Maestro Kagan, wanted to ask you something, do you know a painter named Maya Kulenovic?, she works in Canada. What do you think of her paintings, especially her faces? I'd like to have your opininion as well as Hanjo´s, just curiosity. If you dont have time now, ( seems like everybody is preparing things for Trapany, this web is paralysed) we’ll talk about it in Trapany.

I have been looking at her paintings for two entire days. I would like to take part in this conversation too. Hillel and Hanjo, do take a look. LINK

Well I've looked at her website and there are some interesting things however I'm not a great lover of Caravaggio or single source lighting arranged for effect in a darkened studio. Movie makers have used this technique wonderfully to produce great dramatic effects and in a way Caravaggio and others performed the same function for their audience as our filmmakers do for us in our time. You ladies will be delighted to know that in many ways I prefer the work of Artemesia Gentileschi over Master Caravaggio. But I think the function of art has changed since those days and modernity demands the artist to reflect the experiences of contemporary life while at the same time learning from and absorbing the art that preceded us but not by excluding the last hundred years.
Every artist is entitled to do whatever interests them and some seem to want create an instant preciousness by emulating the historic masters in some way and that's what I think Kulenovic does. In answer to your question I liked the heads least of all. I did like a couple of the sculptures, the painting of the ox and some of the interesting organic shapes in the figures but all in all, after a while the persistence of her painting technique becomes tedious. Personally I much prefer the paintings of the contemporary artist Karen Kruse whose work I find much more honest and reveals some of its process.
What I find very interesting is why you've heard of this artist who resides in my own city, yet she's completely unknown to me. Please let me know how you happened upon her work.