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visual arts | by Martin Hunt Years of Absence What has h a p p e n e d t o art? In t h e 1 9 t h A r t is a h u m a n activity. In c o m m o n most human activity, t h e m e a n i n g with and of Absence". Sager e x a m i n e s t h e e v o l u t i o n century p e o p l e b o u g h t tickets t o art shows, m u c h as t h e y n o w b u y t i c k e t s t o concerts. Now, in t h e 2 1 s t century, it is h a r d t o lure people into a gallery even if y o u provide free f o o d a n d drink. S o m e t h i n g h a p p e n e d in t h e 2 0 t h century. W h e r e did the art g o ? of art in the 2 0 t h century t h r o u g h the careers o f four artists w h o s e lives s p a n t h e hundred years in question. p u r p o s e of art evolves. In e a r l i e r days, a r t w a s n o t i m p o r t a n t in itself - art, i n s t e a d , presented images of t h i n g s that were You can bet that Sager is playing a c o n s i d e r e d i m p o r t a n t . For e x a m p l e , a r t w a s always used by t h e c h u r c h e s t o carry dangerous g a m e here. O n e of the places that art d i s a p p e a r e d w a s into " a r t a b o u t a r t " and his n e w s h o w is a r t a b o u t art. In t h e 2 0 t h c e n t u r y artists m o v e d a w a y f r o m a reliance o n b e a u t y o r e v e n a e s t h e t i c s a n d instead f o c u s e d o n ideas. Ideas a r e n o t inherently b e a u t i f u l , t h e w a y a f l o w e r o r a f a c e is. F u r t h e r m o r e - n e i t h e r b e a u t y n o r aesthetics I t a l k e d t o Sager a b o u t his project over Portraits of kings had an unexpected is a g o o d m e d i u m f o r c a r r y i n g ideas. It is hard to talk a b o u t anything, w h e t h e r it is art or politics w i t h a l a n d s c a p e or still life - the m e a n i n g o f s u c h i m a g e s is t o o a m b i g u o u s . F u r t h e r m o r e , t h e r e a r e o t h e r m e d i a - like philosophy and propaganda that are important messages; stories of the saints a n d This is the q u e s t i o n that V j e k o Sager w i l l be addressing in his u p c o m i n g s h o w at the prophets f o r instance, or to directly stimulate in worshippers a feeling o f the a w e a n d glory of G o d . Later, artists w e r e c a l l e d upon to produce likenesses of important p e o p l e like kings a n d other aristocrats. Seymour Art Gallery. The s h o w is titled 1912 2012 Years of Absence - t h e absent t h i n g is art. W h a t h a p p e n e d t o it? coffee recently a t The Piece of Cake Cafe in North Vancouver. He's a striking m a n w i t h neat g o a t e e a n d s h a v e n h e a d - s o f t - s p o k e n a n d friendly. By c o i n c i d e n c e , t h e d a y of o u r meeting w a s the 9th anniversary of his consequence. It w a s f o u n d t h a t p a i n t o n c a n v a s c o u l d create a s t u n n i n g i l l u s i o n o f reality. This o p e n e d a big can of worms because most of reality isn't very important; yet i l l u s i o n s of reality a r e a l m o s t always immigration from Yugoslavia, from whence he fled w i t h his y o u n g family because he w a s unhappy with the mental restrictions a m a z i n g . This c a u s e d a shift in t h e focus of a t t e n t i o n a m o n g artists. R a t h e r t h a n b e i n g restricted t o " i m p o r t a n c e " artists started to b e m o t i v a t e d by beauty, a n d f o u n d beauty c o u l d be f o u n d in t h e most that e x c e l l e n t c a r r i e r s of ideas. Yet artists w e r e compelled by social circumstances to i n c o r p o r a t e ideas i n t o t h e i r w o r k . W a s the great absence caused by these circumstances? i m p o s e d by a country in the throes of a civil war. A n internationally recognized artist, a n d w i t h m a n y years e x p e r i e n c e as a p a i n t i n g instructor at the University in Belgrade, Sager set a b o u t t h e task of supporting himself a n d his f a m i l y as a n artist. Since a r r i v i n g in mundane In the 20th century art b e c a m e an intellectual activity rather than a skill. A s society became more secular a n d more materialistic the more of subjects. Subjects like landscape, a n d still life s t a r t e d t o a p p e a r in p i c t u r e s - s u b j e c t s w i t h no intrinsic i m p o r t a n c e but that, in t h e artist's hands, m a d e pictures that stimulated the feeling of beauty. s o l a c e p r o v i d e d by r e l i g i o n b e c a m e Vancouver he has taught at C a p i l a n o College a n d at t h e Emily Carr Institute of A r t a n d Design. This year he w a s o n e of t h e curators of Artropolis. and more unavailable. People h a d spiritual needs that w e r e n o t b e i n g addressed. Oddly So w e come to t h e 20th century a n d into t h e period Sager examines in 1912 - 2012 Years enough, artists found themselves pushed into t h e r o l e of t h e n e w w i s e m e n . A myth 6 November | December