A new exhibit is set to open at Two Rivers Gallery later this month. Natural Histories by Misa Nikolic will run February 20 to April 6.
Misa Nikolic is a multi-disciplinary artist originating from Winnipeg, Manitoba. Throughout his life he had resided in several cities throughout western Canada, and has now settled in Prince George, British Columbia, continuing his artistic expeditions.
Found within the walls of the College of New Caledonia (CNC), Nikolic has taken up a career teaching Fine Art, Art History, and Graphic Design. In Nikolic’s personal artistic practices however, he was first known for hard-edge acrylic paintings, paintings that later transformed into a realistic style using oil paint. Now Nikolic’s practices have delved deep into the world of photography and how to shape his own unique photographic style.
In ironic contrast, Nikolic’s painted works featured a technique of photorealism, wherein his photographic works aim to look more painterly in style. The assumed dichotomy of these artistic practices emphasizes a sentiment expressed in his artist statement: that photography, while seemingly mechanical, is just as artistic as paint on canvas.
Natural Histories is a series of work presented intentionally without context, engaging the viewers to reach their own conclusions and form their own interpretations. Therefore, the works are displayed with vague labels without descriptions, accompanied by a vague exhibition title.
In essence, these works live to show photography in the modern era, where the mechanical nature of the medium is no longer the focus. Nikolic speaks on how both photography and paintings alike portray 2-dimensional illusionistic representations of a 3-dimensional world. Within this exhibition we see these realms of art collide, revealing that there are more similarities than viewers may have initially considered.
Exhibition Opening
Please join evereyone at Two Rivers Gallery for an opening reception on Thursday, February 20, at 7 p.m. in the Galleria, with an introduction by artist. Light refreshments will be available for visitors to enjoy.