I acknowledge the support of the Canada Council for the Arts.
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Miniature Art Forms
The objective of this project is to explore the limits of miniature art through studio work and experimentation. The work conducted to attain this goal consists of the following: i. The combination of miniature art with graphic expression. ii. The creation of miniatures with new materials and techniques (e.g. chiseled/cut paper blocks). iii. The installation of miniature rooms in closed boxes that, along one side, have an eyehole to view the interior. The underlying theme throughout this project is based on notions of time. Specifically, that past and present are two facets that coexist. William Faulkner stated, "The past is never dead. It's not even past." Meaning that you cannot ignore your past, it lives on within you.
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Homer Collyer Death Chair / 2022 / paper, glue
Height 6 1/2 inches (16.5 cm.), width 5 7/8 inches (15 cm.), depth 5 7/8 inches (15 cm.)
Ivan Markovic
Note: The Collyer brothers, Homer and Langley, lived secluded in a stately home (location: New York City) where they hoarded books, furniture, musical instruments and objects of scientific interest. In March 1947, both were found dead in their residence; Langley crushed under a pile of debris and his elder brother Homer seated in his lounge chair with his head resting on his knees.
This real life story served as an impetus to develop Homer's chair in miniature scale. It alludes to the passage of time. Specifically, to the transitional nature of existence and how all things are subject to decay.
This real life story served as an impetus to develop Homer's chair in miniature scale. It alludes to the passage of time. Specifically, to the transitional nature of existence and how all things are subject to decay.
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Mommie Dearest / work in progress / 2022 / paper, glue
Height 7 inches (18 cm.), width 8 1/4 inches (21 cm.), depth 3 1/5 inches (10 cm.)
Ivan Markovic
Note: The infamous haircut scene in the film "Mommie Dearest" portrays a severely troubled relationship between a mother and her adoptive daughter. Christina, seated in front of a bedroom dresser with a mirror, wails, "Mommie, I look aweful!" as the Hollywood mother cuts the child's hair relentlessly. This segment of the film evokes the existing tension between two separate generations of the same family. Thus, the past and present both confront each other and are inextricable.
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Atti Impuri? (ENG: Impure Acts?) / work in progress / 2022 / paper, glue
Height 12 inches (32.5 cm.), width 9 inches (23 cm.), depth 5 1/2 inches (13.8 cm.)
Ivan Markovic
Note: I was raised in a Catholic family where the Church's system of beliefs was regarded as entirely true and irrefutable. It's only late in my adult life that I began to reconsider the validity of these paradigms. Through my art, I intend to challenge many beliefs and principles of the Church concerning atonement, faith and sin.
Ex-voto / 2022 / paper, glue, wood
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Occupy Madrid / 2022 / paper, glue, wood
Height 16 1/2 inches (42 cm.), width 13 1/4 inches (34 cm.), depth 11 3/4 inches (30 cm.)
Ivan Markovic
Note: In Italian art of the 1700s, I observed a tendency to show the ruins of ancient Rome with humble contemporary figures, leading a daily life under the auspices of the monuments. The past coexists with the present. In our time, these same contrasts are observed with the Occupy movement, whose collectives occupy old city squares and buildings. My objective is to represent this societal phenomenon through miniature art.
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Tent City (Montreal) / 2022 / paper, glue, wood
Height 17 3/4 inches (45 cm.), width 13 1/4 inches (34 cm.), depth 11 3/4 inches (30 cm.)
Ivan Markovic
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Capriccio #1 / 2022 / paper, glue, wire, pen, brush, water soluble graphite
Height 35 1/2 inches (90 cm.), width 19 1/2 inches (50 cm.), depth 7 3/4 inches (20 cm.)
Ivan Markovic
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Capriccio #2 / 2022 / paper, glue, pen, graphite pencil
Bed: height 1 1/8 inches (3 cm.), width 3 7/8 inches (10 cm.), depth 2 inches (5 cm.)
Ivan Markovic
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Come nelle favole (ENG: Like a Fairytale) 2022 / paper, cardboard, glue, pen, graphite pencil
Height 3 7/8 inches (10 cm.), width 6 3/4 inches (17.5 cm.), depth 3 1/8 inches (8 cm.)
Ivan Markovic
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Donna contro vento (ENG: Woman Against the Wind) / 2022 / paper, cardboard, glue, wire, graphite pencil
Height 3 7/8 inches (10 cm.), width 6 3/4 inches (17.5 cm.), depth 3 1/8 inches (8 cm.)
Ivan Markovic
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The Redpath Mansion (front & back) / 2019 / Mixed-media (wood, paper, acrylic paint, wood stain, plexi glass, metal, glue)
Height 40 inches (101.6 cm.)
Ivan Markovic
The Redpath Mansion (details) / 2019
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The Squatter House / 2015 / Mixed-media (paper, glue, wood, plexi glass, aluminium, metal) / Height 33 13/16 inches (86 cm.)
Ivan Markovic
Photo: Alex Leibner
The Squatter House (details) / 2015
Scale Models
In addition to my figurative sculptures, I also build scale models of buildings that are in a state of decay. I construct them with a wide range of materials such as wood, plexiglass, metal, cardboard, paper and paint. My work in developing these models is labour intensive and requires a keen sense for detail. The finished work, engages the viewer both on an aesthetic and introspective level.
I draw my inspiration from the broad array of buildings in a state of abandonment, evident in urban environments. These buildings have a mysterious quality that evoke the past and our connection to it. For example, the long abandoned Redpath house in Montreal, Canada, demolished in 2014. Before its disappearance, I would often walk by this old residence; it transmitted an eerie feeling, as if the past was still with us now, in the present moment.
After conducting research, I discovered that the Redpath home was built in 1886 for members of the Redpath family - industrialists who built waterways to facilitate the flow of commerce, and who contributed greatly to Montreal’s architectural landscape. The Redpath residence was one of the few remaining Queen Anne style homes in Montreal, and its demolition in 2014, was very controversial and resonated strongly in the media. The mayor who issued the order in favour of its demolition, proclaimed that it was in an advanced state of decay, and that nothing could be done to restore the once stately home.
My reaction to this loss involved a project, consisting of a recreation in miniature of the Redpath house. I built this scale model for two reasons: first, to provide the Canadian public with a three-dimensional record of a building that had great architectural and historic value; and second, to convey a universal message about the transitory nature of life, and to denote that the past weighs heavily on the present. The spectator of the small-scale model could observe it from different points of view and in so doing, perceive a definite narrative that addresses issues of identity, memory and loss.