Today we’d like to introduce you to Vesna Jovanovic.
Vesna, please kick things off for us by telling us about yourself and your journey so far.
My background is somewhat varied. I spent many years exploring various fields and letting my curiosity guide me through various projects and interests. When I was in college, I majored in both art and science: ceramics and chemistry. Since the two fields have very different methodologies, I found it challenging and exciting to immerse in myself in such different ways of studying the world. Although art has always been central in my life as a career choice, I enjoyed working in science as a secondary interest. After attending graduate school for photography, I returned to Chicago and began mostly drawing and painting, which is what I am still doing today. Drawing in particular has been endlessly fascinating to me.
Can you give our readers some background on your art?
While working on several projects and experimenting with various media, somewhere along the way I developed an interest in medical illustration as a visual representation of the human body. I began reading philosophy texts on the human body and how we define it. I am very much interested in the fact that a medical illustration can never be an objective representation of the body. We all have subjective visceral experiences that differ from person to person, and these cannot be visually represented without something being lost in translation.
Ever since I became interested in this topic, I’ve been creating drawings and paintings that mix technical scientific images with things that are generally not meant to be there: abstract inkblots, random humorous intrusions and additions, sudden changes in rendering… The work tries to hint at things that medical illustration cannot represent—things that are very much embodied. Human experiences of pain, love, confusion, fear, happiness—all of these kinds of things reside in the body.
How do you think about success, as an artist, and what do quality do you feel is most helpful?
For me success means cultivating a life in which I am able to immerse myself in my work regularly, at minimum 20 hours per week, while having enough time to also pursue hobbies as well as quality time with family and friends. It took about a decade to reach this point in my career. I feel very lucky and grateful to all the people—gallery directors, curators, grant committee members, professors, so many others—who have made this life possible.
What’s the best way for someone to check out your work and provide support?
I typically exhibit my work in Chicago several times a year, with a few additional shows out of state. For example, in 2017 my work was exhibited in Chicago four times with additional exhibits in California, Wisconsin, and South Carolina. There are a couple of curated exhibitions coming up in Chicago later this year that I have been invited to participate in, but I cannot reveal the details quite yet as the programming is still being put together. The best way to keep up with upcoming events is to sign up for my mailing list on the contact page at: www.vesnaonline.com. I send out one newsletter per month with information on various events that are coming up.
Photos of my work are available on my website but seeing those is not the same as seeing the work itself. Some of my drawings and paintings are several feet tall with unusual surfaces and textures that require movement while viewing. Regarding supporting my work, all of my paintings are for sale. If you are in the Chicago area and might be interested in purchasing a piece, you are welcome to come for a studio visit.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.vesnaonline.com
- Email: vesna@vesnaonline.com
Image Credit:
© 2018 Vesna Jovanovic
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