»KUOLMOGRAFIJA« »Kuolmografija« is a series of prints through which I wanted to bring the genius loci of my hometown Trbovlje into my work. The word »kuolmografija« is derived from the term for the collagraph technique, in which the series was also created, with some adaptations I made myself. I approached the technique experimentally, replacing the usual sand with fine coal dust. On the prints, the areas where I applied coal dust appear black, similar to the use of sand. If we look closely at the prints, the interesting texture of the coal also shows up on the print as a slight relief, giving the blackness a unique character. These reliefs on the prints can also evoke the appearance of coal. While applying materials to the matrix, I also experimented with the interplay of different materials. I played with various shades, light, white areas, diverse grays, and blacks that intertwine through turbulent images. I drew inspiration from mining not only on a material level but also in the motifs, even though they are generally abstract. By sketching and then abstracting the motifs that most remind me of the identity of my hometown, I wanted to subtly incorporate this identity into the motifs. I arrived at circular and spiral compositions by simplifying and abstracting the initial sketches that depicted views into and out of the mine or tunnel. This led me to explore the interplay of light and darkness and motifs with a strong contrast between beams of light and dark, black turbulences that constantly intertwine. Hence, the strong light-dark contrast that appears throughout the series. By depicting circular and spiral images, intertwining materials, and using light-dark contrast, I aimed to achieve an illusion of movement and infinity in my prints. Due to the use of coal, besides the prints, the matrices themselves may already be interesting as standalone artworks, precisely because of the texture and color of the coal, which creates a specific blackness and relief full of various textures on the matrix.

ČRNINA – Animation As an enhancement to the series of prints, I wanted to transfer this illusion of movement and rotation into a new dimension, where it would no longer be just an illusion. Using the same technique, »kuolmografija«, I also created a stop-motion animation from the prints, thereby expanding my work into the field of expanded graphics. Following a precise plan, I created twenty-five matrices in the »kuolmografija« technique, with each moving slightly forward from the previous one, printed them, and combined them into a stop-motion animation. I aimed to combine traditional classic printmaking techniques and their characteristics with the use of new media. Through animation, my circular and spiral motifs come to life and tell their story. In this way, I transferred and intensified the movement I wanted to achieve with individual prints by combining all twenty-five prints into one video, forming a graphic that truly moves. Thus, I added a new dimension of movement to my prints, which traditional printmaking does not allow. Through the use of new media, the motif came to life and truly embodies movement and infinity.