Visual Artist
Moon of Life – Marijan Pongrac
Moon of Life – Marijan Pongrac

Moon of Life – Marijan Pongrac

Upon starting his studies in Rijeka, Eugen expressed and demonstrated his personal stance, desire, commitment, and aspiration towards a specific artistic-non-artistic worldview. This worldview falls within the realm commonly referred to as irrational, subconscious, surreal… and in a mode of artistic expression resembling naïveté.

The sensitive period of the first years of his studies (receiving a multitude of information) demonstrated the sincerity and authenticity of his inclinations. Individualists and non-conformists are often bothered by the formal educational program of art schools. Some may not adopt the program at all, while others only partially do so. Eugen, it seems, successfully manages to combine his fixation on his unique worldview, the formal painting program, and an awareness of the ultimate outcome, the result, which is the distinctiveness, peculiarity of something complex like artistry – the art space – the art language.

Within his artistic work, he employs two globally opposing methods: strong tonal light-dark contrasts and strong colored (complementary) contrasts, creating a powerful visual dynamic. On the contrary, in terms of organizing elements, there is pure statics, achieved through symmetry. And yet, considering the quantity and type of artistic elements (tone, color, line, modulation), the images are intricate and complex.

I hope that Eugen won’t fall too early, like most artists, into the pattern, the template of adopted ways of artistic expression. It is much harder to remain open, to seek meaning and discovery – to question oneself.

Marijan Pongrac.