ARTIST STATEMENT

Spolupracujeme ako duo od roku 2009 na projekte pyrografií. Používame tradičnú ľudovú techniku (vypaľovanie pájkovačkou do dreva), ktorá  sa dodnes používa predovšetkým na výrobu suvenírov a predmetov odkazujúcich k ľudovej kultúre. K ľudovej tvorivosti odkazujeme  tiež, no zároveň ju posúvame do kontextu súčasného umenia. Mezi formou a obsahmi, ktoré vo svojich prácach vyjadrujeme, existuje významná vnútorná súvislosť. Folklorizmus vnímame ako určitú subkultúru, ktorú vo svojich prácach znovuobjavujeme a svojim  spôsobom jej vzdávame poctu. Súčasne však demystifikujeme jej skutočný vzťah k národu a jeho histórii. Fabulujeme a prekrúcame udalosti, mýty, tradície či rituály, čím problematizujeme minulú i súčasnú národnú a politickú realitu. Nie vždy sa však vo svojich obrazoch vzťahujeme ku konkrétnym udalostiam. Zaujímajú nás typizované spoločenské obrady ako kladenie vencov, príhovory k davom, odhaľovanie pamätníkov a podobne. Niekedy sa tak príbeh obrazu odohráva v určitom bezčasí a na presnejšie neidentifikovateľných miestach, ktoré sú však divákovi podozrivo povedomé. Tvorbu pyrografií rozširujeme o performancie, video a objekty, ktoré zase odkazujú a dopĺňajú jednotlivé motívy použité na obrazoch.

We work as a duo on the pyrography project since 2009. We use traditional folk technique (burning motives into the wood with hot wire), which is still mainly used for production of souvenirs and items referring to folk culture. We work with folk art reference, sliding it into the context of contemporary art. There is significant internal link between form and content . We perceive folklorism as a subculture and we pay homage to it, but in our own way. At the same time we demystify its true relationship to the nation and its history. We plot and distort events, myths, traditions or rituals, thus problematic past and current national and political reality. Not always we refer to specific historical events: We are interested in standardized public and social ceremonies such as the laying of wreaths, speeches to the crowd, revealing memorials and the like. Sometimes the image and the story unfolds in a certain timelessness and accurate unidentified places, which are, however, a suspiciously familiar to the viewer. We are expanding into other media making performances, videos and objects which in return refer to the motives used in our burned paintings.

BIOGRAPHY

Artist duo Jarmila Mitríkova (1986) & David Demjanovic (1985) made breakthrough at slovakian artistic scene in particular with paintings created with traditional technique of pyrography , burning motives into plywood, coloured with wood stains. They graduated at the Academy of Fine Arts and Design in Bratislava in 2011. They use a technique of pyrography as a reference to a folk amateur art. Technique of pyrography was popular between people mostly during socialism in former Czechoslovakia. In this case is not only the reinvented visual attraction they are working with, but is mostly a medium through which they are joining critical discours with different cultural contexts. From folklore, through religion and mysticism typical for geopolitic region of Central Europe, to national history and identity. In their hybrid style you can see christian traditions, folklorism, pagan rituals, superstitions, myths, local legends with links to WWII and socialistic history. Their works are among private collections also in collection of Slovak National Gallery. They live and work in Košice.

Website and blog:

http://jarmilamitrikova.com/

http://mitrikovademjanovic.tumblr.com/