Betty Kovacic is an artist born in Prince George, British Columbia in 1955. She studied at the University of Victoria, where she received a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in 1983.
Scope and content
The book by Betty Kovacic, entitled "Sketchbook Revisited," contains text, drawings, paintings in acrylic, and colour photoprints of Kovacic's paintings, and is bound with an acrylic painting 17.5 x 15.5 cm affixed to the book's front cover.
Note
The artist stated: "Currently I am working primarily with putting acrylic, collage, and objects, on to canvas, paper, and masonite. My main subjects deal with various aspects of the ever changing human condition. As a daughter of a Yugoslavian woman who survived and Nazi Concentration Camps, I am deeply influenced by her stories of horror and torture. This terrible knowledge is expressed in my work, which often depicts images of oppression while portraying the indefeatable heroic spirit. Recently I have changed my focus to examine the complex issues which occur during relationships between the sexes. through the study and visual exploration of ancient and modern myths, spoken and unspoken clichΘs, I portray humorous, serious, and perhaps even tragic aspects of what I will loosely call romance. Images occur as stereotypes, archetypes, and symbols, which may be simultaneously obvious, ambiguous or obscure. References to fairy tales, myths and cultural beliefs all of which are powerful expressions of humanity itself, form an important aspect of my work. Their meanings, which cannot always be expressed in words, act as a perpetual challenge to the thoughts and views of the audience. The work is very expressive, with elements of symbolism and surrealism. Although the paintings and assemblages may at first glance appear to be feminist in nature, a closer look at current and past work reveals the work to be humanist. The issues surrounding the rights and freedoms of all people, young and old, is frequently examined and expressed through my work."
