The Melbourne Art Review

Artist: Milan Milojevic

Content: Print making, digital media

Price Range: Most works from $1900 to $2050

Exhibition: James Makin Gallery - 67 Cambridge Street, Collingwood 3066

Dates: November 12 - December 5 2009

Milan Milojevic "Peryton (After Audubon)"

James Makin Gallery presents From the Cabinet of Dr. Moreau, a dazzling  bestiary dragged from the depths of twin human impulses to dominate the natural world and to explore our monstrous fantasies.

The title of the show recalls Wells’ 1896 novel  The Island of Dr. Moreau, in which one man’s scientific abuse of nature brings forth monsters. As the tale unfolds it is revealed that it is Moreau who is truly monstrous, inflicting great suffering in the pursuit of earthly perfection.

As in the tale, the monsters Milojevic creates are purely human in construction, conjured from our own psyche and displayed within lavish unnatural environments. Milojevic’s technique is thoroughly absorbing, combining repetition, colour and diverse printing techniques to create remarkable images that are at once familiar and alien.

The most striking work in the show is the intensely detailed and textured Outside/In, a wallpaper series of 48 panels that covers a significant area of the gallery space. This piece bears the marks of the artist’s hand and has a more satisfying patina than the sleek digital prints. From The Cabinet of Dr. Moreau is an intriguing show that reveals both Milojevic’s intense imagination and technical ability.