as. dr. art. MIRAN SABIC, Croatia

ANTI-WAR

The Croatian Anti-war art

The art connected with wars of Croatian past can be portrayed in 2 main categories. As art glorifying the victorious heroes of war, and as art criticizing the war and the after war poverty.

The artistic group Zemlja (The Earth) was founded as a result of rough period in Europe and the world economy crises after WW1. It was founded in 1929. Ad had continuous exhibitions until it's work was forbidden in 1935. It's work was inspired by German artist Georg Grosz and Otto Dix. The group consisted of many famous Croatian artists that were sensitive on after war problems like poverty, and other social problems of society.

After the end of WW2 the Croatian artists of socrealism had a very fruitful period.  Inspired by great victory of Yugoslavian Partisans they portrayed great battles and heroes of WW2. But, unlike group Zemlja they didn't criticize the government. The government paid them to make mass appealing art so it could promote their ideals.

The great example of critical view of horrors of war is poetic/graphic map Jama (The Pit) made by Edo Murtić and Zlatko Prica in 1982., later purchased by MOMA. The lithography prints are inspired with the life story of I.G. Kovačić Croatian writer and poet who was writing his poetry while serving as a partisan soldier in WW2. His greatest work is book of poetry called The Pit, which he wrote during WW2. The irony is that at the end of WW2 Kovačić; was murdered and his body was ditched to the pit.

At the bigining of 1990s in ex Yugoslavia started a civil war, after most of countries wanted to separate from the Yugoslavia. Almost the whole generation of young Croatian artists had to fight in this liberating war, and some older ones that reacted to war with thair art. Many great artworks wer inspired by the terrors of war. Also, there are many young croatian artist that were children durin this war, and were greatly influenced by it. In this lecture, I will present the artworks of this 2 goups. 

Edo Murtić, Vukovar, oil colours, 1992.,                                                   Ivica Siško, She-Wolf of Vukovar, oil colours, 1991.,

Vukovar Museum in Exile                                                                         Vukovar Museum in Exile

Dalibor Jelavić, Caprice 90, 1990.,

Vukovar Museum in Exile                                                                     

Tomislav Gotovac, VUKOVAR - NEW YORK       

 (WARTaction »Croatian Artists for Peace, 1992)

Ante Rašić, WAR/ART, combined technique, 1991                              Marija Ujević Galetović, Anonymous Grave, Moss, 1992  

                                                                                                              (installation at FORUM Gallery exhibition 20. 10. 1992