Abstract

At the moment Ante Bakter is the only landscape artist from North-East Croatia, from the town Ilok with its surroundings and the river Danube with old river banks which have kept the original natural features of this very spot where the river flows. Only this information would not be enough, that we can properly consider its full meaning. The life journey of this young artist as well as his artistic development is what makes him a true artist and whose life story is a typical example of those artists and their destinies, when the war drama cut them off from their homeland. This forced them to form their artistic individuality in adverse conditions, which deprived them of everything, starting from their homeland, what was a natural theme of their creation. Details

Bogdan Mesinger

The landscape as a motive and poetic realism as a stylistic direction are basic characteristics of Ante Bakter’s paintings. Slavonian plain, native Ilok and other settlements in its proximity are the main interest of this painter, because it is about views of true possessiveness, almost an emotive connection. Fields, rivers and backwaters, vineyards on the hills of Srijem are attractive with their look, what Baker transforms with his artistic signature into the luscious painting. It is built with a necessary description but also with a free gesture with the accent on the pastel colours which give vitality to the space. It is an approach to the expressionist tension with a textured stained surface and, as well, with all pulsating fragments. The overview of the composition and clarity of the rhythm are apparently opposed to the energy of colour and light. Concerning the variety, Bakter has given a new dimension to his beloved geographical view, which is elevated with the insistence on the atmosphere of the scene. Details

Stanko Špoljarić