Art or War - Bullet Paintings (Paperback)

Serbian artist Viktor Mitic is making headlines in Canada and the UK with his controversial gunshot paintings, which feature portraits of celebrities (Quentin Tarantino, John Lennon), iconic religious figures (Jesus Christ, the Virgin Mary), and famous works or art (The Last Supper, Guernica) outlined in bullet holes. Shocked by recent occasions when places of worship were attacked and destroyed; for example, the defacement of Christian frescoes by soldiers and villagers in Kosovo, Mitic explains that his goal is to use weapons in his art to create rather than to destroy. Guns are naturally perceived with uneasiness, and the image of an artist shooting a painting of an iconic figure carries an intense psychological impact; however, the juxtaposition of beauty constructed out of violence in Mitic's paintings generates an unexpected feeling of tranquility. In his own words, "Although the process is very loud, there is a sense of peace after the smoke is gone."