Gregor Pratneker / Flowering Meadow
Gregor Pratneker / Flowering Meadow
UGM Šop, Strossmayerjeva ulica 6
8 February 2024–12 May 2024
opening: Thursday, 8 February 2024, 11:00
curator: Breda Kolar Sluga
Gregor Pratneker's most recent work has primarily concentrated on landscapes. Nature, particularly forests, has been a part of his daily existence since boyhood, a source of wonder, awe, and hope. In order to reflect on his intimate, autobiographical experiences, on this occasion the artist uses expressionistic painting gestures and colour palettes, which are frequently combined with dripping and pouring techniques. He expands his explorations beyond woodlands to pastures and meadows, as well as little creatures. The artist explains his choice of motif: "Just as my landscapes address the viewer through an ecological perspective, serving as a sanctuary where we nourish our souls and bodies after being exhausted by the clutter of the urban environment, I now address the viewer through bees, tiny creatures that are a reliable indicator of the state of nature. Bees represent diligence, cleanliness, order, and sociality, among other things. They are the first to be affected by pollution and the real state of nature. Bees are becoming increasingly scarce with each passing year."
Gregor Pratneker (1973) began painting in the 1990s. He obtained his Master's degree from the Academy of Fine Arts and Design in Ljubljana in 2012, after graduating from the Department of Fine Arts at Maribor's Faculty of Education in 2006. He has garnered numerous prizes, including the first prize of the May Salon from the Slovenian Association of Fine Arts Societies in 2013, as well as international recognition, most notably in France. He also displays there frequently, which is why his French colleagues invited him to join their art association in 2022. He lives and works in Maribor.
