Silent Observations by Apolonija Lucic (Mini Kus! #128)

The art in Silent Observations is staggeringly beautiful, full of modern impressionistic colors and textures that range from vibrant reds to serene greens, emotional blacks, and somber blues. Apolonija Lucic offers not so much a traditional linear comic book narrative, but a sequence of static images with free floating text. The abstract nature of the work encourages the reader to linger longer and absorb the images to parse their meaning. To study the petals, sand, shells, or sky. To experience the mood. Reading this book reminded me of my time as an executive at a contemporary art museum, where one of the curators encouraged visitors to stay with pieces longer, to really see their details, and gauge their inner emotional reactions. Some of the text similarly encourages readers to appreciate the small moments of just being. Encouraging people to observe and experience details, not simply race through life with a collector’s mentality, to pause, linger, and find the small joys is some of the best life advice ever. We are so busy either documenting, or just surviving, our modern lives that we often forget to be fully present and actually experience them.