Zarko Smiljanic Graphics

,, Smiljanić creates his prints with dedication, with infinite patience and precision, in order to perpetuate the expanse unspoiled by human touch and modern civilisation, far away from chaos, noise and hectic pace of modern everyday life. Not only that he brings into life sublimity and beauty of nature, but, in his tendency to present the forms in their tiniest details within his soft moves, he is creating a new world – fragile, thus poetic.

,, Na Smiljanićevim grafikama nema figuralnih motiva, nema ljudi... Tu su biljke, predmeti, nebeski svod, sedam Vlašića. Učini nam se da nema života, međutim mnogo je životnog u tim grafikama, tu je život, tu su ljudi - samo ih treba otkriti.

,, Grafike izvedene izvanrednim umećem. Smiljanić ploču gradi brižljivo, strpljivo, dugotrajnim procesom obrade, klasičnim tehnikama duboke štampe, akvatinta, meka prevlaka, mecotinta. Poput starih majstora. U tradiciji plemenitih zanatskih veština. Uglavnom u dve ploče, gde često prva ploča nosi mahovinastu, travnatu podlogu zelene, bogate strukture, a druga ploča somotastom crnom definiše predeo, svetlost i senku...

,, Lirska intimistička konteplativnost, obeležila je grafičke listove Žarka Smiljanića. Ničeg impulsivnog nema na njegovim grafikama, već samo suzdržane lirike i smirenog, sutonskog temperamenta. Sklad, prefinjenost i harmoničnost, idejne su odrednice koje su trajno obeležile grafički opus ovog grafičara... Ovog umetnika zanimaju onirijski, arhetipski predeli, izuzetno složenog registra svetlosti i senki. Na tim predelima raskošnim ili pustim, uhvaćenim u doba sutona ili praskozorja, on istražuje mističnu konstelaciju izmedju drveta i vremena. Magičnost i metafizičnost Smiljanićevih prizora jeste u neobičnoj lepoti razmera drveta, zemlje i neba, u njihovoj nedokučivosti, ali i božanskom dodiru.

,, His graphic sheets are simplified and recognisable. That is a world of silence, emanating from the waving hills and fields of velvety softness, and beyond, a wide sky, grey or midnight blue lies. Seemingly, these are the simple scenes of nature, which consist of two, three wide surfaces, expertly selected and tightly composed in the entirety… Smiljanić has completely immersed himself into his poetic world, indifferent to evanescent, fashionable trends which are quickly fading in the art scene. These landscapes, inhabited by human figures are poetic visions of a distant and pure world, left to the infinite silence of time…

,, Through his fine graphic knitting, exceptional sensitivity and tonal shading, Zarko Smiljanic prints out parts of the landscapes… His stroke across the plate is sometimes meticulous, then vibrant, but still steady and accurate. Using the selected tone scale he evokes the poetic-lyrical ambience. Zarko Smiljanic possesses lavish sense for graphic art and specifically he digests the world and nature throughout. Combining various printmaking techniques, he achieves unique composition of subtle solutions and surreal atmospheric fairy-tale.

,, There are no figural motifs, no people in Smiljanic’s prints...Only plants, objects, firmament or Pleiades (Seven Sisters star cluster) can be seen. It appears that there is no life at all, however, there is much life in his graphics, there are so many souls - only they have to be discovered there.

,, Njegovi grafički listovi su jednostavni i prepoznatljivi. To je svijet tišine, koja zrači sa zatalasanih brda i polja baršunaste mekoće, iznad kojih se prostire široko nebo, sivo ili tamno. Naizgled, to su jednostavni prizori iz prirode, koji se sastoje od dvije, tri široke površine, znalački odabrane i čvrsto komponovane u cjeline...
Smiljanić je sav uronio u svoj poetski svet, nezainteresovan za prolazne, pomodne trendove, koji se brzo smenjuju na likovnoj sceni. Ovi predeli, nenaseljeni ljudskom figurom su poetska viđenja jednog davnog i čistog sveta, prepuštenog beskonačnoj tišini vremena...