Alesandro Ljubicic lives and breathes oil paint. Ljubicic is not only a contemporary artist he is the owner of a prominent Sydney art supplies store. This is a favourable situation when you apply paint to canvas in the quantities that he does, it pays to have a reliable and endless supply.
Ljubicic does not aim to align directly with other impasto painters, such as Frank Auerbach or Zhu Jinshi – masters known for applying paint heavily on canvas to address weighty and profound themes. Ljubicic’s paintings are similarly heartfelt, yet, there is nothing oppressive lurking below the surface. The use of paint is meant to be enjoyed; there are no demons or dark metaphors to his flowers. They are full of positive energy, flowers picked at their peak and recorded in paint - to celebrate and prolong the joy of the moment and a life in its prime. If there is a metaphor to be had, it is for the artist himself; “things are going well, and I just want to share that with the viewer”.
The success of each work purely relies on his injection of energy and a sense of optimism; to work the painted surfaces enough to convey emotion and avoid them appearing contrived, while not overworking the paint to the point of seeming laboured or bogged down with worries. It is a fine line to tread, but painting the unfathomable beauty of flowers, life and even paint itself, is by no means an easy or straightforward task.
Ljubicic brings a creative vitality to painting that can leave the viewer transfixed. Even though we are acutely aware that a flower garden cannot cover the entire world, these paintings permit us to enjoy the moment and this life we experience living in this country.
