Pero Mandic in the garden of his home, in the Serbian village where he now lives. Photo: Joseph Cabon
'I am advocating for real art that is art in itself not that which is commercial or a means for something else.'

His work catalogues the history of Bosnia before, during and after war, capturing his sharp criticism of those in power. Charlotte Haines Lyon caught up with him to ask about his work.

A lot of people say art is frivolous especially when people are dying in the world.
I think that they are very wrong because I have been in situations with my own eyes where I have seen not only people perish but also buildings around me. Only then do you realise that it is only art that remains. It is only art that exists in itself because everything else has a natural order and will perish.

On the other hand I also understand the people who say, "what is art for?" because there are different kinds of arts and the so called arts. Not everything put on a canvas is art.

There should be a difference made between the real and the surrogate art. I am advocating for real art that is art in itself not that which is commercial or a means for something else.

I'm actually quite convinced and try to prove to people that art is the means by which you operate once the science has no way to go on. Where biology, psychology, anthropology and other science fails that's where the art comes in to help people find solutions.

Take for instance theology, where people are unable to comprehend and those people who are involved in this field of expertise are not able to convey the message to the people. This is where art can actually be one of the tools

Are you religious?
I don't believe there is God. I know there is God. I know there is God.

How was your belief in God affected by the war?
(He points to the cup) Do you believe this cup is right in front of you or do you know it is here. (I respond "I know".) If you know, you don't have to believe.

What inspires you to keep going through all the hard times?
Maybe I am just strange. Because it is from difficult situations, difficult times that I get my inspiration. When I am faced with a problem I try to think about it and try to find a solution to it. Maybe it is paradoxical but tough times really make me work and try to sort things out.

I notice your paintings are incredibly political. They come across with huge humanity and the divide for the rich and the poor is very strong. There seems to be a call for solidarity with the poor. Can you talk about this?

When it comes to politics, I am really a severe critic of everything because I think it is the source of all evil. The most ignorant people are the politicians because most of them have no clue about the trade that they are in.

Do you think you can have art without politics?
Politics is actually a hybrid in a very bad way. It exists for its own purpose and is self sufficient and that is not how it should be. Obviously I am not supporting that kind of politics.

As far as my art in concerned it is revisionist. Through my paintings I try to analyse what happened and indicate what might happen and already has happened.

Is it therapeutic?
Basically, yes it could be called therapeutic. If people can't find the answer themselves then they could search for it in the paintings. As to creating them, the first purpose is not therapeutic but educational.

You've said in the past "If you can make the clever stop and the wise the think, all our efforts will be justified." Could you explain that?
That's very true. We have so many fools around it is just incredible. Very often those fools find themselves in high places and because they are fools they don't realise what they are doing. They don't realise that they are not for a certain position or a trade. That's why it would be heaven on earth if the situation would be the other way round; where the clever and the wise would be above the fools.

You have a lot of red in your paintings, is it for love, danger, beware. . . ?
There are times when the sky's red and the grass looks as it is covered in blood. When you look at my paintings it is actually the red colour of hell. You've seen the circles like in Dante's inferno. I've seen hell. I have been there. The red doesn't have political connotations.

In your painting Signs 1992 you are critical of the role of the UN and how they contributed to the war. What did you mean?

Basically the UN if you look at the details quite closely is full of a jolly vivid bunch of all sorts of people who are using their position to do all sorts of trade. The UN such as it is today, would be better if it didn't exist really.

As far as I am concerned they have stuffed their pockets and are now keeping quiet. There is a saying that when there is war the wise keep quiet the fools take the stage and the crooks get rich.

If there were one thing you wanted people to take away from your paintings, what would it be?
That the people would come and then leave saying "I've finally woken up and am not asleep anymore. I am living the real life."

Read more about Pero Mandic and view some of his work here.