Innovative Contemporary Abstract Paintings
Croatian born Mark Maglaic (1972) believes his paintings come from a spiritual logical yet simultaneously chaotic place. As an artist he strives to depict fact, myth, life, love, death and the eternal struggle of mankind. For Maglaic the enemy is time as love or hate works, ‘truthful emotion’. To act as a kind of raw sub-conscious opening up new truths and providing evidence of a higher existence.
Maglaic’s art is tribal and graffiti like It has drawn comparison with Australian painter David Larwill and the American artist Jean- Vichel Basquiat (1960-1988). Like Larwill Maglaic’s humanoids are angry, sullen and bewildered, yet somehow manage to possess serendipity. Their connection to each other is a kaleidoscope of irrational relationships.
His picture plane is crowded with animated human figures, often mask-faced arrows, words, phrases, numbers, dogs and urban decay. Likewise with Basquiat Maglaic creates a dense rich, glamour-strange mix of graffiti. The images and words lunge at the viewer with striking faces and figures. Colour strong and random. Yet subtle and convulsively sophisticated.
Historical references to mark Maglaic’s art can be found in the abstract figuration of the late 1940’s and 1950’s through Paul Klee, Pablo Picasso, Jean Dubuffett Pierre Alechinsky and Adolph Gottlieb. From this group it is the work and philosophy of Jean Dubuffett (1901 – 1985) canvases were scribbled like the surfaces of old walls to bring all disparaged values into the limelight.
The French artist was fascinated by the graffiti emblazoned on slum dwellings which he believed read of personal experience uninfluenced by cultural traditions. He claimed such works were evidence of a power of originality which many people possess but has been stifled by educational training and social constraints. British art historian Edward Lucie-Smtih described the significance of such painting as giving a priority to the inner world of the artist and the rejection of the traditional values of art.
Dubuffett termed it Art BRUT :
“ Works executed by people free from artistic culture for whom mimesis as opposed to intellectuals plays little or no part so that their creations draw up everything from their own depths and not from the stereotypes of classical ands modish art We have here a chemically pure artistic operation an uncut diamond re-invented in all its phases by its creator touched by his impulses only.”
In the spirit of Larwill Basquiat and ultimately Dubuffett mark Maglaic paintings establish themselves through there unique post modern beauty making odd things work with an extraordinary force. He has his own nomadism covering a kaleidoscope of expressionism and figuration . Maglaic explores the complexities and diversities of modern urban life by embodying his pictures with a jarring psychological strength.
Stephen F Mead MA - Extract from his article ‘RAW ART IS TRUE ART’
