BILL GOULD and Slavko Krunić 'Mausoleum of Imperfection'

Perfect for lovers of visual art and music alike, Mausoleum of Imperfection is a collection of picturesque and satirical portraits made by the artist and famous Balkan pop-culturalist Slavko Krunić that refute the idea of separation between the observer and the work of art.

This book creates a certain intimacy between reader and image: we feel we are the portraits’ companions, and they are our fellow travellers in an imaginary life. The comical fantasy of these melancholy characters watching us from the pages allows us to listen to their life stories while observing them in their immobility. Bill Gould provides a short biography of an imaginary witness inspired by Krunić’s work. The unusual combination of different artistic expressions results in the masterful symbiosis of art and music that is Mausoleum of Imperfection.

Bill, 

"I first met Slavko in 2006 (?) while touring with the band Harmful in Serbia. Slavko is one of those special people that hosts touring bands, and I was in one of them. He is also a brilliant painter, and his accommadations were right in the middle of his art studio (Fun fact: this was the first time I had a real, qualitiy rakija, I believe from his family’s stash). Lot’s of people know him, everyone I know loves him, and he’s been making portraits of various characters over the past few decades. I’ve always kept in touch and it’s been great seeing his exhibits pop up in my feed over the years.

Last year, he contacted me to let me know that he was publishing a book of a collection of his portraits, called “Mausoleum of Imperfection”, and he asked me to make a short story would accompany this piece. So I did, and here we are!

This is something I’ve never done before, or even considered, but decided to do my best and channel some of what his paintings were telling me. I’m still wrapping my head around the fact that I even did it, but while I am, we are kicking off it’s release tonight in Belgrade at the RTS Gallery."

Available in all good bookshops now.