Author: Curator

• July Sails

Victor Spahn was born on March 20, 1949 in Paris as a second generation Russian. After his secondary studies, he worked for a fabricator of mosaics and, for pleasure, composed his first mosaic wall. His painting and printmaking are a direct result of his extensive work in mosaic techniques. His style suggests movement and dynamism as he captures the essence of a particular moment. Spahn paints with a combination of palette knife and brush and enjoys great success in lithography, serigraphy, and in the creation of hand-embellished graphic works.

Often referred to as the “Painter of Movement”, Victor is inspired by sports, dancers, and energetic activities. He paints championship sail boat races, rugby matches, prima ballerinas, and tennis stars – each with the same individual grace and swift motion.

Spahn has participated in many exhibitions, including the Salon of Independent Artists, France, in 1970. He also won first prize in New York for a mosaic table. Personal exhibitions followed in Paris in 1976 for the Societe Toyota; Galerie Wally Findlay, Chicago; and Palm Beach, Florida, in 1984. In 1981, he designed the set for the televised play “Rembrandt of Glass” and created a poster for the world championship of handball in 1988.

Spahn has enjoyed the publication of a hardcover book on his work. He created the cover for the 100th anniversary Michelin Guide for L’Astrance and his serigraph “Autumn Polo” was acquired by Jacques Chirac, President of France. Spahn was the guest of honor at the 42nd International Exhibition of Painting and Sculpture “Art Movement” in Sainte-Maure de Touraine in 2011. In 2012, he was a guest of honor at Amiens, at Ribemont-sur-Ancre and an Ambassador of the Lexus GS 450, partnering with Lexus.

In 2012, Spahn was a guest of honor at Amiens, at Ribemont-sur-Ancre. He was honored by the French government when they named a newly built housing community after him; his name now appears alongside buildings named after Henri Matisse, Camille Claudel, Beethoven, Bach, Mozart, Louis Pasteur and Thomas Edison.

In 2013, Spahn moved his studio to the Montparnasse district of Paris, into a work space that had once belonged to Tsuguharu Foujita, a great impressionist painter. His work was featured in the prestigious Polo Paris, a private sports club and only polo club based in Paris. For the second year in row, Spahn has participated in an exhibition organized by the French Ministry of Defense and Veterans Affairs benefiting the injured and families of fallen soldiers, a cause that is close to his heart. His artwork for this event was also selected to be the poster for 2013.

In 2015, Spahn had the honor of being mentioned alongside artists such as Marc Chagall, Victor Vasarley and Jack Pollock in the publication “Gordes: Le temps des artistes.” This last book in a trilogy chronicles the talented artists related to Gordes, a commune located in the Provencde-Alpes-Cote in southeastern France.

• It Gets Better

Marko Mavrovich, a California-raised painter of Croatian descent, vividly captures the essence of the sea in his art.

His tranquil paintings of seascapes and light colors are a result of growing up near the Pacific Ocean and the Adriatic Sea. Practical and resourceful, Mavrovich draws from what he knows—the seascape of the world.

Mavrovich’s art has been exhibited around the globe.

Mavrovich: Personal History

Mavrovich was born to Croatian parents living in California. He and his family moved between islands off the coast of Croatia when he was young, but spent most of their time on the island of Unjie. It was here he developed a love for sea life.

Mavrovich began to hone his artistic talents at the behest of his parents. His dad was a watercolor artist who wanted to see his son follow in his footsteps. During summers in Croatia as a late teen, Mavrovich sold his drawings to German and Italian tourists.

In the late 1970s, there were plans for Mavrovich and his father to hold father-son watercolor shows in Germany and Italy. However, his father grew ill and they canceled the exhibitions. Instead, Mavrovich decided to enroll in Navigation School to become a sea captain and the family’s breadwinner. While at school, Mavrovich continued to draw. He enjoyed working at sea in his years after school, but was torn between pursuing a career at sea or with art.

When his father died in 1985, Mavrovich moved back to California. Mavrovich worked as a commercial diver for three years until a close call with a propeller severed an air hose and grazed his wet suit. Mavrovich had narrowly avoided the loss of a limb. He saw this as a sign to turn his passion for art into his career. Despite the accident, Mavrovich never lost his love of the sea, and began painting seascapes, coastlines, and landscapes.

He started to sell his art and garner recognition from local galleries. These galleries gave Mavrovich the exposure he needed to emerge on to the national scene as a painter. His imagery, influenced by the colors and scenery of California and the Mediterranean, caught the eye of many art collectors.

Mavrovich received further recognition overseas, traveling to Japan to paint for six months at a time. Despite his success, Mavrovich felt stifled—he was surrounded by beautiful Japanese culture and architecture he loved to depict in his art, but Japanese collectors preferred his paintings of foreign landscapes and subjects.

In 2005, Mavrovich joined Park West Gallery. His travels with Park West and relationships with his collectors inspire his art to this day. Mavrovich also donates his time and efforts to supporting non-profit organizations that benefit military veterans.

Mavrovich: Style and Influences

Mavrovich’s style is unique but methodical; he generally paints water and boats using colors he believes are most representative of California—shades of red and gold. The art evokes serenity, optimism, and peace. The warm colors give a soft feel to his artwork, captivating art aficionados.

Digging deeper into Mavrovich’s art, it is evident that there is more depth to his creations. Inspired by travel, Mavrovich paints more than seascapes. He utilizes darker colors to portray scenes of old cars, the quiet glow of a big city, and many other breathtaking types of scenery.

Artists who have influenced Mavrovich include Winslow Homer, John Singer Sargent, and California Impressionists like Edgar Payne. Growing up in California and Croatia inspired his sea-based artwork; he loves oceans, hillsides, and sunlight, capturing their essence in a vivid fashion.

His studio is what he calls “organized chaos” and only he knows where everything is located. Projects that may occur within the next six months are strategically placed around the room so they’re available at all times. He surrounds himself with studies, notes, and supplies.

Mavrovich often finds inspiration from rudimentary materials. Pieces of metal sitting in his studio become a series about old trucks, or wood planks become repurposed as sturdy alternatives to canvas.