MARKO GAVRILOVIC stuns with paintings integrating intricate geometric detail, vividly intense color, and Escher-reminiscent perspectives drawing the viewer into Inception-like worlds that seem to expand and contract on the canvas, like a Hitchcockian lens trick.
“My art is philosophical, without too many philosophical references,” Gavrilovic had said about his own work. “Paintings particularly have that dialogue within widely open doors. But what you will find by looking or going through them is totally up to you.”
GAVRILOVIC’s visual style employs elements of comic book art, stained glass complexity, and saturated primary colors that showcase his finely tuned drawing skills. One is never done observing a work by Gavrilovic. The sheer detail of his work is borne of multiple sketches first in his artist’s journal which are then carefully recast to larger surfaces. The startling results depict friction between the coexistence of the natural world and the fabricated ones—both beautiful and reverent.
With his depictions of cities, Gavrilovic doesn’t solely focus on the accuracy of perspective. Rather, he utilizes composition to determine if the important elements are in the right place. He also utilizes shadows as graphical symbols to give his work tension and mystery, combining that with the use of gates and portals. It begs the question of what lies on the other side. Gavrilovic illustrates human ambition, the obstacles we face, and what comes next after we finally complete our achievements.
“These pieces are about civilization today and how we live in cities,” Gavrilovic said in regard to his piece, It’s Time to Grow. “You can see that there are people at the top of the buildings. The idea is we want to climb to the top, whether socially or in our business. Once we get up there, we’re unsure of what to do next or where to go from there. The business figures are questioning their success and what they can do next.”
GAVRILOVIC’s work has been shown internationally in Paris, France; Belgade, Serbia; Palm Beach, FL; Los Angeles, CA; Brooklyn, NY; Milan, Italy, among others. His pieces can be found in the collections of the Broden Cultural Center in Copenhagen, Denmark, the Museum of Applied Art in Belgrade, Serbia and the Gallery for Contemporary Art, Smederevo, Serbia.
