PAINTING
ROBERT RICOV
 
DETAILS
Giclée print on canvas
(2/9) Limited edition
Dimensions: W100 x H150 x D3.5cm
(W39.37 x H59.05  x D1.37 inches)
2023
 
DESCRIPTION
This spectacular oil painting has been selected as a finalist in the 3rd Toolip International Art Contest and is now newly displayed at the Toolip Art Gallery as part of the “Size Matters” International Group Show.
 
In this work, Robert challenges the idea that the material world and physical objects are shallow or disposable byproducts of human ego. Instead, he seeks to present them as meaningful fragments of life, objects imbued with emotion, memory, and personal significance.
 
The elements depicted are old and antique, all drawn from a bygone era, and they carry for him an unreachable depth of feeling. It is a sensation he cannot fully explain, but one he likes to imagine as an echo of memories from past lives. This lingering, intangible connection is what inspired the title of the work, My Past Life Mélange.
 
BIOGRAPHY
Robert Ricov b. 1973 Sydney, Australia BA 1994, College of Visual Arts, Sydney.
He has been living, working, and exhibiting in Croatia since he moved there in 2022. His oil paintings, in a style he refers to as “surreal maximalist realism,” use symbolism to represent themes such as the loss of innocence, betrayal, and hope. In October of 2023, Robert traveled to the island of Menorca, Spain, where he was mentored by Guillermo Lorca and Martin Wittfooth. It wasn’t until a few months after that he realized how profoundly this experience affected the direction of his work.