Artist of the Month
Juro Kralovic
Art is incredibly subjective and abstract art is even more so. I am picky with abstract. I need something that has depth and a story.
MJ introduced me to Juro, and his art captivated me from the moment I saw it. It is stunning and each painting has a different feeling. It provokes thought and his technique tends to be inconsistent. Meaning, each painting has it's own character and different use of color or medium. Needless to say, I was eager to get to know the artist behind all of this!
EM: When did you discover your talent?
To be honest with you, my childhood. I was always drawing. I come from an artsy background. My mom is an artist in Czechoslovakia and I was always around that lifestyle. I was also her critic, especially when it came to painting.
I went to an art school, I am a sculptor by trade. But I was so rebellious and didn't fit in any where. So I ended up in trades school to take a different direction.
I moved to Canada in my early 20's. I got a job as a cabinet maker and realized how much I love working with my hands.
I started to establish myself after I started my family and things were great but I always had this itch. I wanted to do something different; I almost needed to. So I became a millwright.
This is where I started to discover my love for paint. It began with combining wood stains with oil, which don't mix at all. But I would mix them up in some way then just let it dry. This style is called drip art, but I did not know that at the time. I completed my first piece in the summer of 2016 and just kept going from there.
EM: Who or what are your strongest influences?
I was never really influenced by anyone. I was always more intrigued by doing stone and furniture work. This just kind of happened.
I definitely like Geahardt Richter and Franz Klein. Last century contemporary artisits. And I grew up in Europe... There was graffitti everywhere. I love street art.
EM: What is your favorite medium?
I experiment lots. I started with stains. Then I
used spray paint, with acrylic paint and some oil enamels. I love working with industrial enamels. Especially mixing them with paints that they do not combine with.
EM: How do you think art influences your life?
I can definitely see changes. I started to be more critical about things. I am more productive. I have so many more ideas running through my head now.
I think I finally found something that I really want to do and that has a purpose other than just making a living.
It's kind of like a hobby. It's relaxing and I find my relief in it.
EM: How do you think your art influences others?
For me abstract painting, I think it can have so much power. You can tell a story or make a feeling. I like to put names on it because I want people to know what I am thinking and feeling. I like touching on social, economical and societal subjects. I am intrigued by the darker sides of things. I like the old, abandoned and rebellious because they always have a story.
EM: What is your Muse? What inspires you?
It comes down to my personality. I am almost a functional schytzo in a fun way. (Hahaha)
I can be a bohemian one day, like my mother.
Then I can be super disciplined the next, like my father. One side is the drive and the other is the discipline of it.
EM: Is your art for sale? Where can you acquire it?
Right now I only sell the paintings at my wifes salon. Suburbia Hair Spa. But you can also look on my Facebook and instagram pages.