Mitar Mirkovic from Niksic, who lives in Brezovik, has been engaged in the decoration of wood objects for twenty years, and a decade with pyrography - "writing using fire", as it is otherwise called the art of decorating wood or skin.
The art consists of the combustion of a substrate with a heated tip of a soldering iron, or a specially constructed device - pyrograph.
"When I was little they used to take me around the neighborhood to draw people. It was interesting to them that a child can do portraits. I was talented, but I went from Brezovik to the city to teach school, and Niksic was then a big city for me, and the devil took me away. I stopped schooling and when I was 17 and began to work." He changed several companies and did not last very long at these jobs, but he opened a carpentry workshop with his brother. At that time, he started to love trees. He began to make cuts, and then he got familiar with inlaid - an artistic craft of decorating objects made of wood. The first work he made was a Montenegrin coat of arms which, he says, is no wonder, as he, an old liberal, "poisoned himself with Montenegro a long time ago". He still protects this work, though it acknowledges that he did not "hit the right tree" because he took the ash tree.
"I use a media pen for inlaid, because it is stable, and it doesn’t bend. Many tried to do it, but they quickly quit, and I like to try out what a few can do. How many times I've been hurt because of that," Mirko recalls, remembering the detail that was his turning point in doing inlaid.
"I worked in one company and brought works to varnish them. They were seen by some people from the state security who were there, and my employer praised my works, they liked them and took them. One of them was in a high position, and then all the 'toadies' around him started shouting that they had work. I could not reach it. Now I rarely do it. I deal mostly with pyrography."
For pyrography, they say that it differs from painting because you do not have the right to make even one mistake. When the wood is burned, there is no turning back. Except, as Mirkovic said, if you do not add "your view" to the work, then the error is not a mistake. Depending on the temperature, as well as the top used, different tones are obtained, from the brightest to the darkest.
Pyrography requires a lot of patience and persistence. Mirko does not lack persistence, and this is surprising even for him since he is an energetic man.
"I started with a soldering iron, but it's a lot harder to work with. Then I got a pyrograph over the Internet. I make portraits, coats of arms, animals, but mostly monasteries and saints. Since people started to believe again, everyone wants religious motives. When a woman wants a congratulation, I do the job, because it's better to take it than some glasses or plates. People are thrilled. If I know what their St. Patron’s day is, then I do that particular saint, and if I do not know, then Ostrog Monastery, because you cannot miss with it."
He acknowledges that there is no work for which he is particularly attached, but his wife, therefore, keeps some which he does not want to sell. For works done in pyrography, interest has begun to decline in recent years, and, unfortunately, he had to find a job as a carpenter in a company. He prefers that he and his family can live from his hobby. "I hope my daughter will inherit my skills because she is talented at painting. The older son could be a politician because it seems to me that he was born for such a position, while the younger likes to work around cars. And I hope that I will deal with pyrography for another 120 years," says the 55-year-old.
"Metalac" would even sell the cow to watch Liverpool - Partizan
In addition to inlaid and pyrography, Mirko is a great fan of literature, he watches sport, listens to rock and heavy metal. He reads everything, from Joyce, through Alexander Dime, Harold Robins, to Remark. His mobile phone is ringing with the melody of Led Zeppelin's "Stairway to Heaven".
"In addition to Zeppelin, I love Deep Purple. Among the bands from the region, there is “Atomic shelter”, the first band I saw live, then “EKV”. There is also Gibonni, who moved from heavy metal to some Mediterranean style. It seems I've become ‘softer’ over the years, so I like to listen to this type of music. I love when his lyrics burn me. There is, of course, 'Perper' that deserves to be more famous than it is because they are phenomenal," Mirko says, adding that he is happy that his children listen to the same music. In addition to "Sutjeska" and "Partizan", he has been a big fan of Liverpool since 1971.
"My big wish is to watch Liverpool play. If they would play against Partizan, I think I would sell a cow to watch the game. But only with 'Partizan', not with the 'Red Star'."
Text by Svetlana Mandic, on April 7th 2019, read more at Vijesti
