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35 years later: Bruno Zupan's journey
through art
Heather Paulk / Staff Writer
Imagine walking into an art gallery; you don’t know who the artist is, but you figure it’s been too long since the last cultural event you’ve been to. The first wall of oil paintings you see are very vivid and unique; you are convinced that the rest of the exhibit will be more of the same.
The very next paintings are soft, pastel works. They make you check to see if that Monet guy, from your art appreciation class, has his name on the flyer. No, it’s the same guy who did the first works. The last works you see are of realistic looking houses and, wow, that mill in downtown! You have witnessed an exciting artistic event.
In the past two weeks, the artistic society within Columbus has been all a buzz. Artist Bruno Zupan is celebrating the 35-year anniversary of his first exhibit here in Columbus. And what better way to celebrate than with a totally new exhibit displaying a combination of old and new works?
His exhibit, “Thirty-five Years Later,” will be on display at the Columbus Museum from February 6 to April 9. The museum has scheduled several opportunities for the public to meet Zupan throughout the duration of the exhibit.
Bruno Zupan’s current art exhibit is a culmination of his life’s work in the art world. Born in Yugoslavia in 1939, Zupan began his involvement in art by the age of 14.
He has lived the typical life of a successful artist; he currently has residences in Paris, Venice, Mallorca, and Columbus, his wife, Jane Ritchie’s, hometown. The exhibition coincides with the publication of Zupan’s new book Bruno Zupan, One Artist. On display are many works taken from the homes of Zupan and his close friends.
The works on display range in style from cubism to impressionism and show a distinct evolution of Bruno Zupan’s technical style and personal maturity. Many of his earlier works, finished in the 1960’s and 1970’s, are youthfully experimental.
One of the most interesting among those pieces was entitled “Metamorphosis”; it was a window frame, complete with shutters, with images painted on each of the four sills, one of which was reminiscent of the classic image of Venus rising from the tumultuous sea.
Another among Zupan’s earlier works included the “Wedding Couple”; in this he used the frontal eye profile to impress upon the audience a feeling that the newly weds are gazing into each other’s soul.
During this same time period, Zupan tried his hand at pop landscapes, many of with include spots in Columbus such as the Chatahoochee River in downtown Columbus.
Bruno Zupan’s work from the 1980’s and 1990’s is generally impressionistic in style. Many of these oil paintings are of choice spots throughout Europe.
The colors he uses are tamed pastels in contrast to the brighter hues used in his younger days. He brilliantly uses depth within his technique as well as in his subjects, which are almost entirely landscapes. The “Patio at San Ferrandell” is a lovely example of this skill.
Local artist, Ralph Taylor, feels Bruno Zupan is “obviously a very good impressionist”. He feel the techniques that make his work unique include his “mounds of paint and good play on light. He knows how to use a little detail and really make it work from a distance.”
One trademark of Zupan’s is his use of extremely think paint. When looking at any one of his oil paintings, one will see clumps of paint within the work, yet somehow it adds to the texture and character of the work beautifully.
Ralph Taylor went on to add, “Nobody uses as much paint as Zupan, that’s for sure!”
Several works in the exhibit are in watercolor on rice paper. Ashley Pollock, an art lover attending CSU, feels that “rice paper gives a work a different effect because it’s already got the discolored appearance.” Many of these works, such as “The Canal Ognissanti,” have a very dreamlike quality in them as a result of the rice paper. These works of his are mostly from 1998 and 1999 and show his trend moving towards a darker use of pastels.
Bruno Zupan’s exhibit at the Columbus Museum is proof to the world that Zupan is an artist of great skill and maturity. It shows his growth over the years as an artist and his consistent ability to transport the onlooker to anywhere in the world. The exhibit itself is an experience that should not be missed. Zupan is truly a master at his craft, and Columbus can’t wait to see what’s to come in another thirty-five years!
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