U likovnom jeziku koji je direktan, snažan na momente dramatičan, u svoj žestini kolorita i kolopletu raskošno i skladno organizovanih boja, Antonović je svu energiju i likovnu sugestivnost, koju nenadmašno postiže polukružnim, kružnim, skoro spiralnim potezima četke, znalački učvrstio pomenutim crtežom i svojom vizijom, duboko intimnim shvatanjem objekata i simbolikom koju oni u sebi nose.
Figurativno u slikarstvu Momčila Antonovića jeste izraz filigranski organizovanog, uverljivo mističnog osećanja religioznog u njegovom poimanju sveta.
Ako se kod ekspresionista mnogo toga na njihovim slikama dešava u relativno kratkim intervalima samoga čina stvaranja, pa se ovozemaljsko i pojavno vezuje pre svega za njihovo podsvesno, to je kod Antonovića samo delimično tačno. Podsvesni su zamasi četkom i kolorit, dok su tema i kompoziciona rešenja ipak jedan promišljen i u našoj savremenoj umetnosti jedinstven stvaralački čin.
Duhovne vertikale Antonović je definisao na Meteorima, između ostalog podstaknut i jedinstvenim pravoslavnim manastirima u Grčkoj za čije postojanje su zaslužne i srpske velmože iz sveta loze Nemanjića. Meteori su primer fizičkog, ali i divljenja vrednog ljudskog duhovnog podviga, koji spadaju u red jedinstvenih ovozemaljskih čuda. U svome obraćanju kako sebi, tako i gradu u kome živi i stvara, Antonović je sjedinio, a to jedino umetnički i može, dva sveta mesta – Beograd (koji uz svoju bogatu i svojevrsnu prošlost nosi u sebi i mit o Argonautima koji prolaze kraj njega, onda postaje i prestonica svete loze Nemanića, t.j. kralja Dragutina 1284, ali i poslednje utočište Svetog Save, a danas je sa hramom posvećenom sv. Savi u novome veku najznačajnije sedište pravoslavlja uopšte) i Meteore (kao primer podviga u pravoslavnom svetu gde se sjedinjeno materijalno i duhovno podiže ka nebu).
Ove slike su u Antonovićevoj mitologiji između ostalog i slike čežnje za obnavljanjem, pročišćenjem i vozdizanjem jedne Nove Srbije, metaforičnost i simbolika koju Antonović vezuje i stvara u svojim stvaralačkim doživljajima čine ga u nekoliko duhovno i svetovno angažovanim umetnikom.
Angažovano kod Antonovića ima i elemente futurističkog u samoj ideji, ali i konkretnoj realizacije slike. Ekspresije kreativnog rastakanja boja jesu sugestivne, pa se i zbog ovog detalja pred ovim slikama ne može ostati ravnodušan.
Mitologija koju je stvorio Antonović održava smislenu, ali i grozničavu borbu intimnih ekspresija, kako je to odlično primetio Mića Popović: „Snažan zamah nije ishitren i sam sebi dovoljan, nego se pokazuje kao jedna estetička i filozofska osobina višeg reda“.
Na Antonovićevim platnima strast je ukroćena iskustvom, znanjem i naznačenim akademizmom, ali ne samo radi obuzdavanja osećanja, već pre radi oslobađanja jednog nenametljivog magičnog lirizma koji publika odlično prepoznaje na većini negovih slika.
Antonovićev ekspresionizam ima jedno posebno stanje, jedan viši nivo poimanja ekspresivnog pristupa slici koji je produhovljen i intektualiziran, koji u horizontu vremena kao svetionik obeležava i utvrđuje onu drugu, savremenu, modernu i sadašnju već ranije pomenutu drugu tačku srpskog ekspresionizma.
One lađe koje se kreću ovim „morskim putevima“, a ne pogledaju na jasnu svetlost ovoga svetionika, doživeće grdne neprijatnosti na morskim hridinama i maglovitoj, nejasno i nepristupačnoj obali, rekao bih!
U stvaranju svojih vizija, uzdižući grad, u ovom slučaju Beograd, na vertikale svetih Meteora, Antonović kao da pokušava da ga skloni i ujedno i zaštiti u svoj belini i čistoti njegovog imena, negde gore van pojavnog sveta. Da li je to želja za oslobođenjem od vremena, ili samo privid i pokušaj sklanjanja od nekakve nadolazeće opasnosti pokazaće se, ali umetnik u ovom slučaju ovde na ovoj izložbi, ima mogućnosti da potezima četkice – kista podiže i spušta svoju pletenu korpu ili od užadi ispletene lestvice, sprema za podvig ili intimno, duboko lično, oslobađanje od žestoke, poročne i beskrupulozne današnje civilizacije koja je brza, opasnija od najbrže zmije otrovnice koju dočekujemo bez seruma i oružija, naoružani tek duhom i umetničkim proviđenjem. Da li se treba negde skloniti nakon iskustva koji nam je ostavio u amanet prošli vek?Antonović je, da se vratimo početku ovoga teksta, danas već ostvarena, zaokružena i prepoznatljiva umetnička ličnost koja zauzima jedno od vodećih mesta savremenog srpskog slikarstva, ali svakako da odlično stoji i šire; jer u određivanju geografskih prostora nikada se umetnik nije mogao smeštati u granice jedne države ili užeg prostora, naročito ako ona za desetak godina nekoliko puta smanji svoj obim i promeni svoje ime. Umetnik je pre i posle svega izabranik, a time i građanin sveta, jer je umetnik svojim imenom i delom deo baštine, nasledstvo čitavog čovečanstva.

THE SPIRITUAL VERTICES OF M.A.

Momcilo Moma Antonovic (Krusevac, 1938) is a unique and striking artistic phenomenon of modern Serbian painting of the second half of the 20th and early 21st centuries. On the Yugoslav painting scene, Antonovic appeared at the end of the 1950s and beginning of the 1960s with his first independent exhibitions, attracting the attention of the artistic and cultural public as an exceptionally talented painter of particular and recognizable sensibility, and of a characteristic and unusual draughtsmanship marked by the features and spirit of the avant-garde of the time. The colors and approach to painting indicated that Antonovic’s painting had already been encircled by an intensive, impressively recognizable expressionism, with strong gesture and pronounced draughtsmanship. At the time of Antonovic’s appearance on the art scene, there were a number of established Yugoslav and Serbian expressionists, who found their place painting under the influence of French, German and Austrian Expressionism, the peak of which was reached on the eve of World War One.
When the presence of Expressionism is surveyed in Serbian painting, two chronologically distinguishable and noticeable moments, i.e. two strong artistic figures, can be recognized: Milan Konjovic as the central point of the beginning and Momcilo Antonovic as the central point of the end of the classicist understanding of the expressionist approach to Serbian painting. In this way, the definition of the style in Antonovic´s case can be sensed: there is a religious, almost transcendent ecstasy in his painting, presented in his theme in the cycle “Belgrade at the Meteora Monasteries”.
Unlike the other expressionist painters, Momcilo Antonovic has clearly defined the other, mythological side of his art, in addition to the ecstasy recognized in the act of his painting. This is the vertical element, nourished by  the deeply instituted tradition of “Byzantinism” in Serbian art, manifested in the colors of the icons in mediaeval monasteries, and later in the post-Byzantine churches, as well as in the magnificent and unique architecture.
Strong and suggestive draughtsmanship is evident in his paintings: seemingly a sketch, avant-garde and modern, and often a caricature; but clear, sophisticated, organized and solid.
In the language of his art, which is direct, strong, and even dramatic at times, with a full intensity and swirl of magnificently and harmoniously organized colors, Antonovic, with his energy, skilful draughtsmanship and an artistic suggestiveness obtained through the application of semicircular, circular and almost spiralling brush strokes, has confirmed his own vision of objects and of the symbolism they have.
The figurative quality in the painting of Momcilo Antonovic is an expression of the intricately organized and convincingly mystical religious feeling in his understanding of world.
If with Expressionists many things in their paintings happen at relatively short intervals during the act of painting itself, thereby connecting this worldly and practical quality with their subconsciousness, this is only partially true with Antonovic. His brush strokes and colors are subconscious, while the themes and compositions reveal an organization and creativity uniquein modern Serbian art.
His spiritual vertices Antonovic defined at Meteora. They were inspired by, among other things, these remarkable Orthodox monasteries in Greece, the existence of which is to be credited to Serbian nobles from the Nemanjic family. Meteori are examples of admirable physical and spiritual human accomplishment which belong to the list of wonders of the world. In addressing both himself and the town in which he lives and creates, Antonovic has linked artistically two holy places: Belgrade (whose rich and specific past also includes the myth of the Argonauts, who passed it on their return journey, as well as the history of  the holy family of Nemanjics, whose capital it became under King Dragutin in 1284, providing also a shelter for St. Sava; today with its church dedicated to St. Sava it is a most important center of Serbian Orthodoxy) and Meteori (an example of the accomplishment in the
Orthodox world of the unification and raising to Heaven of the material and the immaterial).
In Antonovic’s mythology, these paintings are also considered the paintings of lust for restoration, cleansing and resurrection of a New Serbia; metaphors and symbolism which he brings together and creates in his artistic experiences make him a sort of spiritually and ecclesiastically engaged artist.
The commitment in his works bears signs of Futurism not only in the ideas themselves, but also in the concrete process of painting. The expressions of creative color range are suggestive, and a sense of detail which additionally provokes strong feelings about these paintings. 
The mythology which Antonovic has created reflects an organized but also frenetic struggle for intimate expression, as has been noticed by Mica Popovic: “The vigorous movement is not forced and self-sufficient, but is shown to be an aesthetic and philosophical virtue of the highest rank.”
In Antonovic’s paintings, passion has been brought under control by his experience, knowledge and marked academicism, not so much to restrain feelings, but rather to release a discreet magical lyricism, immediately recognized by the spectator in most of his paintings.
Antonovic’s Expressionism reaches a special state, a higher level of comprehension of the expressive approach to a painting, refined and intellectual, which on the horizon of time marks and determines, like a lighthouse, the present and modern second period of Serbian Expressionism already mentioned.
Those ships which take these “sea routes” and do not throw a glance at the bright light of the lighthouse will run into trouble on the rocks and misty, blurred and forbidding coast.
In the creation of his visions, by elevating the town of Belgrade to the vertices of the holy Meteori, Antonovic seems to be trying to move it away and protect it in all the whiteness and purity of its name somewhere beyond this world. As to whether it is a wish to be freed from time, or just an illusion and an attempt to hide from the coming danger, only time will show, but the artist at this exhibition has the opportunity, with his brush strokes, to lift and drop his coil basket or rope ladder, to prepare for an achievement or for an intimate, deeply personal liberation from our severe, vice-ridden and unscrupulous present-day civilization, which is faster and more dangerous than the fastest poisonous snake, and which we meet without serum and weapon, armed with nothing but our spirit and artistic forethought. Are we supposed to hide somewhere after the experience we have been left with from the last century?
Let us return to the beginning of this text. Today, Antonovic is already a fully realized, complete and recognizable artistic figure, highly ranked among the leading artists of modern Serbian painting.  He is also quite certainly highly appreciated abroad, because an artist can never be located within the boundaries of one country or some narrower space, particularly in a case where a country has been reduced in size and changed its name several times over a period of ten years. An artist is first and last a chosen one, a citizen of the world, because with his name and work he is part of the legacy of all mankind.