The Power of Research: Creating Paintings of the Bull Civilón
“The journey of artistic transformation began with a simple decision: to dedicate myself to the creation of art. This exploration led me to the story of Civilón, a bull whose fate became a poignant symbol of the war’s tragic consequences.”
Every Journey Begins with a Decision
Every journey, including the creation of the series of paintings “Civilón – The Bull Who Loved to Eat Flowers”, began with a crucial decision. For me, it was the choice to transform my life through the power of art. The decision to become an artist wasn’t made overnight. It was step-by-step that required careful planning, finishing my current projects, choosing place where I would make art, organizing my household budget and organizing finances for art project. With the preparations out of the way, I could fully devote my time to creating art.
Once decision was made, the next challenge was creating sketches – selecting the subject, technique, and color palette that would define my artwork. That process lasted for a while and is an integral part of the entire artistic engagement – just as much as the actual process of painting. The journey of creating a series of large size paintings that would become “Civilón – The Bull Who Loved to Eat Flowers” began three months before any paint touched the canvas.
I knew I needed a narrative to fuel my inspiration and lead to a body of work that carried not just aesthetic value. This concept came from the true stories behind the children’s book Ferdinand the Bull and Hemingway’s tale of bullfighting and my painting in “Death in the Afternoon”. What unfolded was a shift in perspective that shaped my vision for the series.
When I first started painting, I questioned whether people would truly understand or connect with the visual narratives I was putting out into the world. Skepticism and uncertainty often clouded my thoughts. It felt like uncharted territory, a realm where vulnerability and creativity collided. Despite the initial hesitation, there was an undeniable inner pull compelling me to create, to externalize the vivid images swirling in my mind.
In those quiet moments, amidst the strokes and blending of colors, I’ve taken the time to reflect inward. It’s been a deliberate process of asking myself challenging questions, exploring the mental battles, and extracting raw, unfiltered honesty. This introspection has, in turn, become the foundation for conceptualizing my art and gave me the confidence to push forward.
Now, dividing my time between Serbia and the UAE, I build connections through art. My passion lies in creating collaborative art and large-scale figurative paintings inspired by real-life events.
The Research Journey
Delving into the Past of Civilón
Curiosity guided this project and research became its foundation. After initial month of research, I spent another two months sketching, preparing materials, and planning the paintings. While the physical act of painting took over, the research was always in the background, influencing the decisions I made.
At first, I just wanted to paint bulls. But something was missing – a story that could give context and life to the artwork. I wanted to create art that told a story. My initial inspiration came from two sources: “The Story of Ferdinand”, the beloved tale of a gentle bull who prefers flowers rather than fight, and Hemingway’s renowned “Death in the Afternoon”, a nonfiction brutality of bullfighting. These two works set me on a path to discover the story of the real bull Civilón, a bull whose fate mirrored the tragic conclusions of Hemingway more closely than the peaceful end of Ferdinand’s narrative. The moment I discovered Civilón, I knew I had found the subject of my paintings.
Through my research, I uncovered Civilón’s fate during the turbulent times in Spain just before the outbreak of the Spanish Civil War in June 1936. Unlike Disney’s Oscar-winning adaptation of “The Story of Ferdinand”,Civilón’s real-life story took a darker, more tragic turn. The anti-war sentiment that resonated in Spain at the time was just as loud as the anti-war messages we hear today, but those voices were drowned out by the sounds of bombs and propaganda. Civilón, the innocent hero of this story, was unaware of the chaos around him – a symbol of purity caught in the cruel hands of fate.
Exploring Themes
Beyond the Bullring
While researching Civilón’s life, I began exploring the cultural and traditional aspects of bullfighting for the first time. I encountered historical gaps – moments where the details of Civilón’s fate were unclear. Rather than aiming for documentary accuracy, I allowed these blank spaces to play a part during the creation of sketches. My paintings don’t aim to provide a historical documentary but rather offer an interpretation of the story, simplified into essential subjects and emotions.
Civilón’s story led me to explore key themes such as heroism, the ethical considerations of bullfighting, the fragility of life, and the inevitable game of fate. While “The Story of Ferdinand” is about a pacifist bull who, despite being chosen for a bullfight, remains true to his nature, choosing peace over aggression. Hemingway’s work dives into the tragic reality of life and death in the bullring showcasing its intersection with death, art, and life.
Hemingway’s work, more than “The Story of Ferdinand”, connected with the tragic reality of Civilón. It brought me closer to the tension between life and death, the peace of Ferdinand’s world versus the brutality of the bullring. My paintings express this tension, portraying moments of confrontation between strength and fragility, life and death.
Shaping the Narrative
The Core Message of the Series
Through my research, I was collecting and analyzing information and gradually synthesizing ideas into basic motifs that captured emotion without distractions. The unknown details of Civilón’s death, a poignant reminder of the unpredictable nature of war and the tragic consequences for innocent lives, are one of the most crucial reasons why I chose to paint it. In one moment, his wounds seemed insignificant as his life was destined to graze on green pastures with the herd of cows. But then war came, and soldiers killed and ate him – a tragic turn of destiny. It’s not clear what army killed him after his pardon in the corrida, but it doesn’t matter. And this is very important for the anti-war message of this series.
Like many civilians caught in war, Civilón wasn’t on anyone’s side, but when war begins, even the innocent are pulled into its horrors. This mystery shaped my first series of paintings and transformed the project into a reflection on the chaos of war, where innocence is often caught in the crossfire. Instead of focusing solely on the bullring, I began to explore broader themes of conflict, examining its impact on both the innocent and the aggressor.
Bringing It All Together
The “Civilón” series marked a turning point in my artistic journey and beginning of new reality. The research behind the Civilón series was an exploration of history, art, and emotion. Historical gaps became opportunities for imagination. Surprising details changed the direction of my work, and deeper themes of survival, conflict, and vulnerability emerged.
As I painted, I was constantly aware of the larger narrative – one that was not just about a bull or a bullfight, but about war, vulnerability, and the human condition. Research served as a powerful foundation, guiding my artistic vision and shaping the profound message of the “Civilón” series. Research was my starting point, but it never define or limited me. It was a tool to build my own narrative.
In the end, my paintings do not just tell Civilón’s story – they ask the viewer to reflect on their own, to consider the ways in which we are all caught in the delicate balance between life and death, war and peace, about how much we are actually able to navigate our life toward the goals we set for ourselves, relying solely on our own strength, without considering the unexpected surprises life might throw at us.
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