» Utopic representation: painter Tomislav Buntak

Art

Utopic representation: painter Tomislav Buntak

01/21/2014

The human figure has become a popular subject among contemporary Croatian artists, but each has developed an individual approach to the human form. Painter Tomislav Buntak is no exception. His handling of line gives the impression of a quick sketch, of an unfinished work, lending a certain ambiguity to his elongated figures and a wavering sense of movement to his paintings. Lyrical and dreamlike, Buntak’s work portrays the possibilities of human existence – of society as it could be. Whether dealing with a religious theme or a more secular subject, like the celebration of May Day (International Workers’ Day in Croatia), Buntak’s work is united by the universal motif of utopia.

These landscapes and the figures within them, however, seem not present a perfect world, but rather a potential world, one where emotion and experience rule. The scale of Buntak’s work is instrumental in this: his monumental canvases give life to his figures and dimension to the worlds he portrays, heightening the experience of his paintings. Buntak’s work reached even greater heights when Alanna Heiss, former director of New York’s P.S.1, invited him to participate in the inaugural International Projects program in 2005-2006 along with Croatian artists Kristian Kožul and Alen Floričić. There, Buntak drew silver and gold angels directly onto the walls and covering the ceiling, without preparation or technical assistance.

Final Victory of the Heavenly Army (2005)

Although Buntak’s palette is often subdued, he also explores the use of bright color – deep, cool hues frequently permeate his work – and he has more recently experimented with fluorescent paint that glows under UV light. Buntak began sketching as a boy and, in 1997, at the age of 26, he graduated from the Academy of Fine Arts in Zagreb under Miroslav Šutej. In 1998, Buntak had his first solo exhibition in Zagreb.

Apart from his residency in New York, Buntak has also participated in a residency program at Tokyo Wander Site in 2008. Since 2009, he has served as vice president of the Croatian Association of Fine Artists in Zagreb, and in 2010, he began teaching painting at the Academy of Fine Arts in Zagreb. Last year, publishing house Fraktura released a monograph of Buntak’s work.

To see how other Croatian painters represent the human figure, check out our features on Petra Grozaj, Helena Janečić, and Zlatan Vehabović.