Almodovar
Misha Milovanovich’s life and career thus far reads a little like a Pedro Almodóvar movie treatment. The multi-discipline artist – brought up in Belgrade in the former Yugoslavia – left her communist upbringing to study at National Film School in London during the late eighties. Misha went on to study painting, graduating from Central Saint Martins in 1995.
However since graduating Misha’s career has taken a few twists and turns, including becoming a model and muse, to working for the likes of Moschino, John Galliano and Yves Saint Laurent. Misha then went from being the ‘image’ to becoming the image creator, working as a successful photographer. Her latest creative incarnation comes under the guise of Misha World; influenced by surrealism and producing pop art styled imagery executed through print, product and film.
Q) Tell us a bit about yourself… Misha World is a London based project known for its prolific output in the wide range of media.
Being very busy within my position as full time El Presidente of Misha World, I relax by practicing the Brazilian martial arts of Capoeira and at my parties with Balkan Gypsies. A passionate collector, I invest a great deal of passion into sifting through different cultures to make my own World. I’m greatly influenced by science, music, philosophy, anthropology and the written word.
Equally important is having fun, laughing and being alive.
Q) How would you describe what you do – your practise? Artist & Designer. Misha World is an Avant-garde unity of Art and Life, Aesthetics and Function.
Q) You grew up in the former Yugoslavia – what sort of impact do you think that’s had on your outlook on being an ‘artist’ and work generally? My influences come from the dichotomy between the world I grew up in and the world I live in and the psychological fissures formed by their lack of overlap.
It’s from this profound duality that all my artistic language and meaning is born.
Q) Your work treads a fine line of conceptual art to commercial product design. What is the difference for you – if any – and how does one inform the other? I have a specific vision of universal artistic production. I’m interested in completely dissolving the distinction between High and Low Art.
I intend to make iconic, inspirational imagery that’s accessible to the widest possible range of people at all times across all media.
The work will always be bright, sharp, stylish, collectible, instant, timeless, disposable, ephemeral, and considered; for the galleries and for the people.
Q) Is art a necessity or a luxury? A Necessity – if it’s cooked right.
Q) What’s one of your most significant memories of time as a student at Central St Martins? Being surrounded by such a wide range of creative disciplines from Fine Art, Industrial Design, Film and Fashion; having Mat Collishaw and Tracey Emin as my tutors. Bumping regularly into Alexander Mcqueen in corridors and meeting Marko Matysik, my couturier friend and Muse.
Q) Your bold prints have been applied to various mediums / surfaces – are there any other surfaces or spaces you would like to experiment with? 3 D Projection mapping on large buildings, my own animation series and guest designer at Pucci. As well as becoming Artist-in-Orbit for NASA.
Q) What’s next? New Collection of Limited Edition Silk Scarves at Other Criteria in March, Series of Collectable Art Toys for Dude Box in April, painting exhibition at Hartnoll and Daughter Gallery in May.
