Needlepoint Patterns

New Needlepoint Patterns

Sladjana Varagić

When irrational, utopian or even megalomaniac ideas in art are born, they should be welcomed and accepted. There is a large number of artists who are satisfied with expanding a concept, modelling and formulating their own idea in the form of a text, sketch, draft… Marko Stojanovic’s project “New Needlepoint” belongs to the group of projects the concept of whose encourages and enriches the audience/the consumer at the same time, making one think and interact, but primarily aiming to educate, amuse and entertain.
We are used to exhibitions of completed works of art (many will ask whether there are other kinds of works of art and exhibitions at all). Presentation of the projects selected at the “Modern Art Production IZBA 2005” open competition („Produkcija savremene umetnosti IZBA 2005“) and especially the presentation of the “New Needlepoint” project, is an attempt to open ourselves to a completely different exhibition. Simply put – the inventive spirit of the artist communicates with the inventiveness of the observer. The idea is thus realized in the best and the most relevant way, exactly the way it was born, as a sketch, a draft, an allusion to a work of art, and through the imagination of those it is intended for.
The author of the “New Needlepoint” project is devotedly handling his idea, content with the comprehensive concept and trying not to leave the audience confused and imagining what it would really look like if only it were possible. The observer is here openly offered to actively join the process of the realization of the idea. Digital prints – technical images, containing hundreds of black-and-white squares / marks, with detailed explanations (key, information on needlepoint art adaptations) as a kind of a manual, are actually needlepoint patterns. But, what kind of needlepoint? A new kind?
“New Needlepoint” is a project that presents some iconic paintings by the most prominent artists of the 20th century as needlepoint designs. By choosing abstract artists, Marko Stojanovic tries to avoid figuration and hence introduce new standards in choosing motifs for needlepoint designs. He opts for the art of pure minimalist poetics, constructivism, suprematism, that is works of art with simple form and colour, even achromatic black-and-white paintings.
In the previous decades and even nowadays, increasingly so in flee markets or ads (category – miscellaneous) we come across the once prestigious “Wiehler gobelins”. We recall needlepoint with motifs of baroque, vivid rococo, romanticism or most often in our region The Last Supper by Leonardo Da Vinci or the Kosovo Maiden by Uros Predic. Isn’t the 21st century truly the right time for a new concept to be offered in this field as well? Time for a new brand in ‘needlepoint art’?! If Wiehler lost the race with time, we should ask ourselves why. Where did the big brand of the needlepoint industry fail? What was not well estimated?
Marko Stojanovic estimates that the problem is in the selection of motifs and works of art adapted to needlepoint designs. The problem is that there are too many motifs which aren’t kitsch themselves but they are burdened with a difficult time that’s passed. Among other things, we remember that time by socrealistic interiors with unavoidable needlepoint as wall décor. “New Needlepoint” is something new. As the author of the project would put it himself, it’s “a luxurious reproduction or an even more luxurious original” or “a work of art you personally participate in creating”. However, this is not a novelty, needlepoint was already all of this. What’s important about the “New Needlepoint” is that, by accepting the new-launched brand, you become ‘hypermodern’, for your needlepoint is a reproduction of a ‘modern’ artist. Modern art as needlepoint! “New patterns for new housewives!”
Certainly, it is advisable nowadays to view an idea like this keeping all the consequences in mind and be aware about the often-crucial impact of compromises. Firstly, the idea should be viewed in relation to the time in which it is born and in which it exists, secondly in relation to the society it belongs to, and lastly in relation to the system it is conditioned by.
The concept of the “New Needlepoint” project is a well-thought-out and faithful projection of a contemporary time. Despite it all appearing only as good witticism at first glance, social provocation is clearly visible. Fully aware and with a certain active approach in realizing his idea, the author shows and expresses meanings, values and beliefs of the civil and consumer society. The emphasis is on the importance of aesthetics of the very needlepoint pattern i.e. the entire product. The accent on aesthetics in technical precision is evident. Each piece, with the slogan “Make art yourself”, indicates that the author wants everything to be perfectly packed and attractive to the modern consumer, by aesthetic standards of good modern design and thus become desirable goods.
The “New Needlepoint” project also deals with visual art and conceptual problems. It has a good base and the potential to start and express a clear critical attitude within the entire system of modern art production, as well as in the relationship between art and social environment. With this project, the author sarcastically suggests components of new collectivism, offering utilitarian art for a wide target audience, for the modern mass consumer society.
The concept of the “New Needlepoint” can be said to have all the characteristics of what is called ‘socially aware’ art.

Šeme za Novi goblen

Slađana Varagić

Kada u umetničkoj praksi nastaju iracionalne, utopističke ili čak megalomanske ideje, dobrodošle su i treba ih prihvatiti. Veliki je broj umetnika koji se zadovoljavaju razradom koncepta, preoblikovanjem i formulisanjem sopstvene ideje u oblik teksta, nacrta, skice...
Projekat „Novi Goblen“ Marka Stojanovića pripada upravo onoj grupi projekata koji svojim konceptom istovremeno i ohrabruje i obogaćuje publiku/konzumenta, pokreće na razmišljanje, interakciju, ali ima osnovu da edukuje i da razveseli i zabavi. Naviknuti na izložbe ostvarenih dela (mnogi će se pitati pa zar postoje drugačija dela i izložbe), prezentacijom projekata odabranih na konkursu „Produkcija savremene umetnosti IZBA 2005“, i najpre predstavljanjem projekta „Novi goblen“, pokušaćemo da se otvorimo za jednu sasvim drugačiju postavku. Najsažetije rečeno: Invetivni duh umetnika u komunikaciji sa invetivnošću posmatrača. Ideja tako biva realizovana na najbolji i najrelevantniji način, upravo kako je nastala, putem skice, predloška, aluzije na delo, kroz imaginaciju onome kome je namenjena.
Autor projekta „Novi goblen“ se posvećeno nosi sa svojom idejom, zadovoljan do pojedinosti razrađenim konceptom i u težnji da u njegovom javnom prezentovanju ne ostavlja publiku zbunjenu da sama zamišlja (kako bi to ustvari izgledalo, samo da je moguće). Ovde se posmatraču otvoreno nudi aktivno uključivanje u proces realizacije ideje. Printovi – tehničke slike sa sadržajem od po stotinu različitih crno-belih kvadratića/oznaka, pojašnjeni detaljima (legendom, podacima o reprodukovanom delu...), kao jednom vrstom „uputstva za upotrebu“, predstsvljavljaju šeme za izradu goblena. No, kakvog goblena? Novog?
„Novi goblen“ je projekat koji prezentuje šematske prikaze za izradu goblena po motivima slika - „ikona vremena“, grupe najznačajnijih umetnika XX veka. Opredeljujući se za umetnike apstraktnog izraza, Marko Stojanović nastoji da izbegne figuraciju i time uvede nove standarde u odabiru motiva prenetih na šeme za izradu goblena. Njegov odabir je umetnost pročišćene minimalističke poetike, konstruktivizma, suprematizma, odnosno dela sa svedenom formom i koloritom, potpuno do ahromatske tonske skale.
U prethodnim decenijama, a ponegde i danas, mada sve češće na „buvljacima“ ili u oglasnim rubrikama - prodaja (pod razno), susrećemo, za jedno vreme, prestižne Vilerove goblene. Sećamo se goblena sa motivima baroka, lepršavog rokokoa, romantizma ili na našim prostorima najčešće Da Vinčijeve „Tajne večere“ ili Predićeve „Kosovke devojke“. Nije li XXI vek, zaista, jedno potpuno zrelo vreme da se i na ovom polju ponudi novi koncept? Novi brend u „goblen art-u“?! Ako je Vilera već pregazilo vreme, treba se pitati i zašto. Gde je taj veliki brend u goblenskoj industriji posustao? Šta nije dobro procenio? Marko Stojanović procenjuje da je problem u odabiru motiva, reprodukcija koje se prenose na goblenske šeme. Problem je zasićenost motivima koji sami po sebi nisu kič, ali koji na sebi nose balast jednog mučnog prošlog vremena. Pamtimo to vreme, između ostalog, i po enterijerima opremljenim u socrealističkom maniru uz neizostavne goblene kao zidnu dekoraciju.
„Novi goblen“ je nešto novo. Kako bi i sam autor projekta rekao „luksuzna reprodukcija ili još luksuzniji original“ ili „rad u čijem stvaranju lično učestvujete“. No, to i ne predstavlja neku inovaciju, sve to je goblen bio i do sada. Ono što je značajno kod „Novog goblena“ je da prihvatajući novi lansirani brend postajete „hipermoderni“, jer vaš goblen je reprodukcija „modernog“ umetnika. Moderna umetnost na goblenima! „Nove šeme za nove domaćice!!!“.
Zasigurno, danas je vrlo zdravo jednu ovakvu ideju suočiti sa svim posledicama i svešću o često presudnom uticaju ustupaka. Najpre, ideja u korelaciji sa vremenom u kojem nastaje i živi; društvu kojem pripada; sistemu koji (je) uslovljava. Koncept projekta „Novi goblen“ je vrlo promišljena i dobra projekcija savremenog trenutka. Ma koliko, na prvu loptu, sve izgledalo kao dobra dosetka, jasno i vidno je čitljiva drištveno-socijalna provokacija. Autor vrlo svesno svojim radom prikazuje i izražava značenja, vrednosti i uverenja građanskog i potrošačkog društva, izvesnim angažovanim pristupom u ispoljavanju svoje ideje.
Istaknuta je važnost estetike same goblenske šeme, tj. celokupnog proizvoda. Jasno je uočljiva akcentovanost estetike u tehničkoj urednosti. Svaki rad pojedinačno uz slogan “Make art yourself”, svedoči o težnji autora da sve bude savršeno „upakovano“ i primamljivo savremenom konzumentu, po estetskim standardima dobrog modernog dizajna, pa tako da postane i poželjna roba.
Projektom „Novi goblen“ se vrlo ozbiljno tretiraju i likovni i konceptualni problemi. Rad ima dobru osnovu i potencijal da pokrene i izrazi jasan kritički stav unutar celokupnog sistema savremene umetničke produkcije, kao i u domenu koji se odnosi na relaciju umetnost - društveno okruženje. Sopstvenim projektom, autor sarkastično predlaže komponente novog kolektivizma, nudeći utilitarnu umetnost za široku ciljnu grupu, za savremeno masovno potrošačko društvo.
Za koncept „Novi goblen“ može se reći da ima atribute svega onoga što nazivamo „socijalno svesnom“ umetničkom praksom.