Artists Statement:

Transcript: Hello, I am Nikolas Posavec and what I have created is an imitation of the mosaic named “The Parrot Pergamon” by using everyday materials.  More specifically, I used: colored paper, scissors, a pencil, and a pen.  These seem like very simple things, as they are, but I feel I was truly able to capture the appearance of the original mosaic whilst still adding a twist to it.  Originally I was simply going to recreate the mosaic using everything from the original, even the arrangement of tiles.  However, after trying this I decided I wanted to use a style more appealing to me which is the more jagged, bigger pieces.  The purpose of this work is to be a direct contrast to the style of the original while still maintaining the parrot’s image.  My work is meant to represent how art can be manipulated into different styles without the meaning being obscured.  An example of this meaning not being obscured in the new style I did was how I still used dull colors around the parrot to highlight it.  This is important symbolically as it is inferring that the parrot is the light of life and color surrounded by this dark, plain background.  This isolation allows the viewer to fully focus on the parrot and really appreciate it.  One artist that inspired me in the creation of my mosaic was Volodymyr Yagodka.  Specifically, in his work, “Woman in Red” as he had the red woman in the center very vibrant and surrounded by dull colors. This is similar to what I attempted to do by utilizing dull colors which was to draw attention to the centerpiece.

Volodymyr’s Work: https://www.saatchiart.com/cherrymosaic

Audio Clip: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tbodhmmqa-g

The audio clip I have chosen is somewhat simplistic, yet is still able to capture everything I need it to.  I want the viewers of my piece to be more immersed in the work and this clip provides noises of the habitat the parrot would most likely be in.  This enhances the natural effect and gives the viewers an opportunity to picture themselves in a rainforest observing a parrot peacefully resting while singing a song to them.  The inclusion of this sound will also draw more attention to the centerpiece of the mosaic, the parrot, as the noises are similar to the ones a parrot would make.  As I previously mentioned this focus on the parrot in the middle is one of my main goals. This audio clip will hopefully allow my viewers to have an immersive experience somewhat like the one at the Van Gough interactive exhibit. This picture I took is of a splash of paint that looks similar to a bouquet of flowers. While this image was being projected there was calming music allowing me to be more peaceful and fully admire the beauty of the flowers blooming on the floor. I hope to achieve this type of immersion so that my viewers can experience my work’s true meaning and artistic value.

Discussion Questions:

1. Personally, I prefer the jagged shapes I used over the small squares originally used. However, which do you prefer and why? Do you think that the style I used detracts or adds to the original meaning?
2. Did you find the audio clip I provided to be actually useful in making the work more immersive? If not what audio do you think would make it more immersive?
3. What were the motivating factors in your composition? Was it for accuracy? Convenience? To challenge yourself artistically?