A Study in Art: Mara Vučak’s Retrospective Journey Through Four Decades of Creativity

I had the pleasure of sitting down with Mara for an insightful conversation. We delved into the wellsprings of her artistic inspiration and explored her vision for future creations.

Hi Mara, your work spans four decades. How has your artistic style evolved over this time, and what has remained constant in your approach?

My artistic style keeps changing it has never been one way or one thing. Early on I experimented with whatever materials were available so things were pretty random. Then I practised mimesis of great artists’ works from Western teaching curriculums, these influences are obvious in some of my works. Things began to change for me when I came across the works of Giorgio De Chirico. I wanted to understand what some of his images were about. What remains constant and continues is wanting to learn about art and why it’s important, testing my own ability and trying new techniques.

Can you tell us about the influence of your Croatian heritage on your art, particularly in works like the ‘Vila” series?

My Croatian influence is natural to me. I came to Australia as a child with English being a learned second language. Trying to understand things I was always translating things back to Croatian in my mind. The interpretations or misinterpretations at times were chaos. Over time I found I was losing words in Croatian and my cultural identity was slipping away. The ‘Vila’ paintings arose out of a need to reconnect with my culture and the stories from my homeland. The series “Myths Legends Dreams and Superstitions” allowed me to explore the ‘Vila’ myth along with many other fascinating stories from different cultures. There is a wide array of people and cultures who share myths of the Vila with variations in their origins, purpose, appearance as well as many other aspects.

Your recent work explores the impact of AI on human thinking. What sparked this interest, and how do you see the role of traditional art forms like painting in the age of AI?

Studying Fine Arts at the Queensland College of Art Griffith University with lecturers, tutors
and fellow students sparked my interest in subject matter like “thinking through painting”. This made sense to me as it was familiar, it’s what I do. Discovering Martin Heidegger’s “The Question Concerning Technology” sparked further interest as well as Rene Descartes’s philosophical statement, “I think therefore I am”. This statement has me asking; If AI is thinking and developing of its own accord via algorithms and such what does that mean in relation to Des Cartes’ statement? I witnessed a large robot with giant brushes encased in a perspex cube painting within the cube at the Venice Biennale in 2019. It was great to watch but there is an essence to people that robots and AI lack and although AI technology can generate many wondrous things it still needs people.

You’ve mentioned being inspired by philosophers like Martin Heidegger. How do you translate complex philosophical concepts into visual art?

Translating complex philosophical concepts is an extremely difficult thing to attempt to do, hence why I continue to research and study. It has taken me a very long time to understand simple ideas, I don’t understand the complexity of most philosophical concepts and Heidegger appears to be difficult to understand for many and not so for others. I understand my thinking so when I’m attempting to grasp concepts I’m more inclined to create what comes from my thoughts, imagination, experiences and the like.

Your exhibition includes a wide range of media, from paintings to jewellery. How do you choose the medium for each piece, and how does it affect your creative process?

I’ve always loved to paint, it has a flexibility that allows me to create freely yet sometimes it takes its direction and I understand why great and modern masters were called masters. Sometimes I work with what is before me because it’s what is available. Other times I want to reuse, repurpose or recycle materials because things like our global environment become a consideration. There are many reasons for and ways of creating all of which impact the process. As an example, I chose to use bronze for a piece of jewellery because when polished it has a golden hue. I wanted the pieces to appear gold-like without having to use gold as it was not available to me at the time.

As a Croatian-born Australian artist, how do you navigate and express dual cultural identity in your work?

I have struggled with this at times because both these nations have tumultuous histories. Often the things I’ve learned from one culture clash with the other. Art gives me a way to navigate through it, it has become more difficult in recent times as everything is in question because of altered histories. I have created works that connect me to my heritage as I understand it and to this place as I understand it. I have been lost in the in-between spaces at times, art allows me to find my way through these spaces I don’t have to be a particular way or thing, it allows me to simply be.

Your art often combines Western and Indigenous influences. How do you approach incorporating these diverse elements respectfully and meaningfully?

I always try to remain respectful and have been lucky enough to spend time learning about Indigenous culture and protocols, there is always more to learn. With permission, I have had the opportunity to tutor students in art practices and endeavour to continue learning as much as I can. I believe across the globe we all have more things in common than not and I try to focus on bringing these things into my work. I celebrate our diversity.

What message or experience do you hope visitors will take away from your “A Study in Art” exhibition?

I hope that people enjoy coming to see the exhibition, I create work that I’m interested in and what is important is that it’s engaging. Art helps us to learn, talk and share ideas, it helps us to connect.

Thats great, looking ahead, what new directions or themes are you excited to explore in your future work?

For now, I will be delving further into my current practice-based research project as I believe it is most important to look at ourselves and how our thinking is changing, the effect this may be having on the choices we are making right now and how that will affect us in the future. I want to challenge my anxiety around AI, Nives Kavurić- Kurtović would release her anxieties through her art. Georgia O’Keefe said, “I’ve been absolutely terrified every moment of my life and I’ve never let it keep me from a single thing that I wanted to do.”

Looking ahead I hope to collaborate with artists from Croatia as well as concentrate on the bonds I have here in Australia. We have some of the best contemporary artists in the world. I feel very lucky to have been able to study with some of these people, some of whom have been my lecturers, tutors and studio instructors.

Exhibition Highlights: “A Study in Art” showcases a diverse range of Vučak’s work, including paintings, drawings, prints, photographs, digital media, and jewellery. Visitors will have the opportunity to view pieces from the series “Tattoo” silver jewellery, inspired by Croatian women’s mark-making practices, and “Tipping Point,” a collection of wearable art commenting on climate change.

Conclusion: This exhibition is a must-see for art enthusiasts, technology buffs, and anyone interested in the intersection of culture, identity, and contemporary issues. “A Study in Art” celebrates Mara Vučak’s artistic journey inviting viewers to reflect on their own relationship with technology, culture, and the environment.

LEARN MORE ABOUT “A STUDY IN ART” HERE