Alex Dabic and Steven La’s wood burning art show Sibilate visited the Zacks gallery in February
Sarah Ciantar
Staff writer
@excalweb
The Samuel J. Zacks Gallery in Stong college once again put a spotlight on an underused medium: the artistic creations of wood burning. Alex Dabic and Steven La are the two artists behind the skillful and well-executed works exhibited in the show.
Stas Guzar, assistant director of the gallery, was responsible for naming the exhibition—“sibilation” means the hissing sound of burning wood.
Upon entering the gallery, larger-scale works captivated the viewer with the raw essence of wood. These captivating works present precision and mastery of these technical skills.
Both artists remark on different motives for taking up the unique craft of wood burning. For Debic, curiosity was a predominant factor. He wanted to experiment and develop his technical skills. A positive reception of his works in this medium allowed him to explore the medium for commercial purposes.
La explained that his interest in using wood came early in his artistic exploration because of the “nature feel” it gives the works, taking preferring it to canvases.
Talking with the artists about their works allowed further insight into their creative process and preferences.
“I’m into both drawing and painting,” Debic explains. “I want to become more figurative with my works.” Debic explains his artistic focus is heavily based on the figurative style, and that his interests lie predominantly in realism because it is something he can relate to. “Portraits are a good place for any realist painter to get a start.”
One of the most striking pieces was a highly-detailed oil painting on wood by Debic. Debic said this, his most personal piece, was “Study of a Man’s Head,” his first venture into wood pallets in addition to stepping into a new bound of realism. This work remains to be the starting point for pressing his own creative boundaries through use of chiaroscuro lighting and highly emotional subject matter.
“The hardest thing is to try to stay contemporary while staying true to artistic preferences,” says Debic. His work focuses heavily on classical elements; as a result, it’s a challenge to remain contemporary.
As a contrast to Debic’s work, La’s works have a more abstract quality. He says that his works are highly surrounded by aesthetic qualities, creating works that are visually appealing to the viewer. La speaks honestly about his art, admitting that there isn’t always “deep meaning or analogies in his works,” and at times creates works that he believes will be aesthetically pleasing. His honesty allows his work to be appreciated for its simplicity and high aesthetic value.
A large-scale work featured a woman painted in a vibrant chromatic scheme, looking downwards with strong compelling emotion. This piece titled “Guilt,” is a personal piece to La because it is inspired by a close friend of his, the subject of the portrait. The blend of colours and the detailing of abstract figuration surrounding the subject is captivating.
La says that despite the difference in stylistic qualities, the combination of his and Debic’s work is successful because it’s all unified under the same medium.
“The difference in styles is a representation of dualities,” he says. “Alex is very classical, intentional, and precise. I’m the opposite, and take more of an abstract approach with my works.”
Both artists remark on how helpful the Samuel J. Zacks Gallery was to them, especially Stas Guzar. Debic and La agree that the show would not have been possible without Guzar’s immense help and strong curatorial skills.
The power of the exhibition as a whole lies strongly in the fact that all works are unified by the wood, allowing the viewer to experience the works as one consistent entity.
