Honoring the Artist: Ivan Kustura

For a man who has lived in many parts of the world and says he is "just passing through," artist Ivan Kustura has certainly left his mark. While this week's cover is a lyrical and gentle landscape, he is best known for his "hard-edged" visuals of female figures that are both sensual and surreal. At times the images are fragmented and ambiguous. For example, in "Crossing," a horse completes the frame, thus the ambiguous nature of his work. Other times, he paints an equally provocative, closely cropped image of a woman holding a rose ("Woman with Rose." )

Kustura's conversation is also as engaging as his art, peppered with sayings from all kinds of people, from writers and filmmakers to philosophers.

The variety of Whis influences and the extent to which they have impacted him lead us hich leads us to wonder if the image which graces our cover really exists. Kustura says, "No," adding, "the idea is better than the real thing. Art is taking reality and making something out of it."

Q: Who have been your influences in this concept of reality?

A: I don't learn much from other artists. Well, maybe Picasso. But I learn from Bob Dylan, Mozart, Louis Armstrong. Music is compatible with my work. When I paint, I have music on.

Q: How do you see the role of art? What part does it play?

A: Someone once said, "Never trust what artists say; it's only what they do." Another way of putting it is, " Art is a mirror that reflects what an artist is, not what he does." Some artists are too charming, good-looking, witty. They're their own art.

Q: You must have lived in New York before you came to Southampton. You're straightforward like a New Yorker. Where did you live before here?

A: I did live in Manhattan, but I like it here better. They are rude in New York. People in the Hamptons say hello to you. Before New York, I went to the Fine Arts Academy in Venice, Italy. I was born in Croatia.

Q: Croatia seems like a lovely country. They have made some good films there, like No Man's Land, which won an Academy Award.

A: Croatia has a good piece of real estate.

Q: Would you like to go back there, perhaps to live for a while?

A: I don't belong anyplace, but I do like Sag Harbor. Other places here have lots of hedges. Everybody is hiding something. I do like France. The French are so civilized.

Q: (Laughing at the comment ). I won't touch that. Some of your works are very different. How do you explain that?

A: I have multiple personalities; I have to please everyone with my art.

Q: (Laughing again). Here's a really difficult question: what does art mean to you? I think it means everything to you. In other words, what determines the importance of art to an artist?

A: It's important that you find a medium where you can exhaust what's inside of you. If you're desperate to express what's inside of you, you will find a way, just like if you're underwater you'll find a way up.

Q: What about art appeals to you?

A: If you're a misfit, that helps. In the art world, you can do anything. It's not regulated. Norman Mailer said, "You're fortunate if you can do one thing well. Forget about doing two things well."

Q: What advice can you give to artists, even though you probably don't give advice?

A: Regarding what Mailer said, concentrate on one thing. Multitasking isn't a good thing.

Q: You don't just paint though?

A: I ride bikes, walk a lot. A Danish philosopher once said, "Walking solves a lot." I also watch films with my son. We project the DVDs on the wall. I like Kubrick, Bergman.

Q: And TV?

A: The first thing you do is throw the TV out.

- Marion Wolberg Weiss

Ivan Kustura's work can be seen at the Pamela Williams Gallery in Amagansett. His Web site is IvanKkustura.com.

Back to Contents