”A candidate for my hero could be anyone who overcomes everyday life and routine. They are many whose names I may not even know, but I remember their deeds.”
What drives you?
The need to define all aspects of life.
They’re all my children…
All of my works are dear to me. I don’t have a favorite among them. I remember them through the technical and technological processes—how difficult it was to reach the final result. I remember anecdotes connected to them. In my works, every part has its own story, its own prehistory.
When I bring an object to completion, another personality within me becomes activated—one that strives for an objective evaluation of what has been done. At that point, I become much more selective and critically oriented toward the work. Unfairly, this second personality most often prevails. I often think I invested much greater effort into the works I ended up discarding. In the end, the decisive question is always one of meaning.
In fact, I am terribly afraid of banality, which is very easy to slip into—especially in the kind of art I practice.
What else do you do?
Art does not occupy a separate place in my life. It is an integral part of it, just like family, cooking, friends, and everything else.
What should an artist possess—qualities and skills?
An artist should possess everything that other people do. In short: they need to have a stance, an opinion, a position.
When it comes to skills, it’s simpler. Choices depend on one’s affinities, but even if an artist lacks predispositions for certain skills, they must familiarize themselves with them—to learn the language of that skill and to be able to communicate their requirements to others who can help them overcome certain stages of their work.
In my work, to the uninitiated, it might seem like I don’t need any special knowledge. But one must be careful—behind my works lie a dozen crafts I practice or have practiced, from locksmithing to goldsmithing. I’ve tried each of them and achieved certain results. Every craft carries a degree of abstract thinking and its own methodology. All of this helps, though it is not decisive for creating art.
Criticism? Who or what can influence your work?… Placement of work?
Everything and nothing influences my work. I couldn’t single out one person who has decisively influenced me. Many artists are very dear to me, and there is much I have learned from them, but I cannot name a single one.
The placement of my work depends on people who hold decision-making power over someone’s work. This is variable, and I couldn’t say who exactly—they are positions rather than fixed individuals. The placement of any work depends on the authority tied to those positions at that moment.
Who is your superhero? Who are today’s superheroes?
A candidate for my hero can be anyone who overcomes everyday life and routine. There are many whose names I don’t even know, but I remember their deeds. Superheroes, on the other hand, are a marketing product that varies depending on the moment and needs.
What does isolation mean to you?
Anything that prevents me from doing something by my own will.
What good can come out of this situation?
We’ll see.
Do you have a TV at home?
No.
Do you listen to the radio?
I listen to the second program.
Bicycle or sand?
Bicycle.
Are you vegan or vegetarian?
No.
Beer or wine?
Boza.
Do you recycle?
That’s my second name.
Book / Film?
Both book and film.
And music…?
I listen to it with great focus.
Recommend a website / portal / app…
I recommend Predrag Čaranović’s site
.