Neptune 2013

Dragan Ilić Di Vogo made this piece, Neptune, using fluid washes of paint that create both form and ethereal space. The colours, soft pinks and browns, with hints of blues, give the work a dream-like quality. The way the pigment bleeds and merges really pulls me in, its like watching a dance between control and chance, the artist allowing the materials to do their thing. Look at the way the planets sit around the horse, they are painted with such delicate detail, that contrasts with the wildness of the background. Notice the horse's eye, how it seems to gaze into another world? The painting is built up with layers that create depth and texture. Di Vogo’s approach reminds me of Helen Frankenthaler's soak-stain technique, where the canvas becomes a field for colour to play across. Just as Frankenthaler embraced the unpredictable nature of her medium, so too does Di Vogo find beauty in the fluidity and transparency of paint. Ultimately, art is a conversation, where artists like Di Vogo build upon and transform the ideas of those who came before.