining nude, a classical figure rendered with almost photographic realism, yet she’s perched atop what appears to be…a sentient landscape of sorts? Editor: Absolutely! And that landscape! There’s a definite tension between organic and inorganic forms. Note how that bulbous, spiky fruit-like form seems to cradle a figure in shadows... Almost foreboding. And is that a man with a briefcase standing to the right? What’s his role in this dreamscape? Curator: A businessman adrift in the unconscious? Perhaps Di Vogo is playing with the tension between the rational world and the irrational depths within us all. Look closely at the figure; doesn’t his presence disrupt the entire landscape? Editor: Precisely! His placement seems very intentional. Di Vogo masterfully composes with contrasting light too—that dreamy blue-gray sky versus the vibrant, almost sickly greens and browns below... creates unease. Curator: Color as emotional language, absolutely! Then there's the question of title, which translates to "Don't Say That," an evocative phrase that makes me ponder its context within the image. A warning? A suppressed secret? What's your take on this surreal tale of suppression and revelation? Editor: Oh, it could be so many things. Is the artist perhaps trying to remind the viewer to hold their tongue, or more generally is this a metaphor for self-censorship? The tension feels incredibly personal, you know? The secrets that you bury within, they will come back to haunt you... Curator: And it also lends a touch of narrative ambiguity to this landscape! After closely investigating the picture, that emotional core emerges... This artwork has some truly unique components working together, both conceptually and visually. Editor: Indeed, and "Nemoj to da kazes" offers more to unpack than expected. Its unique composition of mythological motifs and recognizable characters, and intriguing colors, stay with you.