On February 16th, the Croatian Association of Visual Artists held a quadruple solo show presentation by some fresh young talents. Igor Taritaš was one of the artists that had a chance to present his work at the unique space of Galerija Prsten in Zagreb, along with Iva Habus, Radovan Kunić and Maya Rozman.
For this showing, the Croatian artist prepared a body of work that consists of 20 mostly new, previously unexhibited paintings, created in the last 3 years. Showing the development of his visual language and subject matter, the newest works on panel almost exclusively show outdoor settings that mix reality with abstract, surreal elements. Always painting open doors and gaping passages, Taritaš suggest possibilities and chances we take when interacting with our surrounding. Focused on our relation to space, these complex images play with the observer’s perspective through a series of spatial illusions. The end result feels like a collection of retro-futuristic models of failed Malibu mansions, taken from their natural habitat and placed in a sterile surrounding stripped of any human presence. By collaging real world imagery and mixing it with constructional or reality distortions, Taritash creates new spaces in which rules of our actuality don’t apply. Seemingly sharp and exact, the finished compositions hide countless flaws and subtle logical traps that capture viewer’s attention and challenge the way we perceive space. These glitches in perfection mix with unconventional poppy colors, unexpected graphic elements and heavily textured finishing, resulting in a coherent series of realistic renderings of abstract reality. The intense textures add to the overall raw feel of the works as well as expose the passionate creation process that consists of painting, scratching, sanding, drawing and layering.
Photo credit: @sashabogojev for Arrested Motion.
