Vinko Uhlik
Under the Walls, 1987
tempera on paper
84 x 58 cm
MG-8629

Vinko Uhlik, an architect and painter, graduated from the Academy of Fine Arts in 1957, in the class of Oton Postružnik. He was employed at the Projektant architectural firm in Zagreb, where he designed the new Zagreb neighbourhoods of Siget, Utrina, Središće, and Zapruđe. In 2020, he was honoured with the “Vladimir Nazor” Lifetime Achievement Award.
In the drawing Under the Walls, the buildings and walls are elongated, occupying a significant portion of the image’s surface. By employing a particular perspective, the artist angles the corners of the structures towards the observer, drawing them into the scene and inviting them into the street depicted in front of them. The scene is enlivened by a vibrant colour palette and visible brushstrokes that contribute to the texture of the painted objects. In places where the two coloured surfaces meet, there are visible lines that form the painted shapes. Through this technique, Uhlik aims to bring life to visual media by using their basic elements, surfaces and lines, and demonstrates that painting does not require external impulses to fulfil its representational function.

Text: Filip Kučeković, intern curator at the National Museum of Modern Art © National Museum of Modern Art, Zagreb
Translated by: Robertina Tomić
Photo: Goran Vranić © National Museum of Modern Art, Zagreb