TOMISLAV OSTRMAN | Planet zabave / Party Time Planet by Adriatic Luxury Hotels

TOMISLAV OSTRMAN Planet zabave / Party Time Planet Planet zabave / Party Time Planet

tomislav ostrman

Biografija / Biography

Tomislav Ostrman rođen je 1978. u Zagrebu, gdje je završio osnovnu, srednju i osnovnu muzičku školu. Studirao je na Pravnom fakultetu, a završio Arthouse – College for Visual Arts u Ljubljani u klasi prof. Darka Slaveca. Trenutačno je na poslijediplomskom doktorskom studiju slikarstva na Akademiji likovnih umjetnosti u Zagrebu pod mentorstvom prof. Igora Rončevića, kome je bio asistent tijekom akademske godine 2013./2014. Član je HDLU-a. Do sada je imao mnogo zapaženih izložbi, a radovi mu se nalaze u zbirkama po cijelom svijetu. Dobitnik je Dekanove nagrade za likovni opus „Kraljevstvo mornara & fućkalica“. Kroz svoje stvaralaštvo istražuje relacijsku estetiku, neverbalnu komunikaciju, antropologiju, semiotiku i prirodni fenomen zviždanja, koje je pretočio u priču koja se zove „Planeta Fućkalica“ (koju su povjesničari umjetnosti prozvali i „Čudesnim planetom pozitive“ i „Slatkom utopijom“) i utjelovio u njoj. Glavni lik te priče, mornar nazvan Fućkalica, predstavlja homo ludensa. On je idealan čovjek čistih i pozitivnih misli. Iz te je priče Ostrman u sklopu doktorskog rada osmislio i komercijalni brend „Sailors & Whistlers” koji se nastavlja na njegovo slikarstvo.

Tomislav Ostrman was born in Zagreb in 1978 where he completed elementary school, high school and elementary music school. He studied at the Faculty of Law and graduated at Arthouse – College for Visual Arts in Ljubljana in the class of Professor Darko Slavec. He is currently pursuing his postgraduate doctoral studies under the mentorship of Professor Igor Rončević, whose assistant he was in 2013/2014. He is a member of the Croatian Association of Artists. He has had numerous acclaimed exhibitions and his works can be found in collections all across the globe. He has received the Dean’s Award for artistic opus “Kingdom sailors & whistles”. Through his creations, he has been exploring relational aesthetics, non-verbal communication, anthropology, semiotics and the natural phenomenon of whistling which he has transformed and incarnated into a story called ”The Planet of the Whistlers“ (the art historians have also described it as “The Magic Planet of Positivity“ and “Sweet Utopia“). The main character of the story, a sailor called “Whistler“, represents the homo ludens. He is an ideal man of truthful and positive thinking. In line with his story, Ostrman devised a commercial brand “Sailors & Whistlers“ as a part of his doctoral work, further exploring the motives present in his painting.

Živi i radi u Zagrebu.

He lives and works in Zagreb.

Planet zabave / Party Time Planet

crvena noć / the red night, 2014 Akril na platnu / Acrylic on canvas, 50 × 50 cm

Naslovna stranica / Cover Page: zašto panda? / why panda?, 2014 Akril na platnu / Acrylic on canvas, 100 × 100 cm

TOMISLAV OSTRMAN Planet zabave / Party Time Planet

PLANET ZABAVE

PARTY TIME PLANET

Dr. sc. Enes Quien

Enes Quien, Ph.D.

Kakav je svijet danas? U kakvom to svijetu živimo? To više-manje svi znamo. Svijet je u krizi, vlada recesija, posvemašnje mito i korupcija, krađa, pljačka, i to ne pojedinačnih malih stvari, nego čitavih kompanija, zapravo sve do pljačke same države. I to nije samo situacija u Hrvatskoj, nego je planetarno proširena. Sve u svemu, prouzročila je najveću ekonomsko-političku krizu nakon Drugoga svjetskog rata, nalik samo onoj začetoj godine 1929. u Americi. Umjetnici nemaju drugoga načina nego reagirati na krizu svijeta koja, dakako, uzrokuje i njihovu vlastitu društvenu, emotivnu, mentalnu, socijalnu i psihološku krizu. Na primjer, američki umjetnici danas, posebno nakon terorističkog napada 11. rujna 2001., gotovo isključivo izražavaju tjeskobu, pesimizam, pa čak i nevjericu u svjetliju budućnost. To se vidi u mnogo aspekata: fotografiraju se mnogobrojni američki beskućnici, kipar Jackson primjerice radi ogromnu instalaciju na kojoj vatrom reminiscira atomsku bombu koja je razorila Hiroshimu (rad „6. 8. 1945.“). Čak je i na planu slikarstva i skulpture situacija zbunjujuća i izražava kreativnu krizu proizišlu iz sveopće krize. Slikarstvo je simulacijsko, u kojem mnogobrojni slikari slikaju razne vrste slikarstava, jer se, kako bi rekao Hans Sedlmayr, izgubilo „središte“. Tako simulacijski slikari slikaju apstraktne, figurativne, dekorativne, geometrijske, lirske, akromatske i kolorističke slike, i to ne pojedinci, nego svaki slikar pojedinačno slika sve te slike, u kojima više nema stila, nego prevladavaju pastiši svih u modernizmu i avangardi utemeljenih slikarskih smjerova (Phillipe Taafe, Ross Bleckner, Christopher Wool itd.). Kipari u situaciji izgubljenog središta stvaraju nešto što američki kritičari zovu „commodity sculpture“ („skulptura za svakodnev-

What is the world today like? What kind of a world do we live in? More or less everyone knows the answer. The world is engulfed in crisis, recession, the omnipresent corruption and economic and financial crime involving not only the small things, but entire companies and states. This is not only the case in Croatia, but all over the planet. All things considered, this situation gave way to the greatest economic and political crisis after World War II, much akin to the Great Depression which started in the US in 1929. The artists have no other option but to react to the global crisis, which in turn brings about their own personal, social, emotional, mental and psychological crisis. For example, contemporary American artists express themselves almost exclusively in terms of anxiety, pessimism and even disbelief of a better future, especially after the 9/11 attacks. This is visible in many aspects: photographs of numerous homeless Americans, the visual artist Jackson constructed an enormous installation and used fire to remind of the atomic bomb which destroyed the city of Hiroshima (the work August 6th, 1945). The situation remains confusing even in the field of painting and sculpture, as an expression of creative crisis derived from the general crisis of the society. Painting is simulational, numerous painters paint in different styles of painting, as the “centre” has been lost as Hans Sedlmayr would say. Hence, simulational painters paint abstract, figurative, decorative, geometrical, lyrical, achromatic and coloristic paintings, but not as individuals; each painter paints individually all these paintings, which do not contain a particular style anymore, but are predominated by pastiches of all styles of painting founded in modernism and avant-garde (Philip Taafe, Ross Bleckner, Christopher Wool, etc.). Sculptors captured in a situation where the centre has been lost create what American art

tomislav ostrman

nu upotrebu“; najistaknutiji su i najcjenjeniji umjetnici u toj sintagmi Jeff Koons, Ashley Bickerton, Haim Steinbach i Mike McCollum). U biti, u takvom stanju pesimizma i tjeskobe zbog gubitka središta američki umjetnici svojom umjetnošću samo postavljaju pitanja i nikada ne daju odgovore, jer odgovor zapravo ne postoji, nego je svakome ponaosob dano da umjetnost iščitava na svoj način. A kakva je situacija u Hrvatskoj? Razni umjetnici svih generacija stvaraju umjetnost koja se na različite načine manifestira kao postavljanje pitanja o stanju političke, ekonomske i društvene krize. Rijetko se nalazi prava, istinska, značajna i kritički angažirana umjetnost, jer vlada opća entropija. Teško je živjeti i opstati u nesigurnoj državi u kojoj male društvene interesne skupine, klanovi i klike vladaju do mjere da mito, korupcija i kriminal sežu do samog vrha države. Međutim, ima iznimaka koje takvo stanje krize u umjetnosti prevladavaju sasvim suprotnim načinom umjetničkog izražavanja. Jedan je od tih umjetnika i još uvijek mladi slikar Tomislav Ostrman, doktorand na umjetničkom poslijediplomskom studiju na Akademiji likovnih umjetnosti Sveučilišta u Zagrebu. Ostrman naime stvara neodoljivu optimističnu, veselu, duhovitu i humorističnu umjetnost, koja se u biti manifestira kao bijeg od sumorne i surove stvarnosti kakva jest. Već od svojih ranih umjetničkih početaka izmislio je i stvorio svoje sada već poznate junake, Mornare i Fućkalice. Fućkalica je muški lik koji sa svojom partnericom Žveglicom simbolizira djetinju radost, čistu ljubav i dušu, a kako se jedna slika i zove, predstavljaju moguću „Romantiku“, nejunačkom vremenu usprkos, kako bi to rekli Miroslav Krleža i Ivan Meštrović. Žveglica je zapravo starohrvatski puhački instrument. Ostrman želi asocirati i na auditivno, osim vizualnog, u svojoj ideji slatke utopije u kojoj vlada apsolutni mir, ljubav i ljepota međuljudskih odnosa i ničim pomućena idila praiskonske nevinosti ljudskih bića. Fućkalica je pak, s druge strane, što nam je svima poznato iz svakodnevnih aktualnih događanja, zviždač, osoba koja, zbog prigovora vlastite savjesti, priPlanet zabave / Party Time Planet

critics call “commodity sculpture“ (“sculpture for everyday use”: the most prominent and respected artists within this paradigm are Jeff Koons, Ashley Bickerton, Haim Steinbach, Mike McCollum). In fact, while they remain in such a state of pessimism and anxiety caused by a loss of centre, the American artists use their art merely to pose questions, never to give answers, because there is no answer at all: every individual is given the right to interpret art in his/her own way. What is the situation in Croatia like? Different artists belonging to all generations create art which manifests itself in different ways as questioning the political, economic and social state of the crisis. A real, truthful, significant and critically engaged art can rarely be found as general entropy is prevails everywhere. It is difficult to live and survive in a land of precarity, where small interest groups, clans and cliques are powerful to the extent of involving top state officials in corruption and crime. However, there are exceptional individuals who surpass such a state of crisis in art by applying an entirely opposite way of artistic expression. One of such artists is the still-young painter Tomislav Ostrman, a student of doctoral (postgraduate) art studies at the Academy of Fine Arts of the University of Zagreb. Ostrman creates irresistible optimistic, cheerful, funny and humorous art, which manifests itself as an escape from the gloomy and harsh reality as it is today. Right at the start of his early artistic career, he devised and created his already famous characters, the Sailor (Mornar) and the Whistler (Fućkalica). The Whistler is a male character symbolising the joy of childhood, pure love and soulfulness, together with his female partner the Flute (Žveglica). They represent the possibility of Romance (as one painting is named – “Romantika” /Romance/) despite the unheroic times, as Miroslav Krleža and Ivan Meštrović (some of the greatest Croatian artists of the 20th century) would describe it. The Flute (Žveglica) is actually an old Croatian wind instrument. Ostrman wants to allude to the auditory, beside the visual, to bring us his own idea of sweet utopia founded on absolute peace, love and the beauty of interpersonal relationships, an entirely pristine idyllic environment of primordial human innocence. The Whistler, on the

Sanjarenje / Daydream, 2014

Brod ljubavi / The Love Boat, 2014

Akril na platnu / Acrylic on canvas, 100 × 100 cm

Akril na platnu / Acrylic on canvas, 50 × 50 cm

javljuje nelegalna, pa čak i kriminalna postupanja nekih grupa ljudi iz svoje tvrtke, odnosno radnog kolektiva. Dakle Fućkalica je postavljen kao lik koji predstavlja moralnu vertikalu pojedinca koji ukazuje na društvene amoralne devijacije i bori se protiv njih. Kod Ostrmana ta je ideja kristalno jasno definirana i javlja se kao okosnica. Međutim, iskristalizirana ideja, osim što je na slikama izvedena u infantilističkom, opuštenom i bezazlenom stilu, ima i svoj didaktičko-ukazivački karakter, zato što želi stvoriti zamišljen idealan svijet u kojemu se pokušava rekreirati i rekonstruirati važnu i značajnu određujuću ljudsku kategoriju davno pomućene, katkada i uništene i zaboravljene, težnje za Ljepotom i Dobrotom. Ostrmanovi likovi predstavljaju se kao likovi iz kakvoga animiranog filma ili stripa. Da je kojim slučajem animator,

other hand, is a whistle-blower, as we may already assume in relation to familiar everyday events; it is someone who reports of illegal or even criminal wrongdoings of the cliques in their own company or work collective, for the sake of their conscience. Hence, the Whistler is conceived as a character which represents the moral authority of an individual who uncovers and fights immoral deviations present in the society. With Ostrman, the definition of this idea is perfectly clear and forms a basis of the same idea. However, this idea in its crystallised form, besides being presented in an infantile, relaxed and innocent style in his works, has a didactic and revelatory character, as it intends to construct an imaginary ideal world. This world is an attempt to recreate and reconstruct the important and significantly defining human category of long disturbed, at times even destroyed and forgotten, aspiration for Love and Kindness.

tomislav ostrman

dva crvena broda / two red boats, 2014

Crvena Luna / The Red Luna, 2014

Akril na platnu / Acrylic on canvas, 50 × 50 cm

Akril na platnu / Acrylic on canvas, 100 × 100 cm

njegovi bi plošno crtani i slikani likovi Mornara ili Fućkalice i Žveglice postali popularni animirani likovi i sasvim bi sigurno kvalitetno nastavili veliku i značajnu tradiciju „Zagrebačke škole animiranog filma“, do prije dvadesetak godina u svijetu najslavnije škole animacije. Na taj bi se način njegovi Mornari, Fućkalice i Žveglice pojavili kao što se nekada pojavio Profesor Baltazar, Vukotićev lik čovjeka iz „Surogata“ ili pak Kristlov također legendarni lik Don Quijotea. Ali Ostrmanov način stvaranja likova koji bi mogli djelovati poput junaka iz animiranih filmova ili stripova nije na tom tragu. Ne pada mu na pamet. Njegovi likovi caruju isključivo kao motivi na slikama, reljefima, a katkad i u performativnim činovima. Ostrman se naime nije vezao samo za medij slike, nego ga zanima i svojevrsna višemedijska praksa. Smislio je, dapače, još neke zanimljive

Ostrman’s characters present themselves as cartoon or comic book characters. If Ostrman were an animator, his plainly drawn and painted characters of the Sailor or the Whistler and the Flute would be appraised as popular cartoon characters, certainly keeping in line with great and important tradition of the Zagreb School of Animated Films; some 20 years ago, this was the most acclaimed school of animation in the world. Thus, his Sailors, Whistlers and Flutes would become known to the public just as Professor Balthazar, Vukotić’s human character from “The Substitute” or Kristl’s legendary character of Don Quijote did at their time. However, Ostrman’s method of creating characters that might appear as cartoon or comic book characters does not follow in such steps. He does not even think of it. His characters establish themselves only as motives on paintings, reliefs, at times even in art performances. In fact, Os-

Planet zabave / Party Time Planet

likove, poput bijele i crne Ofce. Bijele Ofce predstavljaju masu običnih naivnih ljudi, povodljivih, bezazlenih i u krajnjoj liniji bedastih, kojima se sve može plasirati i kod kojih sve prolazi. Crne su pak Ofce sarkastične, cinične, inteligentne, pametne i mudre te predstavljaju učene ljude u imaginarnom kraljevstvu sveopće utopije. Katkada se pojavljuju i motivi Pande i Žirafe. Panda je troublemaker i aktivni buntovnik protiv svega i svačega, dok Žirafa simbolički predstavlja učenjaka koji kontrolira crne Ofce. Ostrman katkada ispisuje svoje slike, a također pažljivo bira koje će naslove dati slikama. Tako na primjer slika „Romantika“ ima pomalo zagonetan karakter. Ispod kariranog stolnjaka nalazi se platno koje se tek diskretno nazire, a predstavlja palmu i brod, kao naznaku mogućega nepomućenog rajskog života. Jedna se druga njegova slika zove „Ne bacaj biserje pred svinje“, a prikazuje crnu Ofcu kako objašnjava umjetnost i romantiku divljoj svinji. Ostrman zapravo vremenskim tijekom procesa stvaranja ide u liniji logičnog slijeda čovjekova sagorijevanja. Govori o samoći, jedinom mogućem stanju za postupno stjecanje mudrosti, potom o akciji, kojom stalno ukazuje na važnost umjetnosti i njezinu plemenitu funkciju ukazivanja na svijet takav kakav jest, ali bez pretencioznih nakana da se umjetnošću promijeni svijet, jer zna da je to nemoguće. Nakon akcije u logičnom slijedu dolazi romantika, osnovni preduvjet ljubavi, da bi proces završio životom u dvoje, koji predstavlja realiziranu ljubav. Koliko god Ostrmanove slike i simpatični junaci koji se na njima pojavljuju djeluju vedro, veselo, optimistično, duhovito i humoristično, zapravo predstavljaju posvemašnju distopiju. Distopija pak proizlazi iz ciničnog uma. Ostrman kao da se povodi za sjajnom knjigom njemačkog teoretičara i filozofa umjetnosti i kulture Petera Sloterdijka „Kritika ciničnog uma“. Ovo je antologijska knjiga, očito postmodernistička teorija stanja društva, civilizacije i kulture naše suvremenosti, a i sama predstavlja citat Kantovih filozofskih traktata „Kritika

trman relies not only on the medium of painting, but he is also interested in certain multimedia practice. Moreover, he has invented some other interesting characters, like the white and black Sheep (Ofce). The white Sheep represent the masses, ordinary, naïve people, who are gullible, harmless and quite silly; they can be convinced of anything and will accept anything. The black Sheep are sarcastic, cynical, intelligent, clever and wise; they represent the men of knowledge in an imaginary kingdom of general utopia. The motives of the Panda and the Giraffe appear as well from time to time. The Panda is a troublemaker and a vigorous rebel against pretty much everything, whereas the Giraffe is the symbolic representation of the sage who controls the black Sheep. Ostrman sometimes writes on his paintings and he chooses their titles carefully just as well. For example, the painting “Romantika” (Romance) has a somewhat enigmatic character. Beneath a chequered tablecloth one can barely observe a cloth presenting a palm tree and a boat, as a hint of a possibility of an unsullied life in paradise. Another painting is named “Ne bacaj biserje pred svinje” (Don’t cast pearls before swine), showing a black Sheep explaining art and romance to a wild boar. Throughout the course of time of creative process, Ostrman pursues the logical sequence of human burning-out. He speaks of solitude, the only possible state of mind which enables us to gradually attain wisdom; subsequently, he speaks of action, which he uses to denote the importance of art and its venerable function of depicting the world as it is, but without the pretentious intention to change the world through art, as he knows it is impossible. Romance logically follows action, as it is the basic prerequisite to love, and the process ends giving way to life as two, representing the realised love. However cheerful, happy, optimistic, funny and humorous Ostrman’s paintings and the appealing accompanying characters seem, they represent a total dystopia in fact. Dystopia, in turn, is a product of a cynical mind. Osterman seems to follow the path of “Critique of the Cynical Reason“, an extraordinary book written by Peter Sloterdijk, a German theoretic and philosopher of art and culture. This is an anthological book, an evident post-modern tomislav ostrman

čistog uma“, „Kritika praktičnog uma“ i „Kritika rasudne moći“. Danas naime gotovo i nije moguće misliti o kulturi suvremenog svijeta niti stvarati umjetnost a da nije ironična, cinična i sarkastična. No Ostrman kao da u svojim slikama uzvikuje: „Dajmo optimizmu priliku!“ Drugi je važan izvor njegovih ideja knjiga Nicolasa Bourriauda, još jednoga važnog francuskog teoretičara današnjice, „Relacijska estetika“. U toj knjizi postavljaju se relacije, odnosno odnosi između institucija koje čine ciklus života umjetnina, umjetnosti i umjetnika, a kreće se u krugu umjetnina/umjetnik – galerije i muzeji (izlagački prostori) – kritičar – publika – kolekcije, društvene i privatne. U tom krugu Bourriaud navodi mnoge svjetski relevantne umjetnike koji ne bi bili svjetski relevantni da ne opstaju u tom krugu. U tom se kontekstu, po njegovu shvaćanju, formira i nova estetika, a autor zapravo kao da uzvikuje da je potrebno živjeti život kao umjetničko djelo. Analogno tome, slikar Ostrman svojim slatkim utopijama izmišlja svoj party time planet kao planet Fućkalica koje uzvikuju: „Budite sretni, podjetinjite, kreveljite se, igrajte se, tulumarite, a sve to se najbolje postiže umjetnošću.“ To su sve elementi za inicijaciju kojom se kroz umjetnost i putem umjetnosti ulazi u planet Fućkalica. Sam planet metafora je za pozitivno, optimistično, vedro, naivno i bezazleno, čisto i uzvišeno stanje duha. Tulum na party planetu Mornara i Fućkalica u idejnoj osnovi ima nakanu upozoriti da bi se trebalo osnovati i osoviti idealno društvo koje bi bilo upravo suštinska suprotnost svijetu, društvu i negativnom stanju duha kakvo danas pretežno vlada stvarnošću svijeta. U svojoj je unutarnjoj biti čovjek definiran i kao homo ludens (čovjek koji se igra), čije je sve aspekte kroz povijest civilizacije objasnio nizozemski povjesničar Johan Huizinga. Ostrman od nas traži da nikada ne zaboravimo da smo homo ludensi i da uvijek životne teškoće olabavljujemo svojim elementom igre koji nosimo u dubini bića. Na simboličkoj razini Ostrman svoje Žveglice i Žlaburače tretira na vrlo konkretan semiotički način. Žveglice imaju oblik svjetionika i predstavljaju ženu kao mirnu luku, dok Žlaburača Planet zabave / Party Time Planet

theory of the state of society, civilisation and our contemporary culture, which itself presents an allusion to Kant’s philosophical treatises “Critique of Pure Reason”, “Critique of Practical Reason” and “Critique of Judgment”. Nowadays it is almost impossible to think about the culture of the modern world or make art, without being ironic, cynical and sarcastic. But Ostrman seems to be calling out from his paintings: Let’s give optimism a chance! Another important source of his ideas is a book written by another French significant theoretic of modernity Nicolas Bourriaud, “Relational Aesthetics”. This work has established relations, i.e., relationships between particular institutions which build the circle of life of works of art, the art and the artists. It describes the cycle: work of art / artist – galleries and museums (exposition spaces) – art critics – audience – public and private collections. Bourriaud names many artists of global relevance who would not have attained such relevance if they did not manage to survive in such a cycle. Within this context, he concludes, the new aesthetics is formed, and the author appears to cry out that life itself should be lived as a work of art. Analogously, the painter Ostrman reinvents his party time planet through his sweet utopia as the planet of Whistlers who cry out: be happy, be childish, giggle, play, party… this is best attained through art. All of these are elements of initiation to the planet of Whistlers through art and by art. The planet itself is a metaphor for a positive, optimistic, cheerful, naïve and innocent, pure and sublime state of mind. The party on the party planet of the Sailors and Whistlers serves as an ideological basis to remind of the necessity to establish and organize an ideal society which would act as a fundamental opposition to the world, the society and the negative state of mind which generally prevails in the reality of contemporary world. The man is defined as a homo ludens (the playing man) with respect to his inner essence, whose aspects throughout the history of civilisation were explained by the Dutch historian Johan Huizinga. Ostrman asks us never to forget that we are hominess ludentes (playing men) and reminds us to alleviate the troubles of life using the element of playfulness we carry deep inside ourselves.

mornar Fućkalica / sailor whistler, 2014

Jedan brod je dovoljan da promijeni sve / One Ship is Enough

Akril na platnu / Acrylic on canvas, 50 × 50 cm

to Change Everything, 2014, Akril na platnu / Acrylic on canvas, 100 × 100 cm

ima oblik vjetrenjače i predstavlja brkatu ženu koja stalno zanovijeta i protiv koje se bori Don Quijote, dakako, uzalud. Ostrmanovo slikarstvo pretežno je slikarstvo plohe. Nikada se ne upušta u perspektivno prikazivanje prostornih koordinata i zato mu kompozicije djeluju poput vinjeta ili amblematičkih znakova. Sve nas to vodi određenom zaključku da se ovo slikarstvo manifestira kao kunderijanska „nepodnošljiva lakoća postojanja“, a slika se nekako upravo u tom smjeru i kreće upravo iz razloga što u slikarstvu vidi mogućnost otupljivanja preoštrog šiljka brutalne svakodnevice. Njegovo je slikarstvo zapravo vodviljsko slikarstvo, kako bi ovom zgodnom sintagmom Ostrmanovo slikarstvo okarakterizirao njegov mentor na doktorskom studiju, slikar prof. Igor Rončević. Vaudville je

At a symbolic level Ostrman treats his Flutes (Žveglice) and Bubblers (Žlaburače) in a very concrete semiotic way. The Flutes have the form of a lighthouse and represent an image of a woman as a safe harbour, whereas the Bubbler has the form of a windmill, representing a woman with moustache who complains constantly and against whom Don Quijote engages in a battle, futile of course. Ostrman’s painting is primarily a planar painting. He never engages in perspective depictions of spatial coordinates, making his compositions appear as vignettes or emblematic symbols. All of this leads us to a conclusion that this form of painting manifests itself as Kunderian “unbearable lightness of living”; the painting somehow drifts along that course exactly, as the art of painting offers the possibility to blunt the sharp edge of everyday brutality. His tomislav ostrman

francuska riječ koja označava dugu tradiciju scenskih prikazanja koja su mješavina operete, komedije, cirkusa, mađioničarskih akrobatskih točaka, pantomime, plesa, recitala, poezije, pjevanja itd., a najpoznatiji su među njima kultni „Crazy horse“, „Moulin Rouge“ i „Lido“ u Parizu. Ti su vaudvillei zapravo cabareti, ali vaudville nije samo opuštajuća zabava za dokonu publiku, nego pažljivo dramaturški obrađena i režirana predstava koja govori o svim aspektima homo ludensa u nama, a uvijek s određenom poukom, katkada i gorkom, koja nam služi kao katarza u kontekstu suzbijanja esencijalnih i egzistencijalnih životnih svakodnevnih tegoba, nepretenciozno se povodeći za labavim i lagodnim sadržajima. No Ostrman svoje vodviljsko slikarstvo temelji na krajnje jednostavnim, vješto usuglašenim kružnim, polukružnim, četvrtkružnim, trokutastim, četverokutnim ili trakastim vizualnim komponentama, koje uvijek u svojoj dubini nose svojevrsnu životnu zagonetku. Sve je što se u ovom slikarstvu događa na razini preispitivanja onoga čovjekovoga, općeljudskog ovdje i sada. Kritika je do sada već zapazila originalnost i autentičnost Ostrmanova likovnog izražavanja, a već je izlagao i u SAD-u, što znači da i na razini internacionalnog prepoznavanja njegovo slikarstvo „pije vodu“. Jedna je od važnih sastavnica Ostrmanova umjetničkog djelovanja i tendencija brendiranju svojih već sasvim prepoznatljivih motiva Mornara, Fućkalica, Žveglica, Žlaburača, bijelih i crnih Ofci te Panda i Žirafa, jer su jednostavno trademark (zaštitni znak) Ostrmanove umjetničke osobnosti. Kao takvi zaslužili su biti osustavljeni i kontekstualizirani u matične struje hrvatske suvremene umjetnosti, s namjerom uzdizanja na univerzalnu razinu planetarnog prepoznavanja. Što drugo i preostaje Party planetu, nego ići u svijet, osvojiti taj svoj planet i postati planetarno poznatim trademarkom jedne krajnje osobne i individualizirano prepoznatljive umjetnosti.

Planet zabave / Party Time Planet

painting is in fact vaudeville painting, as Professor Igor Rončević, his doctoral studies mentor and a painter himself, would describe it. Vaudeville is a French word describing a long tradition of stage shows which offer a mixture of operetta, comedy, circus, illusionist and acrobatic acts, pantomime, dancing, recitals, poetry, singing, etc. Some of the most famous vaudevillesare the legendary “Crazy Horse”, “Moulin Rouge” and “Lido” in Paris. These vaudevilles are in fact cabarets, but vaudeville is not merely a relaxing pastime for an idle audience, but a carefully elaborated (in dramaturgical terms) and arranged show; it speaks of all aspects of homo ludens which reside in us, always with a distinctive message, sometimes even bitter, which serves us as a means of catharsis within the context of suppression of essential and existential problems of everyday life, all while unpretentiously pursuing lightweight and frivolous motives. However, Ostrman has established his vaudeville style of painting through the use of extremely simple, skilfully balanced circular, semicircular, quadricircular, triangular or tapelike visual components which always carry a certain vital enigma deep inside. All that happens within this form of painting resides at a level of examination of human, universal, being here and now. Art critics have already lauded the originality and authenticity of Ostrman’s visual expression. He has already exhibited in the US, showing us how his painting holds well even in international terms. One of the significant elements of Ostrman’s artistic work is the tendency to brand his easily recognisable motives, such as Sailors, Whistlers, Flutes, Bubblers, black and white Sheep, Pandas and Giraffes, as they simply form a trademark of Ostrman’s artistic personality. As such, they deserve to be systematised and contextualised within the dominating currents of Croatian modern art, with an intention to promote them to a universal level of planetary recognition. What is there left to the Party planet, but to go out, reconquer the same planet and become a planetary famous trademark to an entirely personal and individually recognisable art?

Dva zaljubljena broda / Two Boats in Love, 2014 Akril na platnu / Acrylic on canvas, 100 Ă&#x2014; 100 cm

tomislav ostrman

Iza zastora / Behind the Curtain, 2014 Akril na platnu / Acrylic on canvas, 100 Ă&#x2014; 100 cm

Planet zabave / Party Time Planet

Crni i bijeli brod / Black and White Ship, 2015 Akril na platnu / Acrylic on canvas, 100 Ă&#x2014; 100 cm

tomislav ostrman

Tomislav Ostrman Planet zabave Party Time Planet

Galerija umjetnina Luna+Sol, Dubrovnik, Hrvatska 9. travnja – 4. lipnja 2015.

Art Gallery Luna+Sol, Dubrovnik, Croatia April 9th – June 4th 2015.

Nakladnik / Publisher:

Postav izložbe / Exhibition setup:

Naklada / Print run:

Terra Marique d.o.o. Od čempresa 1 20000 Dubrovnik Hrvatska

Tomislav Ostrman, Art Gallery Luna+Sol

500 primjeraka / 500 copies

Jelenko Hercog

Prijevod na engleski jezik i lektura /

ISBN 978-953-8032-01-1

kolor obrada / image processing:

Za nakladnika / For the publisher:

Aleksandra Bilić

English translation and proofreading: Urednik / Editor:

Lektor d.o.o., Zagreb

Mislav Bilić Dizajn i priprema za tisak / Design and Autor predgovora / Foreword by:

prepress:

Enes Quien

Jelenko Hercog

Koncept izložbe / Exhibition concept:

Tisak / Print:

Tomislav Ostrman

Kerschoffset Zagreb d.o.o.

CIP zapis je dostupan u računalnome katalogu Nacionalne i sveučilišne knjižnice u Zagrebu pod brojem 000902727.

Pokrovitelji / Sponsors:

Adriatic Luxury Hotels

Heritage Gallery Dubrovnik

Kerschoffset Zagreb d.o.o.

Masarykov put 20

Petra Krešimira IV. 7

Ježdovečka 112

20000 Dubrovnik, Hrvatska

10250 Zagreb, Hrvatska

Katalog umjetnina / Artwork Catalogue

godina / year

naziv umjetnine / artwork title

Dimenzije / Dimensions

tehnika / technique

Zašto panda? / Why Panda? Povratak u raj / Return to Paradise Puntamenat / Rendez-Vous Crni i bijeli brod / Black and White Ship Brodski poljubac / Boat Kiss Crvena Luna / The Red Luna Dva zaljubljena broda / Two Boats in Love Jedan brod je dovoljan da promijeni sve / One Ship is Enough to Change Everything Sanjarenje / Daydream Iza zastora / Behind the Curtain Mornar Fućkalica / Sailor Whistler Gusari / Pirates Brodovi zabave / Party Boats Hrvatski zeko / Croatian Bunny Kniferov brod / Knifer`s Boat Zlatni dečko / The Golden Boy Putovanje I / Voyage I Putovanje II / Voyage II Sretni zeko I / Happy Bunny I Sretni zeko II / Happy Bunny II Dva crvena broda / Two Red Boats Kakav otac - takav sin / Like Father - Like Son Brod ljubavi / The Love Boat Zlatni brod / The Golden Boat Crvena noć / The Red Night Isčekivanje / Expectancy Planet zabave I / Party Time Planet I Planet zabave II / Party Time Planet II Mr. Pink / Mr. Pink

100 × 100 cm 100 × 100 cm 100 × 100 cm 100 × 100 cm 100 × 100 cm 100 × 100 cm 100 × 100 cm 100 × 100 cm

2014 2015 2014 2015 2014 2014 2014 2014

100 × 100 cm 100 × 100 cm 50 × 50 cm 60 × 40 cm 40 × 60 cm 60 × 40 cm 60 × 80 cm 50 × 50 cm 50 × 100 cm (diptih / diptych) 50 × 50 cm 50 × 50 cm 50 × 50 cm 50 × 50 cm 50 × 50 cm 50 × 50 cm 50 × 50 cm 50 × 50 cm 50 × 50 cm 50 × 50 cm 20 × 20 cm 40 × 20 cm (diptih / diptych)

akril na platnu / acrylic on canvas akril na platnu / acrylic on canvas akril na platnu / acrylic on canvas akril na platnu / acrylic on canvas akril na platnu / acrylic on canvas akril na platnu / acrylic on canvas akril na platnu / acrylic on canvas akril na platnu / acrylic on canvas akril na platnu / acrylic on canvas akril na platnu / acrylic on canvas akril na platnu / acrylic on canvas akril na platnu / acrylic on canvas akril na platnu / acrylic on canvas akril na platnu / acrylic on canvas akril na platnu / acrylic on canvas akril na platnu / acrylic on canvas akril na platnu / acrylic on canvas akril na platnu / acrylic on canvas akril na platnu / acrylic on canvas akril na platnu / acrylic on canvas akril na platnu / acrylic on canvas

2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2015

tomislav ostrman

Curriculum Vitae

Samostalne izložbe / Solo Exhibitions • Kazališta Vidra, Zagreb, 2003. • Art Net Club, Zagreb, 2003. • Kula Lotrščak, Zagreb, 2004. • Galerija Ramasutra, Zagreb, 2004. • Klub Piranha, Zagreb, 2004. • Klub Gjuro, Zagreb, 2004. • Klub filmskih umjetnika, Zagreb, 2006. • Lounge Bar Škola, Zagreb, 2007. • Galerija Stančić, Zagreb, 2008. • Muzej Mimara, Zagreb, 2008. • Knjižnica Vladimira Nazora, Zagreb, 2009. • Hotel Villa Vilina, Lopud, 2009. • Galerija Canvas, Zagreb, 2010. • Galerija Kristofor Stanković, Zagreb, 2010. • Galerija Stančić, Zagreb, 2010. • Hotel Riva, Hvar, 2010. • Hemingway Bar, Zagreb, 2010. • Galerija Oblok, Sesvete, 2010. • Galerija Ericsson Nikola Tesla, Zagreb, 2010. • Galerija Zaklade za djecu Hrvatske, Zagreb, 2011. • Ivić Catering & Banqueting, Zagreb, 2011. • Porezna uprava RH, Zagreb, 2012. • Galerija Umjetnost osmjeha, Zagreb, 2012. • Galerija Mirko Virius, Zagreb, 2012. • Teatar Bar, Zagreb, 2012. • Galerija Z Art, Samobor, 2013. • Centar Cvjetni, Zagreb, 2013. • Ivić Catering & Banqueting, Zagreb, 2013. • Galerija Umjetnost osmjeha, Zagreb, 2013. • Turistička zajednica Crikvenice, Crikvenica, 2013. Planet zabave / Party Time Planet

• Galerija Kopjar, Zagreb, 2014. • Zavičajni muzej Buzeta, Buzet, 2014. • Gradska galerija Crikvenice, Crikvenica, 2014. • Turistička zajednica Crikvenice, Crikvenica, 2014. • Galerija Regalerija, Zabok, 2014. • Knjižnica Bogdana Ogrizovića, Zagreb, 2015. • ATP turnir Zagreb Indoors, Zagreb, 2015. • Galerija Mazuth, Zagreb, 2015. • Galerija Luna + Sol, Dubrovnik, 2015.

Grupne izložbe / Group Exhibitions • Muzej Matija Skurjeni, Zaprešić, 2007. • Art Gallery MC, New York, 2011. • HDLU –Zagreb, Zagreb, 2012. • ATP turnir Zagreb Indoors, Zagreb, 2014.

Nagrade i priznanja / Prizes and awards • Dekanova nagrada za likovni opus Kraljevstvo mornara & fućkalica. • Dean’s Award for artistic opus “Kingdom sailors & whistles”.

LUNA+SOL Galerija umjetnina / Art Gallery Hotel Dubrovnik Palace, Masarykov put 20 Dubrovnik, Croatia ISBN 978-953-8032-01-1 H

tomislav ostrman