Martina Grlić - MINDSCAPES

Martina Grlić

Mindscapes

Martina Grlić

Mindscapes

„Metaphors are all we have to describe memory.¹“

Ova je misao umjetnici Martini Grlić, na koju je naišla tijekom čitanja različitih tekstova, dugo opstajala u umu tijekom stvaranja njenog ciklusa slika „Mindscapes“. Njeni se radovi konceptualno i estetski nadovezuju na prethodnu seriju „Hipermnezija²“ (2021.), u kojoj umjetnica metodom introspekcije i korištenjem arhivskih fotografija obiteljskih albuma istražuje područje sjećanja te dovodi u pitanje naučene ideologije koje sudjeluju u formiranju svijesti i identiteta.

Prije nego što se upustimo u pokušaj čitanja Martininih radova, bitno je prethodno postaviti pitanje: Koja je uloga meta fora u reprezentaciji osobnog ili kolektivnog sjećanja?

Jedan od začetnika kognitivnoga jezikoslovlja, istraži vač metafore, odnosa jezika, uma i tijela te političkoga diskursa George Lakoff u svojem kapitalnom djelu „Metafore koje život znače“ (2003.) objašnjava kako je metafora temeljni umni mehanizam koji nam omogućuje da pomoću onoga što znamo iz svojega neposrednog fizičkog, socijalnog i kulturnog iskustva razumijevamo besko načno mnoštvo novih i drugačijih pojava. Stoga metafora nije tek jezično, kamoli tek pjesničko sredstvo, već umna osnova koja ustrojava naš pojmovni sustav i omogućuje razumijevanje isku stva. Metafora je ono prema čemu se u životu ravnamo, pomoću čega se u životu i svijetu snalazimo, pomoću čega život i svijet razumijevamo i spoznajemo te oblikujemo svoje istine.

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'Metaphors are all we have to describe memory': Kristin Prevallet's 'A Burning Is Not A Letting Go' at Guernica https:// www.poetryfoundation. org/harriet-books/2016/05/ metaphors-are-all-we-ha ve-to-describe-memorykristin-prevallets-a-bur ning-is-not-a-letting-goat-guernica

Slijedom toga se ideje i koncepti, u znanstvenom diskurzu na zivani sekundarnim slikama, u svakog pojednica manifestiraju kao mentalne slike odnosno umni pejzaži (Mindscapes) fantazija i sjećanja. Koji su to onda elementi koje Martina Grlić u svojim slikama odabire kao reprezentativne, koristeći pritom dokumen tarne fotografije, osobne i kolektivne, iz kojih, gotovo forenzič kim istraživanjem vlastite podsvijesti, izdvaja pojedina sjećanja situacije ili događaja?

U radu „Things which make history“ (2022.) latice crve nih karanfila i zlatne čahure zajedno lebde u transcendentnom prostoru, magnificiranom području fotografije koje emanira svijest. Cvijeće za umjetnicu osobno evocira nekada sveprisutan predmet obiteljskog stola. No, pokušaj reprezentacije sjećanja u radovima nadilazi bilo kakvu izravnu autobiografiju. Karanfil u ovom slučaju ima politički naboj i neminovno asocira na rad ničke pokrete, gdje suprotstavljen zlatnim čahurama sugerira na transformaciju Jugoslavije iz socijalističke države u mrežu kapitalističkih demokracija europskog tipa, s pripadajućim samo nametnutim brisanjem i rekonstrukcijom nacionalne prošlosti. Bilo u obliku svežnja mimoza ili plastične dekoracije, element cvijeća ponavlja se kao motiv u radovima „Sense and sen sibility“, „Striving for the significant other I“ i „Plastic flowers“, ovaj put kao moguća metafora ženstvenosti i krhkosti. Uz pret hodne, slike „Piece for eternity“, „Decoration II“ i „Contemplating innocence“, koje prikazuju dijelove vjenčanice, različite ukrase za djevojčice i pramenove ženske kose, mogu se ubrojati tu radove u ciklusu usmjerene upravo na promišljanje ideala ženske ljepote i nametnutih društvenih konvencija spram žena. Iz naslova slika, kao i namjernom devijacijom prikaza, naslućuje se svojevrsni stav umjetnice, koji uključuje cijeli spektar emocija - od prkosa, (auto) ironije i humora pa sve do nostalgije i romantike. U radovima po put „Remains“, „Birthday wishes“ i „Daddy's love“ pojavljuju se elementi kao što su rastopljene svjećice koje vjerojatno pripadaju nekoj rođendanskoj torti, opušci cigareta i ostaci poklon-aran žmana u ispranim pastelnim bojama koji reminisciraju neke običaje minulih vremena. S druge strane, radovi poput „Precious objects“, „Dissociated“ i „Noble rag“ evociraju predmete čežnje ili statusne simbole iz djetinjstva, naznake potrošačke kulture određene epohe.

Naslućujemo da svi radovi u seriji nude tragove univer zalnih ideja i stavova, no ono što je karakteristično za sve njih jest to da ne nude odgovore na kompleksna pitanja osobnih identiteta i kolektivnih iskustava. Namjernom transformacijom prikaza, apstraktnom intervencijom, umjetnica tehnikom oponaša protok vremena i nemogućnost repeticije i realističnog viđenja prošlosti. U pop nadrealističnom stilu Davida Lyncha, radovi odišu neuhvat ljivošću/nedokučivošću. Odnos memorije i fikcije zamagljen je na složen način – ono što Freud naziva the uncanny³ Grlić koristi kao

Ne postoji jednoznačni prijevod: neobično, tajan stveno, jezivo, onostrano, nepoznato

glavni element. Nedostatkom konteksta umjetnica vješto postiže osjećaj nelagode i tjeskobe, koji se dodatno zaokružuje uvećanim ultra-lucidnim fragmentima koji izranjaju iz apstrakcije i prijete da se ponovo raspadnu u neodređenost. Referirajući se na svijet koji više ne postoji, umjetnica prema vlastitim riječima rekreira sjećanja koja nadilaze izravnu autobiografiju – njezini nostalgični radovi postaju odraz javnog društvenog stava, skupa fantazija i naivnih praznovjerja. Iako njezine realnosti ne korespondiraju nužno s našima i prisutni tragovi ideja ne moraju međusobno biti povezani, umjetnica se u konačnici izražava vizualnim jezikom koji dozvoljava proma tračima da uđu dublje u sebe u potrazi za smislom. U toj potrazi za smislom, možda dobiju nove odgovore o svijetu oko sebe.

— tena bakšaj

Martina Grlić

„Metaphors are all we have to describe memory.¹“

This is the quote which the artist Martina Grlić came across while reading various texts and it remained in her mind for a long time during the creation of her cycle of paintings “Mindscapes”. Her works are conceptually and aesthetically connected to the previous series Hypermnesia² (2021), in which the artist explores the field of memory using the method of introspection and with the use of archival photos from family albums questions the learned ideologies that participate in the formation of consciousness and identity.

Before we embark on an attempt to read Martina’s works, it is important to first ask the question: What is the role of metaphors in the representation of personal or collective memory?

One of the founders of cognitive linguistics, a researcher of metaphor, the relationship between language, mind and body, and political discourse, George Lakoff explains in his capital work Metaphors We Live By (2003) how metaphor is a fundamental mental mechanism that allows us to understand an infinite number of new and different phenomena using what we know from our immediate physical, social and cultural experience. Therefore, metaphor is not only a linguistic, let alone a poetic device, but a mental basis that organizes our conceptual system and enables the understanding of experience. Metaphor is what we are guided by in life, by means of which we find our way in life and the world, by means of which we understand and recognize life and the world and shape our truths.

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'Metaphors are all we have to describe memory': Kristin Prevallet's 'A Burning Is Not A Letting Go' at Guernica https:// www.poetryfoundation. org/harriet-books/2016/05/ metaphors-are-all-we-ha ve-to-describe-memorykristin-prevallets-a-bur ning-is-not-a-letting-goat-guernica

As a result, ideas and concepts, called secondary images in scien tific discourse, are manifested in each individual as mental images or mindscapes of fantasies and memories. What are the elements that Martina Grlić selects as representative in her paintings, using documentary photos, personal and collective, from which, almost forensically researching her own subconscious, she extracts indi vidual memories of situations or events?

In the work Things which make history (2022), red carnation petals and golden shell casings float together in a transcendent space, a magnified field of photography that emanates consciousness. Flowers for the artist personally evoke the once ubiquitous object of the family table. However, the attempt to represent memory in the works goes beyond any direct autobiography. In this case, the car nation has a political charge and is inevitably associated with labour movements, where, juxtaposed with golden casings, it suggests the transformation of Yugoslavia from a socialist state into a network of European-style capitalist democracies, with the associated self-im posed erasure and reconstruction of the national past.

Whether in the form of a bouquet of mimosas or a plastic decoration, the element of flowers is repeated as a motif in Sense and sensibility, Striving for the significant other I and Plastic flowers, this time as a possible metaphor of femininity and fragility. In addition to the previously mentioned paintings, the works Piece for eternity, Decoration II and Contemplating innocence, which depict parts of a wedding dress, various decorations for girls and strands of women’s hair, all belong to the group of paintings in the cycle aimed specifically at reflecting on the ideals of female beauty and the imposed social conventions against women. From the title of the paintings, as well as from the deliberate deviation of the display, one can sense a kind of attitude of the artist, which includes the entire spectrum of emotions - from defiance, (auto)irony and humour all the way to nostalgia and ro mance. In the works Remains, Birthday wishes and Daddy’s love elements appear such as melted candles that probably belong to a birthday cake, cigarette butts and the remains of gift arrangements in washedout pastel colours that reminisce some customs of the past. On the other hand, works like Precious objects, Dissociated and Noble rag evoke objects of longing or status symbols from childhood, indications of the consumer culture of a certain era.

We sense that all the works in the series offer traces of universal ideas and attitudes, but what is characteristic of all of them is that they do not offer answers to complex questions of personal identities and collective experiences. By deliberate transformation of the display, abstract intervention, the artist imitates the passage of time and the impossibility of repeating and seeing the past real istically. In the pop surrealist style of David Lynch, the works exude elusiveness. The relationship between memory and fiction is blurred in a complex way — what Freud calls the uncanny³ Grlić uses as the main element. With the lack of context, the artist skilfully achieves

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There is no unequivocal translation in the Croatian language: unusual, mysterious, creepy, otherworldly, unknown

a feeling of discomfort and anxiety, which is further enhanced by enlarged ultra-lucid fragments that emerge from abstraction and threaten to disintegrate into indeterminacy again.

Referring to a world that no longer exists, the artist in her own words recreates memories that go beyond direct autobiography — her nostalgic works become a reflection of public social attitudes, a set of fantasies and naive superstitions. Although her realities do not necessarily correspond to ours and the present traces of ideas do not have to be interconnected, the artist ultimately expresses herself with a visual language that allows the audience to go deeper into themselves in search of meaning. In this search for meaning, they may get new answers about the world around them.

— tena bakšaj

Mindscapes Martina Grlić

‘precious objects’’ 230 x 170cm, 2022 oil on linen

Mindscapes

Martina Grlić

‘things which make history’ 230 x 170cm, 2022 oil on linen

Mindscapes

Martina Grlić

‘peace, love, stickers’ 50 x 41cm, 2022 oil on linen

‘sense and sensibility’

230 x 170cm, 2022 oil on linen

‘plastic flowers 50 x 41cm, 2022 oil on linen

‘decoration’ 50 x 41cm, 2022 oil on linen

‘piece for eternity’ 50 x 40cm, 2022 oil on linen

‘noble rag’ 50 x 41cm, 2022 oil on linen

‘decoration ii’ 50 x 41cm, 2022 oil on linen

‘dissociated’ 170 x 140cm, 2022 oil on linen

‘dissociated ii’ 170 x 140cm, 2022 oil on linen

‘remains’ 200 x 150cm, 2022 oil on linen

‘birthday wishes’ 55 x 46cm, 2022 oil on linen

‘daddy’s love’ 55 x 146 cm, 2022 oil on linen

‘striving for the significant other i’ 200 x 150cm, 2021 oil on linen

‘contemplating innocence ii’ 55 x 46cm, 2022 oil on linen

Biografija

2004–2009 2022 2022 2021 2021 2019 2018 2017 2016 2015 2014 2013 2012 2011 2010 2022 2021

obrazovanje Akademija likovnih umjetnosti Zagreb, smjer slikarstvo samostalne izložbe ‘Mindscapes’, Bačva Hdlu, Zagreb ‘Hypermnesia II’, Fragment New York, nyc Hypermnesia ’, Fragment gallery, Moskva ‘Hypermnesia’, Lauba, Zagreb “Distinct realities”, Galerija Potemka, Leipzig “Memorija i konflikt”, Galerija Karas, Zagreb “Kolektivni snovi”, Galerija Kranjčar, Zagreb “Tvornica”, Galerija Simulaker, Novo Mesto “Proizvod”, Galerija Poola, Pula “Proizvod”, Muzej Mali lošinj, Mali Lošinj “Bolje od stvarnosti”, Galerija Zuccato, Poreč “Proizvod”, Galerija Josip Račić, Zagreb “Tvornica”, Galerija Karas, Zagreb “World to come”, Galerija Događanja, Zagreb “Atomic Landscapes”, Galerija Cekao, Zagreb “Atomic Landscapes”, Galerija SC, Zagreb izabrane skupne izložbe ‘Manscaping’, The Hole, l.a. 6. Bijenale slikarstva, Hdlu, Zagreb ‘Halfway through’ galerija Fragment, Moskva

54. Zagrebački salon “Bez Anestezije”, Hdlu, Zagreb

De/konstrukcija slike, izložba rezidenata u Leipzigu, Galerija Karas

5. Bijenale slikarstva - The Leipzig connection, Hdlu, Zagreb

“Potraga za stvarnošću-Jadranka Fatur i hiperrealno”, MSU, Zagreb

“Tragovima vode”, HDLU, Zagreb

4. Bijenale slikarstva, HDLU, Zagreb

HT nagrada, Muzej suvremene umjetnosti, Zagreb

51. zagrebački salon “Izazovi humanizmu”, HDLU, Zagreb

Exporting Zagreb - Constructing the Present of Memory, Nacionalni Muzej Gdanjsk

3. Bijenale slikarstva, HDLU, Zagreb

Second CEE Countries Contemporary Art Exhibition, Ningbo Museum of art, Kina

“Mundus vadit retro”, Galerija KIBLA, Maribor, Slovenija

32. Salon mladih, HDLU, Zagreb “Novi hrvatski realizam”, HAZU, Zagreb

2. Bijenale slikarstva, HDLU, Zagreb

53. Porečki Annale “Umjetnost mora biti lijepa”, Poreč

48. Zagrebački salon, HDLU, Zagreb

t-ht nagrada, Muzej suvremene umjetnosti, Zagreb “Pars pro Toto”, Loft Sevigne Pariz, Francuska

31. Salon mladih, HDLU, Zagreb

Erste Fragmenti 8, Muzej suvremene umjetnosti, Zagreb

“Druga realnost: nadolazeći hrvatski slikari”, Kunstlerhaus,Beč

1.Bijenale slikarstva, HDLU, Zagreb

22.Slavonski bijenale, GLUO, Osijek

45.Zagrebački salon, HDLU, Zagreb

30.Salon mladih, HDLU, Zagreb

hpb nagrada za mladu umjetnicu, 4. Bijenale slikarstva erste Banka Novi fragmenti 8, Grand prix

javne kolekcije Erste banka, Zagreb Nacionalni muzej moderne umjetnosti, Zagreb Zuzāns collection, Zuzeum Art centar, Riga sajmovi cosmoscow nada Miami kontakt www.martinagrlic.com martinagrlic@yahoo.com

Mindscapes Martina Grlić

2004–

2009

EDUCATION

M.A. at Academy of Fine Arts, Zagreb, Croatia (major in painting)

SOLO EXHIBITIONS

‘Mindscapes’, Bačva gallery, HDLU, Zagreb (CRO)

‘Hypermnesia II’, Fragment gallery, NY (USA) ‘Hypermnesia’, Fragment gallery, Moscow(RU) ‘Hypermnesia’, Lauba, Zagreb (CRO)

Distinct realities, gallery Potemka, Leipzig (D)

Memory and conflict, Gallery Karas Zagreb (CRO)

Collective dreams, Kranjcar Gallery, Zagreb (CRO) Factory, Gallery Simulaker, Novo Mesto (SI)

Product, Gallery Poola, Pula (CRO) Product, Museum of Mali lošinj, Mali Lošinj (CRO)

Better than reality, Gallery Zuccato, Poreč (CRO) Product, Gallery Josip Račić, Zagreb (CRO) Factory, Gallery Karas, Zagreb (CRO)

World to come, Gallery Događanja, Zagreb (CRO)

Atomic Landscapes, Gallery Cekao, Zagreb (CRO)

Atomic Landscapes, Gallery SC, Zagreb (CRO)

SELECTED GROUP EXHIBITIONS

‘Manscaping’ The Hole gallery, L.A. (USA)

54th Zagreb Salon “Without Anesthesia”, HDLU, Zagreb (CRO)

Searching for reality-Jadranka Fatur and hyperreal, Museum of Contemporary Art, Zagreb (CRO)

Traces of water, HDLU, Zagreb (CRO)

4th Biennale of painting, HDLU, Zagreb (CRO)

THT PRIZE, Museum of Contemporary Art, Zagreb (CRO)

51st Zagreb Salon “Challenges to Humanism”, HDLU, Zagreb (CRO)

Exporting Zagreb - Constructing the Present of Memory, National Museum, Gdanjsk (PL)

3rd Biennal of painting, HDLU, Zagreb (CRO)

Second CEE Countries Contemporary Art Exhibition, Ningbo Museum of art (CHN)

Mundus vadit retro, Gallery KIBLA, Maribor (SI)

32nd Youth Salon, HDLU, Zagreb (CRO)

New croatian realism, HAZU, Zagreb (CRO)

2nd Biennal of painting, HDLU, Zagreb (CRO)

53rd Annale Art must be beautiful, Poreč (CRO)

48th Zagreb Salon, HDLU, Zagreb (CRO)

T-HT prize, Museum of Contemporary Art, Zagreb (CRO)

Pars pro toto, Loft Sevigne, Paris (F)

31st Youth Salon, HDLU, Zagreb( CRO)

Erste Fragments 8, Museum of Contemporary Art, Zagreb (CRO)

The other reallity: emerging croatian painters, Kunstlerhaus,Vienna (A)

1st Biennal of painting, HDLU, Zagreb (CRO)

22nd Slavonia Biennal, Gallery of Visual Arts, Osijek (CRO)

45th Zagreb Salon, HDLU, Zagreb (CRO)

30th Youth Salon, HDLU, Zagreb (CRO

AWARDS

HPB prize for young artist

ERSTE Bank, New Fragments 8

COLLECTIONS

Erste bank, private collection, Croatia

National museum of modern art, public collection, Croatia Zuzāns collection, Zuzeum Art Centre, Riga

FAIRS COSMOSCOW, Fragment gallery

NADA Miami, Fragment gallery

CONTACT www.martinagrlic.com martinagrlic@yahoo.com

Mindscapes Martina Grlić

nakladnik / publisher: Hrvatsko društvo likovnih umjetnika / Croatian Association of Fine Artists, Trg žrtava fašizma 16, 10 000 Zagreb, hdlu@hdlu.hr, www.hdlu.hr

za nakladnika / for the publisher: Tomislav Buntak, predsjednik / president

ravnateljica / director: Ivana Andabaka

upravni odbor hdlu / croatian association of artists board: Tomislav Buntak (predsjednik / president), Josip Zanki (potpredsjednik / vice president), Ida Blažičko (potpredsjednica / vice president), Fedor Fischer, Vida Meić, Romana Nikolić, Alen Novoselec

voditeljica galerije / gallery coordinator: Nika Šimičić

umjetnički savjet galerije bačva / bačva gallery advisory board: Jelena Bando, Branka Benčić, Tomislav Buntak, Ivan Fijolić, Kristian Kožul, Marijana Stanić, Josip Zanki

urednica kataloga / catalogue editor: Nika Šimičić

grafičko oblikovanje kataloga / catalogue design: Šesnić&Turković, Nikola Heged

fotografija / photography: Martina Grlić (radovi), Juraj Vuglač (postav)

predgovor / preface: Tena Bakšaj

prijevod / translation and proofreading: Tena Bakšaj

lektura / proofreading: Maja Flajsig

tisak / printed by: Kerschoffset d.o.o. naklada / edition: 150 isbn: 978-953-8098-62-8

cip zapis je dostupan u računalnome katalogu Nacionalne i sveučilišne knjižnice u Zagrebu pod brojem 001156187.

Zagreb, 2022.

organizator / organizer: uz potporu / supported by: sponzori / sponsors:

Mindscapes Martina Grlić