Radu Serban, Urme, 2006

radu serban

Radu Ioan Serban visual artist / artist vizual www.RaduSerban.ro e-mail: contact@RaduSerban.ro mobil: (00 40) 0745 055 410 MulTumirile mele: pArinTilor, Ioan Si Eugenia, fraTilor, CAlin Si Florin My thanks to: my parents, Ioan and Eugenia, my brothers, CAlin and Florin MulTumirile mele / My thanks to: Sidonia MulTumiri/ Thanks to: Daniel Si/and Ovidiu MulTumiri speciale: Doamnei Livia DrAgoi, director al Muzeului de ArtA Cluj-Napoca, România Domnului prof. univ. Ioachim Nica My special thanks to: Livia DrAgoi, director of the Art Museum, Cluj-Napoca, România Ioachim Nica, consulting professor Text critic/Text by: Livia DrAgoi Text explicativ/ explanatory text by: Radu Serban Traducere/Translation: Victor Cherata ConcepTia catalogului/Catalgue concept: Sorin Iacob Tîrt - creative director, Zero Design Studio, Toronto, Canada Fotografii/Photographs: Feleki Istvan TipArit la/Printed by: VHO GRUP

radu serban

Radu Serban belongs to a generation which, somewhat programatically, somewhat ostentatiously, showed a marked evolution in the last two decades in a fertile postmodern experimental space. In this space, where he moves with a certain composed discretion, Radu erban has slowly and steadily defined a territory of his own. This has been achieved by ordering his entire protean creation around a stable and irradiating nucleus: his vocation as a painter who is gifted with a peculiar sensitivity, poetic and reflexive in its nostalgic source. A refined colourist and a virtuoso of drawing, the artist is also tempted by the technical possibilities of the new media. He creates unusual hybrid objects through an inventive mix of media, techniques and languages. His voyages in the multi- and intermedial area and in the fusions of traditional and unconventional, modern media remain, however, complementary to his passionate investigations in his main field: painting. They are, in fact, opportunities to expand, within an integrating approach, the artistic issues specific to the universe of his painting. Beyond the ingenious manipulations of digital images with new techniques, languages and artistic codes belonging to various fields (visual arts, film, music), the integrating postmodernist vocation, specific to the artist’s vision, can be seen in his way of approaching tradition, by subjectively assuming (through memory and remembering) some of the eternal values from the heritage of the Romanian culture and civilisation. This type of subjective „archeology” steadily favours the Transylvanian village – staple of the artist’s childhood and adolescence, an affection-laden formative topos, which introduces in his creation motives and archetypal themes of discreet symbolic or metaphorical relevance. It also determines a positioning of the author in an existential horison which is infused by the sacred. This is a space which is carefully ordered by rules established through the long experience of individual and community life, allowing the discovery and cultivation of one’s own interior world according to the characteristics of the Romanian peasant’s soul: the authentic thrill of the sacred, the longing for cleanliness and absolution, the joy of living in harmony with nature...

Discovering, through remembrance, his connection with this universe, the artist gives priority to one of its main coordinates, light. It is the source of life and vision, and of moral truth and justice, the energetic exponent of the supreme Presence which is beyond what can be seen. This is either diffuse light, which, in the wait for the ‚descending transcendence’, crowns, protects, soothes, elevates and redeems, or active light, which, together with coloured matter and drawing, builds shapes and images, or changes them perpetually when mirrored in the water. In other words, light becomes the decisive factor in the spectacular marriage of reality and dream, of truth and phantasm, of concrete and abstract, leading to an authentic, vibrant and persuasive spritualising of vision.

Livia DrAgoi, PhD, Director of the Cluj-Napoca Art Museum

Radu Serban aparTine unei generaTii care, mai mult sau mai puTin programatic, mai mult sau mai puTin ostentativ, a evoluat semnificativ în ultimule douA decenii într-un spaTiu experimental fertil, propriu postmodernitATii. În acest spaTiu, în care se miScA cu o anume, cuviincioasA discreTie, Radu Serban Si-a circumscris negrAbit, cu fermitate, un teritoriu al sAu, marcat original prin ordonarea întregii creaTii, proteice, în jurul unui nucleu stabil Si iradiant: vocaTia sa realA de pictor înzestrat cu o sensibilitate particularA, de esenTA poeticA Si reflexivA Si de coloraturA nostalgicA. Colorist rafinat Si desenator virtuos, artistul este tentat Si de instrumentarul tehnic, prodigios, al noilor media, dependente de tehnologia de vîrf Si este preocupat de crearea unor însolite obiecte hibride realizate printr-un mixaj inventiv de diferite tipuri de medii, tehnici Si limbaje. IeSirile sale în zona multi Si intermedialA Si a mixajelor de medii tradiTionale Si neconvenTionale de ultimA orA, rAmân, însA, stAruitor complementare investigaTiilor sale pasionate în domeniul sAu, nedisimulat predilect: pictura; prilejuri, în fapt, de a dilata, în cadrul unui demers integrator, problematica artisticA proprie universului sAu pictural. Dincolo de manipularea ingenioasA a imaginii digitale cu mixaje inedite de tehnici, limbaje Si coduri artistice aparTinând unor domenii artistice diverse (arte vizuale, film, muzicA), vocaTia integratoare de sorginte postmodernA, specificA viziunii artistului, se desluSeSte în chiar modul sAu de raportare la tradiTie, prin asumarea, eminamente subiectivA (întemeiatA pe amintire Si reamintire) a unor valori perene proprii fondului ancestral al culturii Si civilizaTiei româneSti. Acest tip de „arheologizare” subiectivA privilegiazA statornic satul ardelenesc – al copilAriei Si adolescenTei artistului, topos formativ încArcat de afectivitate, care furnizeazA creaTiei sale motive Si teme arhetipale de o discretA relevanTA simbolicA ori metaforicA. DeterminA, mai cu seamA, o anume, fireascA situare a creatorului într-un orizont existenTial infuzat de sacralitate, cuminte orânduit în timp dupA reguli stabilite printr-o îndelung verificatA experienTA a vieTuirii individuale Si comunitare, favorizându-i descoperirea Si cultivarea propriei lumi interioare, în consens cu datele sufleteSti proprii TAranului român: fiorul autentic al sacrului, dorul de curATenie Si neprihAnire, bucuria de a fiinTa în armonie cu o naturA cordialA...

Descoperindu-Si prin amintire consubstanTialitatea cu acest univers sensibil, artistul privilegiazA în chipul cel mai firesc una dintre coordonatele sale esenTiale: lumina – sursA, în ordinea naturalA, a vieTii Si a vederii Si, în ordine moral-spiritualA, a adevArului Si a dreptATii, exponent energetic sublimat al PrezenTei supreme, de dincolo de cele vAzute. LuminA difuzA, care, în aSteptarea înfioratA a „transcendentului care coboarA”, aureoleazA, protejazA, mângâie, înnobileazA Si rAscumpArA, sau luminA activA, care, împreunA cu materia coloratA Si cu desenul, construieSte forme Si imagini, sau, oglinditA în ochiuri de apA, le face mereu, fascinant schimbAtoare. Devine, cu alte cuvinte, factorul decisiv în spectaculoasa orchestrare de realitate Si visare, de adevAr Si fantasmA, de concret Si de abstract esenTializat, conducând la o autenTicA, vibrantA Si persuasivA spiritualizare a viziunii. dr. Livia DrAgoi, directorul Muzeului de ArtA Cluj-Napoca

Urmele gândului - acrIlic/GIPS-CARTON | The traces of the thought - acrylic/DRYWALL, 114 X 146 cm, 2006

Urma grÃdinii - acrIlic/GIPS-CARTON | The trace of the garden - acrylic/DRYWALL, 146 X 187 cm, 2006

Urmele ploii - acrIlic/pFL | The traces of the rain - acrylic/MASONITE, 114 X 146 cm, 2005

Urmele figurii - acrIlic/pânzà (sus) | The traces of the figure - acrylic/canvas, 50 X 70 cm, 2005 (top) • Urmele interiorului - acrIlic/pânzà (jos) | The traces of the interior - acrylic/canvas, 50 X 70 cm, 2005 (bottom)

Obiect A6, Urma Ferestrei - ulei/sticlÃ, apÃ, lemn, metal, LUMINÃ | Object A6, The trace of the Window - oil/glass, water, wood, metal, LIGHT, 24 X 19 X 14 cm, 2005, 2006

The reproductions in this catalog rely on a concept which brings up the intent of interdisciplinarity, of creative interweaving of established techniques and newer means of artistic expression, going in three distinct directions of examining the expression of the image, configurated through a differentiated stylistic approach, in connection with the materials and techniques used. The media of interest are: 1. Painting (pp. 4-7, 14-19) – the comment of the paintings from the ‘Traces’ cycle indicates a chosen road, which leads to a cleansing of the shapes through the expressive conciseness of the gesture and through a free treatment of colour. Colour, detached from concrete, object references, becomes refined painting plasma, ever transforming and reshaping itself. The image keeps evanescent traces of the objects filtered by memory and the discreet trace of the nostalgic reflexiveness of the artist. 2. Artistic object (pp. 8-11) – the ‘Memory Box’ cycle brings in the concept of trace-image, proposing a type of plastic object made by combining the principle of obtaining the image, specific to the dark room, with the suggestions offered by the technical procedure consecrated by Transylvanian glass painting: a reconsideration and a postmodern revalorisation of tradition, integrated in a manipulation of light achieved through contemporary techniques. The image painted on the back of the glass is projected by a beam of light and directed on to a film of water which functions as a mirror, reflecting it in order to offer it to the viewer as immaterial, changing and ephemereal. 3. Digital animation (pp. 20, 21) – the static image, lifted from painting or drawing and turned, together with photographs, into digital ‘raw material’, becomes dynamic frames, which through links and successive transitions contribute to the birth of film creations, which have a clearly defined subject, script and timing (the Flash movies ‘Memories about Thoughts’ and ‘TransAppearances’ – still frames from these films are presented in the catalog).

Radu Serban, April 2006 Reproducerile prezentate în acest catalog au la bazA un concept care pune în discuTie intenTia de interdisciplinaritate, de întreTesere creativA între tehnici consacrate Si modalitATi mai noi de expresie artisticA, apelându-se la trei direcTii distincte de cercetare a expresiei imaginii, configuratA printr-un demers stilistic diferenTiat, în corelaTie cu materialele Si tehnicile folosite.

Mediile de interes sunt: 1. PicturA (pag. 4-7, 14-19) - comentariul picturilor care compun ciclul „Urme”, pune în valoare un drum asumat, care conduce la o epurare a formelor, prin concizia expresivA a gestului Si printr-o tratare liberA a culorii, care, detaSatA de referinTele concrete, obiectuale, devine plasmA picturalA rafinatA, într-o continuA transformare Si reformare. Imaginea pAstreazA urme evanescente ale obiectelor filtrate de amintire Si urma discretA a reflexivitATii nostalgice a artistului. 2. Obiect artistic (pag. 8-11) - în ciclul „Cutia cu amintiri”, se pune în discuTie termenul de imagine-urmA, propunându-se un tip de obiecte plastice realizate prin combinarea ineditA a principiului de obTinere a imaginii, propriu camerei obscure, cu sugestiile oferite de procedeul tehnic consacrat de pictura pe sticlA din Transilvania: o reconsiderare Si o revalorizare în spirit postmodern a tradTiei, integratA unei regii luministice realizatA cu mijloacele tehnicii actuale.

Imaginea pictatA pe spatele sticlei este proiectatA de un fascicol luminos, dirijat pe o peliculA de apA care funcTioneazA ca o oglindA, reflectând-o pentru a o oferi privitorului, imaterialA, schimbAtoare Si efemerA. 3. AnimaTia digitalA (pag. 20, 21) - imaginea staticA, preluatA din picturA sau desen, transformatA în „materie primA” digitalA, alAturi de fotografii, se constituie în cadre dinamice, care prin înlAnTuiri Si tranziTii succesive contribuie la naSterea unor alcAtuiri filmice, cu subiect, scenariu Si desfASurare temporalA, clar definite (filmele Flash „Amintiri despre gânduri” Si „TransAparenTe” – în catalog sunt prezentate stop-cadre selectate din aceste filme).

Radu Serban, aprilie 2006

Object A6, Urma Ferestrei - detaliu al interiorului | Object A6, The trace of the Window - detail of the interior

A3

A 10 10 Ciclul “Cutia cu Amintiri” | The “memorY box” cycle, 2004 - 2006

A4

A 11

A5

A0

A6

A1

A7

A2

A8

A9

11 obiecte

12 Amintire - tehnicà mixtÃ/hârtie | Memory - mixed media/paper, 100 X 170 cm, 1997

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14 Locul sobei - acrIlic/pânzà | The place of the old stove - acrylic/canvas, 114 X 146 cm, 2006

15 Locul Ferestrei - acrIlic/pFL | The place of the Window - acrylic/MASONITE, 114 X 146 cm, 2006

16 Urmele pridvorului - acrIlic/pFL | The traces of the old porch - acrylic/MASONITE, 114 X 146 cm, 2005

17 Stâlpul pridvorului - acrIlic/pFL | The pillar of the old porch - acrylic/MASONITE, 114 X 146 cm, 2005, 2006

18 Improvizatii I - acrIlic/lemn | Improvisations I - acrylic/wood, 25 X 45 cm, 2005 • Improvizatii II - acrIlic/lemn | Improvisations II - acrylic/wood, 25 X 45 cm, 2005 • Improvizatii III - acrIlic/lemn | Improvisations III - acrylic/wood, 25 X 45 cm, 2005

19 Locul gardului - acrIlic/GIPS-CARTON | The place of the paling - acrylic/DRYWALL, 29 X 33 cm, 2005 • sura - acrIlic/GIPS-CARTON | The barn - acrylic/DRYWALL, 29 X 33 cm, 2005

20 Selectii din filmul Flash “Amintiri despre gânduri” - colaj si animatie digitalà | Selections of the Flash movie “Memories about thoughts” - collage and digital animation, 2004

21 Selectii din filmul Flash “TransAparente” - colaj si animatie digitalà | Selections of the Flash movie “TransAppearances” - collage and digital animation, 2005

22 SchiTe pregÃtitoare pentru ciclul de obiecte “Cutia cu Amintiri” | Preparatory sketches for the series of objects “The memorY BOX”, 2004

23 SchiTe pregÃtitoare pentru ciclul de picturi “Urme” | Preparatory sketches for the series of PAINTINGS “Traces”, 2006

Born on 11-th of October 1960 in Cluj, Romania. Studies made at Fine Arts University from Bucharest, Romania, Painting Department (1983–1987). Member of the Professional Artists Association (UAP), from Romania. Lecturer at the University of Art and Design from Cluj.

Solo exhibitions: 2006 – Paintings, Objects, Multimedia – The Museum of Art, Cluj-Napoca, România; 2002 – Paintings – Teodora Art Gallery, Toronto, Canada; 1999 – Objects and Paintings – Teodora Art Gallery, Toronto, Canada; 1998 – Drawings and Paintings – Teodora Art Gallery, Toronto, Canada; 1997 - Drawings and Paintings – Teodora Art Gallery, Toronto, Canada; 1996 – Drawings – “Pantheon” Gallery, Academy of Visual Arts, Cluj, Romania; 1994 - Drawings and Paintings – Accademia di Ramania, Rome, Italy; 1993 - Drawings and Paintings – UAP Gallery, Cluj, Romania; 1991 – Paintings, “Caminul Artei” Gallery, Bucharest, Romania. Group exhibitions: 2005 - “ArtEast”, the exhibition of the professors from the UAD Cluj, - UAP Gallery, Cluj, România; 2003, 2002, 2001, 2000, 1999, 1998 – Group exhibition - Teodora Art Gallery, Toronto, Canada; 2003, 2002, 2001 – Group exhibition - Praxis Gallery, Toronto, Canada; 1999 – Group exhibition – Joseph D. Carrier Art Gallery – Columbus Center, Toronto, Canada; 1998 – Eleventh Annual Miniature Exhibition - Michael Gibson Gallery, London, Canada; 1998 – Group exhibition - Handsel Gallery, Santa Fe, New Mexico, U.S.A; 1997 - Group exhibition - De Boog Gallery, Ijsselstein, Holland; 1992 - “Ecce Homo”, Bucharest, Romania; 1991 - “Ecce Homo”, Cluj, Romania; 1991 - Group exhibition, Zwolle, Holland.

Other exhibitions: 2002 – Toronto International Art Fair, Toronto, Canada; 1998 – International Miniature Art Biennial, Ville – Marie, Quebec, Canada; 1996 - Painting Triennial, Sofia, Bulgaria.

Artworks in private collections: Canada, USA, Austria, Germany, Holland, Japan, Switzerland, Spain and Romania.

Awards: 1993 - Youth Award - Professional Artists Association Bucharest, Romania; 1993 - Bancorex Award, Romania; 1992 - Youth Award - “Ecce Homo” Group (collective award). UAP Romania; 1992 - S.I.B.C.O. Award, “Dominus” Gallery, Bucharest, Romania; 1985 - Youth Award, Professional Artists Association, Gurghiu Romania. Scholarship: 1995, Madrid, Spain; 1994, Rome, Italy.

Address: 3400 Cluj Napoca, str. Albac, nr. 23; Mobil: 00 40 0745 055 410; E-mail: CONTACT@RADUSERBAN.RO; URL: www.RaduSerban.ro NÃscut în 11 Octombrie 1960 la Cluj, Romania. Absolvent al Academiei de Arte “Nicolae Grigorescu” din BucureSti, secTia PicturÃ, în 1987. Membru al UAP din România, filiala Cluj. Lector univ. la Universitatea de Artà Si Design din Cluj.

Expozitii personale: 2006 – PicturÃ, Obiect, Multimedia – Muzeul de Artà din Cluj, România; 2002 – Picturà – Teodora Art Gallery, Toronto, Canada; 1999 – Obiect Si Picturà – Teodora Art Gallery, Toronto, Canada; 1998 – Desen Si Picturà – Teodora Art Gallery, Toronto, Canada; 1997 - Desen Si Picturà - Teodora Art Gallery, Toronto, Canada; 1996 – Desene – Galeria Pantheon a Academiei de Arte Vizuale Cluj, România; 1994 – Desen Si Picturà – Accademia di Ramania, Rome, Italy; 1993 – Desen Si Picturà – Galeria UAP, Cluj, România; 1991 – PicturÃ, Galeria CÃminul Artei, BucureSti, România. ExpoziTii de grup: 2005 – “ArtEast”, expoziTia profesorilor UAD Cluj - Galeria UAP Cluj, România; 2003, 2002, 2001, 2000, 1999, 1998 – ExpoziTie de grup - Teodora Art Gallery, Toronto, Canada; 2003, 2002, 2001 – ExpoziTie de grup – Praxis Gallery, Toronto, Canada; 1999 – Expozitie de grup – Joseph D. Carrier Art Gallery – Columbus Center, Toronto, Canada; 1998 –Eleventh Annual Miniature Exhibition - Michael Gibson Gallery, London, Canada; 1998 – Expozitie de grup - Handsel Gallery, Santa Fe, New Mexico, U.S.A; 1998 – International Miniature Art Biennial, Ville – Marie, Quebec, Canada; 1997 - Expozitie de grup - De Boog Gallery, Ijsselstein, Holland; 1996 – Trienala de PicturÃ, Sofia, Bulgaria; 1992 - «Ecce Homo», BucureSti, România; 1991 - «Ecce Homo», Cluj, România; 1991 - ExpoziTie de grup, Zwolle, Holland. Începând cu 1988 participà la majoritatea Saloanelor naTionale Si judeTene din România. Alte expoziTii: 2002 – Târgul InternaTional de ArtÃ, Toronto, Canada; 1998 – Bienala InternaTionalà de MiniaturÃ, Ville – Marie, Quebec, Canada; 1996 – Trienala de PicturÃ, Sofia, Bulgaria. LucrÃri în colecTii private din: Canada, USA, Austria, Germania, Olanda, Japonia, ElveTia, Spania Si România. Premii: 1993 – Premiul pentru Tineret al UAP România; 1993 – Premiul Bancorex, România; 1992 - Premiul pentru Tineret al UAP România (premiu colectiv); 1992 – Premiul S.I.B.C.O. al Galeriei Dominus, BucureSti, România; 1985 - Premiul pentru Tineret al UAP, Gurghiu România. Burse de Studii: 1995, Madrid, Spain, 1994, Rome, Italy. Address: 3400 Cluj Napoca, str. Albac, nr. 23; Mobil: 00 40 0745 055 410; E-mail: CONTACT@RADUSERBAN.RO; URL: www.RaduSerban.ro

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Radu Ioan Serban visual artist / artist vizual www.RaduSerban.ro e-mail: contact@RaduSerban.ro mobil: (00 40) 0745 055 410 MulTumirile mele: pArinTilor, Ioan Si Eugenia, fraTilor, CAlin Si Florin My thanks to: my parents, Ioan and Eugenia, my brothers, CAlin and Florin MulTumirile mele / My thanks to: Sidonia MulTumiri/ Thanks to: Daniel Si/and Ovidiu MulTumiri speciale: Doamnei Livia DrAgoi, director al Muzeului de ArtA Cluj-Napoca, România Domnului prof. univ. Ioachim Nica My special thanks to: Livia DrAgoi, director of the Art Museum, Cluj-Napoca, România Ioachim Nica, consulting professor Text critic/Text by: Livia DrAgoi Text explicativ/ explanatory text by: Radu Serban Traducere/Translation: Victor Cherata ConcepTia catalogului/Catalgue concept: Sorin Iacob Tîrt - creative director, Zero Design Studio, Toronto, Canada Fotografii/Photographs: Feleki Istvan TipArit la/Printed by: VHO GRUP

radu serban