Compelling Faces in Art - Rudolf Krivoš, Obraz.

In the paintings of Rudolf Krivoš we are confronted with an optical-mechanical reality; a manifested unity, constructed of shapes into a synthetic cubism. We can almost track the process of abstraction. We see tense opposing forces over the entire surface of the canvas becoming a composition--seeking and finding of human identity. 

A theme jumps out at me:

We are all deformed under the weight of life and are at the mercy of time and space. But coping with tension in different areas and at different levels of life, leads to belief in the authenticity of a person (a universal theme), and all the conflicts, tensions and contradictions bring about new personal and natural relationships. We seek answers in these experiences, as well as our emotional survival. 

So, perhaps in Obraz I, we are seeing a character approaching the greatest of all contemporary visions of beauty.

One might say, as May Sarton did, “We have to dare to be ourselves, however frightening or strange that self may prove to be.” 

And, if we are nothing more than composites, I can’t help but think of Jim Jarmusch: “Nothing is original. Steal from anywhere that resonates with inspiration or fuels your imagination. Devour old films, new films, music, books, paintings, photographs, poems, dreams, random conversations, architecture, bridges, street signs, trees, clouds, bodies of water, light and shadows. Select only things to steal from that speak directly to your soul. If you do this, your work (and theft) will be authentic. Authenticity is invaluable; originality is non-existent. And don’t bother concealing your thievery - celebrate it if you feel like it. In any case, always remember what Jean-Luc Godard said: ‘It’s not where you take things from - it’s where you take them to.’”