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Galerija Univerze v Ljubljani University Gallery in Ljubljanana CIP - Kataložni zapis o publikaciji Narodna in univerzitetna knjižnica, Ljubljana

75/76(497.4):Bernik J.

BERNIK, Janez, 1933- Janez Bernik / [prevodi tekstov Alkemist ; fotografi je Miha Benedičič]. - Ljubljana : Univerza, 2012

ISBN 978-961-6410-36-6

262102016

1. razstava / 1st exhibition od 18. junija do 9. septembra 2012 / from 18 June to 9 September 2012 Kazalo / Contents

6 Galeriji Univerze v Ljubljani na pot At the Opening of the University of Ljubljana Gallery

8 Bernikova večnostna risarska ljubezen Bernik’s Eternal Love of Drawing

24 Slike Paintings

30 Risbe Drawings

67 Podatki o umetniku in njegovem delu About the Artist and His Work Galeriji Univerze v Ljubljani na pot

Ponosen in vesel sem, da lahko Univerza v Ljubljani, ki se za predstavitve gostujočih profesorjev likovne umetnosti in pogledu od zunaj predstavlja v zgledno obnovljeni impozantni tistih tujih ustvarjalcev, ki jih posamična univerzitetna okrožja palači nekdanjega Deželnega dvorca, domači in tuji javnosti razpoznavajo kot vrhunske znotraj svoje kulture. 8 odpre srce svoje ustvarjalne notranjosti z razstavo našega velikega slikarskega sodobnika akademika prof. Janeza Bernika. Tisto, kar me kot znanstvenika in ljubitelja umetnosti pri tem Še posebej pa mi je v čast, da slovenski umetnik svetovnega našem novem ustvarjalnem laboratoriju še posebej veseli, slovesa in spoštovani univerzitetni profesor Akademije za pa je možnost, da na tem mestu izmenjujemo svoje poglede likovno umetnost in oblikovanje odpira vrata nove Galerije na umetnost, zlasti sodobno, ki refl ektira naše sedanje Univerze v Ljubljani, ki v univerzalnem jeziku likovne umetnosti samorazumevanje, in osvetljujemo interakcije med znanostjo in pooseblja ustvarjalno moč naše prve nacionalne hiše znanosti umetnostjo kot nerazdružljivima metodama odkrivanja življenja in vednosti, humanizma in poglobljenih razgledov po in sveta. Po svojih najboljših močeh se bomo potrudili sčasoma svetovnih jezikih in kulturah. Zavedamo se namreč, da se oblikovati tudi lastno galerijsko zbirko, pri čemer se zanašamo sleherni raziskujoči pogled najpopolneje lahko artikulira prav tudi na darežljivost gostujočih umetnikov, saj bomo tako lahko v kompleksnem izrazu umetnosti, ki znanje o življenju razkriva kar najbolj prepričljivo promovirali vrhunsko domačo likovno tako, da celovito ohranja skrivnost obstoja sveta. ustvarjalnost in se na reprezentativni točki slovenskega duha razgledovali po tujih kulturah. Z Galerijo Univerze v Ljubljani se poslej podajamo na pot predstavljanja vrhunskih likovnih umetniških del naših nekdanjih Hvaležen sem kolegom univerzitetnim profesorjem za in sedanjih univerzitetnih učiteljev in umetnikov, ki živo pričujejo plemenito pobudo in vsebinsko utemeljitev nove institucije in o visokih akademskih standardih in edinstveni ustvarjalni spoštovanemu, dragemu akademiku prof. Janezu Berniku, da moči in prodornosti tako našega osrednjega vseučilišča kot jo je počastil z otvoritveno razstavo. Veselim se, da nam je bilo tudi najbolj reprezentativne nacionalne umetnosti. To je tudi dano skupaj prižgati umetniško ognjišče v središču ustvarjalnega odgovor, zakaj Univerza v svoji slavnostni dvorani odpira lastno slovenstva, ki ga z žarom številnih znanstvenikov in umetnikov galerijo prav v času, ko sta umetnost in kultura izgubili svoj goji Univerza v Ljubljani kot naše osrednje živo srečevališče z simbolni formalni položaj na državni ravni. Vodilna slovenska elitnimi zaslužnimi osebnostmi in ustanovami po svetu. univerza si marginalizacije svojih ustvarjalnih moči ne more privoščiti, če želi obstati in se razvijati v svetu, kjer so ustvarjalci Rektor prof. dr. Radovan Stanislav Pejovnik umetniki in ustvarjalni znanstveniki baklonosci nacionalne kulture in znanja, s tem pa tudi ekonomske prodornosti in strokovne konkurenčnosti. V nenehnem pretoku in izmenjavah znanja in izkušenj bo poslej galerija tudi reprezentativno mesto At the Opening of the University of Ljubljana Gallery

I am very happy and proud of the fact that the University of lucidity and trade competitiveness. With a constant fl ow and Ljubljana, housed in the beautifully renovated and majestic exchange of knowledge and experience, our gallery can now Provincial Mansion building, can now invite the Slovenian and serve as a representative space for presentations of visiting foreign public into the very heart of its creative interior with this professors of art, as well as various foreign artists recognised 9 exhibition of a great artist and our contemporary, Academician by individual university districts as the best in their own cultural Prof. Janez Bernik. I am particularly proud that this world- environment. renowned artist and highly respected university professor at the Academy of Fine Arts and Design is the fi rst to exhibit his As a scientist and lover of art, what I am personally most excited work in the new University of Ljubljana Gallery. In the universal about when it comes to this new creative laboratory of ours is language of art, the new gallery embodies the creative power the opportunity to use it as a forum to exchange views about of our university, a leading national institution dedicated to art, particularly contemporary art, which refl ects our current knowledge and science, humanities and in-depth perspectives self-understanding. Furthermore, I hope that the gallery will also on world languages and cultures. We are well aware that there serve to highlight the interaction between science and art as two is no better way for any searching gaze to articulate itself than inseparable methods of learning about life and the world. We in the complex expression of art – an expression that reveals will do our best to establish our own gallery collection eventually, knowledge about life, yet still preserves the mystery of the relying partly on the generosity of the visiting artists. This will be world’s existence. the best way for us to promote outstanding Slovenian artistic creativity and contemplate foreign cultures at a point that is so With the opening of the University of Ljubljana Gallery, we now representative of the Slovenian spirit. embark on the path of presenting the fi nest artworks created by our former and current university lecturers and artists. I am extremely grateful to my fellow university professors for They are living witnesses of the high academic standards, their noble initiative and substantiation of the new institution, unique creative power and astuteness of the country’s leading and particularly to the eminent academician, our dear Prof. university and most representative form of art. This also answers Janez Bernik, for honouring us with the inaugural exhibition. the question of why the University has chosen to open a gallery I am pleased that we are able to light this artistic fi re in the in its festive hall at a time when art and culture have lost their very heart of national creativity, fuelled by the enthusiasm of symbolic formal status at government level. Slovenia’s leading the many scientists and artists associated with the University university simply cannot afford to marginalise its creative power of Ljubljana – the central meeting place for prominent – not if we want to survive and develop in a world where personalities and institutions across the world. creative artists and creative scientists are the torchbearers of national culture and knowledge, leading in turn to economic Rector, Prof. Dr. Radovan Stanislav Pejovnik Bernikova večnostna risarska ljubezen Bernik’s Eternal Love of Drawing Slike in dnevniške risbe Janeza Bernika The Paintings and Dairy Drawings of Janez Bernik

Videc z modrijansko glavo A seer with a wise man’s mind roma skozi nótranjost sveta. wanders through the world’s insides. Na poti do podzemnega neba On his way towards the nether skies strmi le v človeško zmešnjavo. the madness of humanity is all he’ll fi nd.

Zaslužni profesor ljubljanske Univerze, akademski slikar In his art, academician Janez Bernik, professor emeritus at the akademik Janez Bernik v svoji umetnosti arhitektonsko University of Ljubljana and Academy-trained painter, creates pretehtano povezuje kontemplativno zbranost z intenziteto architectonic connections between a contemplative focus with a duhovnega izraza in odzivi na družbeno dogajanje, vse to pa marked intensity of spiritual expression and social commentary, prežarja z veliko estetsko pretanjenostjo svoje izjemno občutljive infusing his themes with the aesthetic refi nement characteristic likovne narave. of his extraordinarily sensitive artistic nature.

Z močno nadarjenostjo je Bernik izstopal že kot srednješolec Even as a secondary school student and later as a student in zatem kot študent na ljubljanski likovni akademiji, njegova at the Ljubljana Academy of Fine Arts, Bernik displayed nadaljnja umetniška pot, razvidna skozi avtorjeva ciklična immense talent. His artistic path, divided into several cyclical ustvarjalna poglavja, pa je nenavadno pestra, zapletena creative chapters, has been unusually varied and complex but in hkrati notranje logična. Umetnik je pričel soustvarjati has always maintained a certain internal logic. Bernik soon tedanji evropski informel: podobe razjedenih zidov, v katerih immersed himself in the European Art Informel movement, dojemamo utelešenje samote, ne le reliefno otipljive in optično creating images of corroded walls, textured paintings that can razbrazdane snovi, ter površine vulkanskih magem, v katerih be perceived not merely as visual and tactile representations se nakazuje slutnja nerazvidne zemeljske globine, ki iztiska na of ridges and furrows, but also as physical representations of površje svojo reliefno strjujočo se estetsko materijo, v raznolike solitude, volcanic magma matter, hinting at the immeasurable 10 abstraktne površine pa je pričel vtiskovati tudi pismenke. depths of the earth and hardening into textured, aesthetic Črkovna znamenja so postala bistven del njegove širše kulturne, forms as it comes to the surface, and various abstract paintings ne le likovne identitete ter sporočilo nerazvidnega, o katerem featuring engraved characters. These engravings would govore poleg latinskih tudi cirilske in zlasti glagolske črke, s eventually develop into an essential part of his artistic and katerimi se je Bernik srečal na hrastoveljskih freskah, predvsem cultural identity, communicating a mysterious message coded in kot nosilci docela nerazberljivih zapisov, ki vsaj s svojo intencijo Latin, Cyrillic and particularly in Glagolitic letters, which Bernik presegajo kaligrafsko estetiko zgolj likovnih učinkov. Vključil had encountered in the frescoes of Hrastovlje. The characters jih je namreč v slikarsko sporočilo o človeški zgodovini in are composed into entirely indecipherable engravings whose komunikaciji, v kateri je razvidna predvsem še skrivnostnost, intention far exceeds the mere aesthetic effects of calligraphy. namigujejo pa tudi na nemožnost izrekanja tega, kar naj bi Bernik used them to create a painter’s message about human ostalo zamolčano, a se v slutnjah razkriva kot onemeli glas history and communication, highlighting above all the aspect tudi skozi nerazvidnost grafi čnih sledov. Ta lepa in častitljiva of mysteriousness. At the same time, his message hints at the sporočila, pisma, listine, plošče, zapise in dokumente, je inability to utter what should be left unsaid, yet continues to umetnik prežel tudi s trikotniškimi zarezami kot njihovimi (in be revealed in a silent voice, encoded in inscrutable graphic svojimi oziroma človeškimi) ranami in dopolnil z odrgninami, traces. These magnifi cent, venerable messages, letters, deeds, pa tudi s slovesnimi zlatimi obrobami in diagonalami, skratka, plates, writings and documents are scored with triangular cuts z likovnimi sestavinami, ki imajo ob estetskem čaru ves čas tudi (symbolic of the artist’s as well as humanity’s wounds) and svoj skriti globinski pomen, kajti lepota in enigma sta za Bernika fi nished with abrasions. They also feature ceremonial gold eno in isto; arhaičnost, prvinskost, davnina in samota pa so mu borders and diagonals, each element contributing hidden sinonim za bivanjsko zavezanost naravi, kulturi in zgodovini. meaning in addition to its aesthetic function, for Bernik sees beauty and mystery as one and the same. The artist uses S tako umetnostjo iz poznih petdesetih in zgodnjih šestdesetih archaic, primeval, ancient elements and solitude as synonyms of let 20. stoletja, izraženo s tedaj najsodobnejšim informelskim existential dedication to nature, culture and history. in letrističnim likovnim jezikom, je postal Bernik tisti izbranec našega najvplivnejšega galerista Zorana Kržišnika, ki naj bi vpisal These artworks, created in the late 1950s and early 1960s, s svojo primarno ustvarjalno močjo in aktualnostjo povojno expressing the spirit of the Informel and Lettrism movements slovensko likovno umetnost tudi v najširšo kulturno zavest; prevalent at the time, led to Bernik becoming the protégé of to prestižno tekmovalno vključevanje v svetovno odprtost highly infl uential gallerist Zoran Kržišnik. Kržišnik hoped that likovnega dogajanja pa je pomenilo zanj tudi velik ustvarjalni Bernik’s creative power and position at the cutting edge of izziv ter odgovornost in, vsaj gledano z današnjega vidika, ko the art world would contribute towards Slovenian post-war art se je umetnik docela umaknil v malone puščavniško ustvarjalno registering in the global cultural consciousness. For Bernik, the samoto, tudi močno zahtevno obremenitev, ki mu je prinesla prestigious and competitive aspects of being involved in the tako zgodnjo mednarodno slavo kot domačo zavist manj global art scene represented a considerable creative challenge nadarjenih od njega. and responsibility as well as a heavy burden, the extent of which can only be fully understood from today’s perspective, Med Bernikovimi liki in formami, ki arhitektonsko dopolnjujejo knowing that the artist has secluded himself in a state of oziroma uokvirjajo njegovo informelskost in črkovnost, že solitary, creative isolation. The exposure earned Bernik both spočetka, v abstraktno občutenih delih, dominirajo trikotniki early international fame and the envy of less talented artists at in pravokotniki ter posebej »obrzdana« diagonala, kot jo je za home. osrednjo oblikovno konstituanto, ki vnaša v njegovo urejenost dinamiko, prvi označil profesor Marijan Tršar. Po abstraktnejših The shapes and forms that Bernik uses to create architectonic fazah in vzporedno z njimi so vstopili v Bernikovo ustvarjalnost, complements and frames for his Informel and Lettrism themes tako v slikarstvo kot naraščajočo grafi ko, tudi iz duha have been dominated from the very beginning, even in his popularne umetnosti (poparta) izhajajoči predmetni oziroma abstract evocative works, by triangles, rectangles and especially »organski« motivi (med njimi telefoni, žarnice, nosorogi, by diagonal lines. These “restrained” diagonals, as they were baročno razgibani stoli, jabolka in roke), v svoji eksistenci hkrati fi rst described by Prof. Marijan Tršar, are the central formative reistično konkretni, izrazito estetsko prefi njeno izoblikovani in constituents of Bernik’s art, introducing a certain dynamic into simbolni, med posameznimi fi gurami pa izstopa zlasti obličje the order. Following, and parallel to the more abstract stages in slikarjeve izjemno sugestivne žene, slikarke in grafi čarke Adriane his creativity, Bernik began to incorporate in his paintings, and Maraž s fajumsko prodornimi očmi. Pred sredo osemdesetih in his increasingly numerous prints, various fi gurative, “organic” let 20. stoletja, ob svoji petdesetletnici, pa je umetnik doživel motifs in line with the Pop Art movement popular at the time. 11 doslej najintenzivnejši prelom, utemeljen v notranji poglobitvi, These included telephones, light bulbs, rhinoceroses, baroquely v etičnem presojanju človeških pojavov oziroma dejanj in elaborate chairs, apples and hands. Highly aesthetically refi ned, stopnjevanem eshatološkem spraševanju o zadnjih rečeh. these objects are at once realistically concrete and symbolic. Of the fi gures that Bernik portrayed, the most striking is V tej svoji intenziviranosti, usmerjeni docela navznoter, v undoubtedly the face of his wife, painter and printmaker »sence na duši«, se je Bernik motivno oprl na mitično biblijsko Adriana Maraž, with the piercing eyes of a Fayum portrait. izročilo in se oprijel že kar drastično deformirane ekspresivne Before the mid-80s, around his fi ftieth birthday, the artist fi guralike, ki je presenetila z meditativno poglobljeno in experienced his most intense turning point yet, focusing on boleče neposredno, že kar pretresljivo izrazno močjo in s tem internalised questioning, ethical evaluation of people and their vznemirila zlasti pesnike in mislece, ki so ga poslej še raje actions and, increasingly, on an eschatological investigation of interpretirali, iz njihovega delovanja pa je črpal spodbude tudi the fi nal destiny. sam. Njegova sporočila nam, v duhu Dostojevskega, oživljenega prek profesorja Dušana Pirjevca, govore o ljubezni za nič, ki This intensity was directed entirely inwards, towards “the jo pretresljivo oživlja pod Križanim poleg ljubeče matere zlasti shadows in the soul”. Finding his motifs in the mythical biblical zvesta Marija Magdalena; Niko Grafenauer je Bernika dojel kot tradition, Bernik turned to drastically deformed, expressive križanega bogoiskatelja, Tine Hribar kot pričevalca o svetem in fi gures with a power of expression that is almost shocking manihejski razdeljenosti sveta; s stisko in krutostjo svojih fi gur je in its surprising meditative depth and painful directness. This postal blizu obredno zaklinjajočemu se Danetu Zajcu, njegovo proved to be particularly exciting for poets and philosophers umetnost je poleg Zajca upesnjeval tudi Jože Snoj in vključeval who became even fonder of interpreting Bernik’s work, while v svojo prozo Marjan Rožanc. Nekdanji Bernikov profesor he in turn found fresh motivation in their writing. In the spirit of Božidar Jakac, ki je cenil ekspresionizem, pa je umetnika ob Dostoevsky, channelled through Prof. Dušan Pirjevec, Bernik’s prelomni razstavi označil kot vrnulega se izgubljenega sina; messages tell us of love for nothing, expressed so touchingly tudi svetopisemska vrnitev klečečega sinu z romarsko palico, at the feet of Christ on the cross by his loving mother and ki prihaja iz kaosa sveta k odpuščajočemu očetu in domačim the loyal Mary Magdalene; Niko Grafenauer saw Bernik as a hišnim durim, pa sodi med Bernikove kardinalne in najbolj crucifi ed man in search of God, while Tine Hribar described him pomenljive motive. as a witness of everything holy and of the Manichean division of the world; the distress and cruelty of Bernik’s fi gures brought him closer to the ritualistic spells of Dane Zajc; in addition to Zajc, Bernik’s art also inspired the poetry of Jože Snoj and the prose of Marjan Rožanc. After Bernik’s milestone exhibition, his former teacher Božidar Jakac, who valued Expressionism above Seveda ta prelom sam po sebi nikakor ni bil programiran all, described the artist as the prodigal son returning home. The kot pot na novo, marveč likovno izhaja iz vseh dotedanjih biblical return of a son holding a pilgrim’s staff and kneeling in umetnikovih oblikovnih prvin, trikotnikov in diagonal, ki so front of his forgiving father, having come back home from the mu vzbrstele v simbolne asketske človeške pa tudi predvsem chaos of the world, is also one of Bernik’s cardinal and most žrtvene živalske postave, v Molohova žrela in smrtna brezna, meaningful motifs. ter se zgošča iz poudarjenih svetlobnih kontrastov v vsebinski dialog svetlobe in temine, dobrega in zlega, ki ju umetniku Obviously, this turning point in itself was not a brand new simbolizirajo zlasti značilno strogostne svečeniške oziroma direction; rather, it evolved from elements previously favoured demonske postave s spačenimi obličji in groteskno nebotičnimi by Bernik, the triangles and diagonal lines blossoming into svečeniškimi pokrivali, s svojimi rezkimi kretnjami in dejanji symbolic ascetic human fi gures and sacrifi cial animal fi gures, intenzivno zaposlene v vlogah pričevalcev, žrtev in rabljev. Zato into the jaws of Moloch and bottomless pits, the contrasts je skorajda mogoče reči, da je njegova sleherna likovna prvina, between light and shade developing into a substantive dialogue pa tudi motiv (tako kot na primer risbe ofi cirjev, samotarjev, between light and darkness, good and evil. These pairs are trpinov ali človeka s kačami že iz poprejšnjih let), predpostavljala symbolised by typically strict priestly fi gures and demonic fi gures tudi svoj šele pozneje razviden izraziteje oseben smisel, in da with contorted faces and grotesquely tall ceremonial hats, ni bila nobena umetnikova dotedanja črta potegnjena zaman, their sharp gestures and actions placing them into the roles tako kot ni bila, po Ivanu Cankarju, v zgodovini zaman prelita of witnesses, victims and executioners. It could therefore be nobena človeška solza, pa četudi so Berniku radi očitali, da vse argued that every single artistic element or motif (such as, for preveč predano sledi najnovejšim znamenjem časa, ki jih je srkal instance, the sketches of offi cers, loners, sufferers or the man vase in se jim ustvarjalno prepuščal, ker je bil tudi že sam po with snakes from the past years) anticipates a certain personal sebi instinktivno dojemljiv zanja in je v mladosti skušal tudi vse meaning that was not fully realised or developed until later, preizkusiti in posvojiti, zaradi česar je profesor Luc Menaše v and that not a single line drawn by the artist has been wasted, 12 svojem Svetovnem biografskem leksikonu celo konstatiral, da je much like, to quote Ivan Cankar, “not a single tear throughout Bernikov obsežni opus »pravi pregled aktualnega slikarstva in history has been shed in vain”. This is true despite the fact grafi ke v tistem času«. that Bernik was often reproached for keeping too closely with the latest trends, which he always eagerly absorbed and used V umetnosti ustvarjalca, ki je pristal v jedru eksistencialno creatively, since he had an instinctual thirst for knowledge and, usmerjenih in družbeno zavzetih mislecev iz duhovnega okrožja in his youth, a desire to try everything and master everything. It Nove revije, je postal sčasoma jasneje razviden tudi Bernikov was this characteristic of his that led Prof. Luc Menaše to assert razmislek o konkretnejših pojavih človeške družbe, ki ga v in his World Biographical Lexicon that Bernik’s extensive opus poprejšnjem fi guralnem delu evocirajo že silhuetne podobe was “a veritable overview of the current trends in painting and mogotcev na foteljih, t. i. Mandatarjev, zdaj pa se je nakazal printmaking of the time.” bolj na simbolično ideološki ravni zlasti v motiviki slovenskih ikeban z razkrajajočimi se srpi in kladivi. Jedro vse te Bernikove After Bernik found himself in the group of existentialist, socially ustvarjalnosti pa se očitno dviga na univerzalno človeško engaged thinkers from the spiritual circle of Nova revija, his raven, zato je krščansko obarvana oziroma bogoiskateljska art began to refl ect more clearly his thoughts on various motivika v njegovi umetnosti le arhetip, in ne prilagodljivo concrete elements of society that had been evoked in his earlier, znamenje v družbi obujenega katolicizma, kot so si bolj idejno fi gurative works by the silhouetted magnates in armchairs, the kakor umetnostnokritiško razlagali tisti, ki so táko motiviko v Formateurs. Now, these elements were coming through on a njegovi umetnosti dojeli le enostransko oziroma konfesionalno more symbolic, ideological level, particularly in the motifs of ideološko. Slovenian arrangements of decomposing sickles and hammers. It is apparent that the core of Bernik’s creativity is rising to a Človeško umrljivo, a po nesmrtnosti težeče bivanje doživlja universal human level, thus making the themes of Christianity umetnik Janez Bernik kot posvečeno že v njegovem tragičnem and the search for God in his art a mere archetype rather than a smrtnem temelju in zato se temu prilegajo tudi človeški atributi, fl exible symbol of socially revived Catholicism. The latter is how med katerimi izstopa poleg romarske palice obredna sveča, med they were interpreted (with idealistic belief, rather than any kind njegovimi formami pa je dobil posebno veljavo tudi križ, ki mu, of knowledge of art criticism) by people who perceived these v podobi Kristusa brez križa, le z razpetimi rokami, simbolizira themes in Bernik’s art from a one-dimensional, confessional and samotnega, sebi prepuščenega, v nepregledni temini kozmosa ideological point of view. lebdečega žrtvovanega, nebogljenega smrtnega človeka, sámo Uniting mortality and the yearning for immortality, the human existence is something that Janez Bernik perceives as sacred, based as it is on the tragic inevitability of death. Consequently, he depicts appropriate human attributes in his art, focusing znamenje križa pa ga je prevzelo že s preprosto, elementarno particularly on the pilgrim’s staff and ceremonial candle. One formo. Križanje mu je postalo univerzalno znamenje človeškega of the shapes Bernik uses most frequently is the cross, which trpljenja, človeško življenje pa je posameznikov križev pot, ki has seemingly enchanted him with its simple, elementary form. ga je umetnik, da bi poudaril misel o njegovi napornosti in Meanwhile, the image of Christ without the cross but still ustregel svoji težnji po arhitektoniki, v podobah za prenovljeno holding out his arms symbolises a lonely, abandoned, helpless, ljubljansko trnovsko cerkev inventivno postavil celo na strmo mortal human, sacrifi ced to the cosmos and fl oating in its stopnišče, po kakršnem pogosto stopa tudi njegov svečeniški endless darkness. For Bernik, crucifi xion has become a universal in hkrati sleherniški človeški romar. Njegovi fi guraliki pa se je symbol of human suffering, while human life is equated with pridružila še druge vrste arhitektura, posebej motiv svetišča the Stations of the Cross. In order to stress his idea of the (včasih slovesno povzdignjenega na poetično vznesenem diffi cult nature of life and to satisfy his architectonic tastes, stilobatu), ki simbolizira prostor duhovnosti, življenjske the artist created a series of images for the renovated church posvečenosti in milosti, z zavetnim portalom, ki naj bi in Trnovo and inventively installed them on a steep staircase – perspektivično vsrkal vase tudi gledalčevo duhovno navzočnost. exactly the type of staircase often climbed by Bernik’s typical pilgrim, who is at the same time a priest and an everyman. Krščanski ikonografi ji kot najbolj ukoreninjeni v zahodnoevropski Bernik’s fi gures and motifs are now joined by another type duhovni zavesti se v Bernikovem univerzalno občutenem of architecture, particularly a temple (often ceremoniously delu vse bolj pridružuje tudi daljnovzhodni naglas, ki je bil v depicted on a poetically elated stylobate) symbolising the house umetnikovi kaligrafi ji navzoč že spočetka, v zenovsko ubranih of spirituality, sanctity of life and mercy, while its portal creates linearnih in senčno prosojnih ter ponekod fi gurativno aluzivnih perspective to absorb the spiritual presence of the observer. risarskih znamenjih; umetnikov poglobljeno prenovljeni pogled vase pa je pričel likovno uprizarjati predvsem temeljno In addition to Christian iconography, which is the most človeško eksistencialno iskanje in strastno prizadevanje prevalent in the spiritual consciousness of Western Europe, an po spoznanju: iskanje smisla, resnice in odrešitve. Zato si increasing number of Far Eastern touches can now be detected 13 je Bernik za dominantno znamenje tega večnega, že prav in Bernik’s universal art. The Far East has been present in his obsesivnega zavzemanja na novo, a najbrž za vselej izbral works from the very beginning, hidden in the calligraphy and podobo duhovnega dvojnika: konfesionalno neopredeljivega in the Zen-like, linear, translucently shaded, fi gurative and in arhaično brezčasnega, a posvečenega gologlavega in allusive elements. But now, the artist’s insight into himself največkrat golobradega iskalca, meditanta, ki vneto išče, has deepened, and he is focusing on depicting the human dinamično krčevit ali umirjeno zamaknjen, ter vrisuje v existential search and passionate quest for enlightenment: brezbrežno ozemlje svoj krožni ris kot podobo popolnosti the quest for meaning, truth and salvation. That is why Bernik in zaokroženosti, obdan z znamenjem skrivnosti, posebej z chose for the dominant symbol of this eternal, obsessive search večpomensko, mnogoobrazno kačo, ponekod zamišljeno kot a new and probably permanent image of his spiritual double: an uroboros, ali vzdiguje v rokah povešeno oziroma podolžno indefi nable and archaically timeless man, a dedicated searcher obrnjeno osmico, ki pomeni neskončnost; poleg tega pa je with no hat and, usually, no beard, meditative, passionately upodobil tudi nekakšne presojevalce oziroma razsodnike z searching for something, dynamically focused or calmly neizprosno raziskujočim pogledom in fi gure z obličji ali aluzijami pensive, drawing on the limitless land a ring as the image of na fi ziognomije svetovnih ustvarjalcev, ki jih spoštuje, ter človeka perfection and completeness. He is surrounded by mysterious še naprej dojemal predvsem kot smrtno žrtev pred breznom symbols, often a snake with many meanings and many faces, teme, ki jo osvetljuje simbolna luč. Umetnik je v tem času sometimes imagined as an ouroboros, or he holds in his tudi sam in dobesedno postal tak bogoiskalec, redkobeseden hands a sideways eight, the symbol of infi nity. Also depicted svečenik in samotar, navzven pravo nasprotje mladeniču, ki are a group of judges or arbiters with mercilessly searching se je moral nenehno dohitevati, preizkušati in uveljavljati na gazes and fi gures with the faces of or allusions to the physical svetovnih razstavah, a hkrati dedič vseh svojih oziroma njegovih features of various international artists whom Bernik respects. preizkušenj, ki so ga poglobile v odpuščajočega modreca, Above all, Bernik continues to perceive people mainly as dying zaupajočega le še v askezo in bogastvo lastnih izkušenj, v globino victims above a pit of darkness, illuminated by a symbolic light. lastnih doživljanj in spoznanj; zato so te njegove najosebnejše During this period, the artist himself began his search for God, podobe polne življenjske modrosti, a tudi morebitnih travm, becoming a priest and loner of few words, outwardly the exact strahov in vznemirjenj, ki jih lahko na poti večnega romarskega opposite of the young man who was so dedicatedto always iskanja spremljata kozmični brezup in kaotičnost človeške keeping up with the trends, testing the limits and taking part zgodovinske drame, a tudi neugaslo upanje in hrepenenje. in exhibitions across the world. But at the same time, Bernik inherited the young man’s experiences – his own experiences – which transformed him into a wise, forgiving man, trusting only the asceticism and wealth of his own experience, the depth of his own observations and understanding. That is why Vse take Bernikove fi gure so hkrati izrazne in simbolne, navzoče his most personal images are so fi lled with wisdom but also v neizmernem prostranstvu nočnega kozmosa, prežarjenega with potential traumas, fears and excitement; on the path of z dinamičnimi prebliski; potapljajo se v vodovja kot med the pilgrim’s everlasting quest, these emotions can be tinged obrednim krstom in zatapljajo v lasten notranji svet ter se with cosmic hopelessness, chaos and drama of human history, rojevajo iz oblik, ki jih je umetnik gojil, pripravljal in prerajal vse but they can also be touched with inextinguishable hope and življenje, iz organsko povezanih geometrijskih likov, ki pomenijo yearning. temelj njegove abecede, kot ga je eksplicitneje razglasil tudi v ekspresivnih grafi kah s trikotnikom, krogom in pravokotnikom Every one of Bernik’s fi gures is at once expressive and symbolic, oziroma kvadratom, ki jih njegovi iskalci v najrazličnejših present in the endless night of the cosmos, illuminated by kombinacijah prenašajo s seboj in vročično prekladajo tudi dynamic fl ashes; they dive into the water much like in baptism, kot svoje značilne atribute. Njegov likovni jezik je zlogujoče they sink into their own inner world and they are born from the oglat, a tudi spevno zaokrožen, kompozicijsko pretehtan, vse forms that the artist has spent his entire life nursing, preparing bolj zgoščen na bistveno in v osnovi arhitektonski, in tako and improving. These forms are organically linked geometric usmerjen je že od vsega začetka. Zato ni nenavadno, da je shapes that form the basis of Bernik’s artistic alphabet, the umetnik, ki je ustvarjal bronasta znamenja že v času svojega basis that was explicitly announced in Bernik’s expressive prints letrizma, sočasno intenzivneje snoval tudi arhitektonsko depicting triangles, circles, rectangles and squares – shapes poudarjene, v geometrizirani predmetnosti abstraktne in that his fi gures, his searchers carry with them in various fi guralne kipe oziroma objekte (med njimi podobe stopničastih combinations and feverishly stack together as their typical obeliskov in svetih knjig) ter oba koncepta tudi značilno attributes. His artistic language is haltingly edgy but at the povezal v abstraktno-fi guralno enovitost; zamišljal pa si je celo same time poetically rounded, carefully composed, increasingly prave spominsko spomeniške, idealne ateljejske in sakralne focused on the essence and with an architectonic heart, which arhitekture, prav tako temelječe na strmih trikotniških ostrinah. is the way it has been from the very beginning. It is no surprise 14 A je v svojem delu hkrati tudi izrazito gibek in v ekspresivnosti then that while creating bronze signs in his Lettrism period, zverižen, tako kot so poševno priostrena ali vsaj vegasto the artist simultaneously worked intensively on abstract and nagnjena tudi njegova arhitektonska svetišča. Bernikov fi gurative sculptures and objects (including depictions of step ustvarjalni svet, ki je s svojimi prizorišči in neomajnimi akterji obelisks and sacred books) of an architectonic, geometric videti večnosten, je hkrati tudi negotov in gibljiv, kot bi se nature, connecting both concepts into a characteristic abstract- zamajal in poševno ustalil v spokojno odrevenelem duhovnem fi gurative whole. Bernik even imagined genuine memorial vetru ob navzočnosti zvonov, v kakršne se je na nekaterih and commemorative structures, ideal studios and sacred risbah preoblikovala njegova ustvarjalna dlan. Vanj so zajeta architecture, all based on the sharp angles of a triangle. But at zgodovinska izročila in človeške bolečine, vse bolj pa v njem the same time, Bernik’s work is distinctly fl exible and distorted živi tudi zavest o živi navzočnosti mrtvih, ki jih oznanjajo tako in its expressiveness, just like his sharply slanted and crookedly vsepovsod razsuti pokopališki križi kot človeške kosti, nagnetene inclined architectonic temples. The scenes and steadfast v breznih in prerezih zemeljskih plasti, ter v duhovnem izročilu characters of Bernik’s creative world make it seem eternal, but in umetnikovem pesniškem spoznanju temelječi napisi, da je at the same time it is unsure and yielding, as if it had rocked nebo tudi spodaj in da so grobovi tudi na nebu, pri čemer si and settled at an angle in the calm stillness of a spiritual breeze, v Bernikovi ustvarjalnosti podajata roko tako večnostnost kot accompanied by the sound of bells that Bernik’s creative hand aluzije na trpko povojno slovensko zgodovino; tej pa je bil was transformed into in certain sketches. His creative world umetnik v najbolj občutljivih letih, ki se mu vse bolj prebujajo v encompasses historic traditions, human pain and, increasingly, spominu, ponekod tudi sam živa priča. the awareness of the living presence of the deceased, who are denoted by the ever-present graveyard crosses and human Ustvarjalec je v svoji samoti, v iskanju katarze, ki mu jo prinaša bones, crowded in pits and cross-sections of soil. The dead are umetnost, svoje risarske in grafi čne cikle označeval kot Katharsis also present in the inscriptions stating that the sky is also below ad infi nitum in kot Samote; tema dvema in še drugim celotam and the graves are also up in the sky – inscriptions based in pa lahko pripadajo tudi ene in iste podobe, ker je pri Berniku the artist’s spiritual tradition and poetic enlightenment. It is at vse medsebojno povezano. V slike in grafi ke je, po posameznih this point in Bernik’s creativity that eternity meets allusions to dominantnih besedah, kot so trave ali angeli, vse bolj vključeval Slovenia’s bitter post-war history, which the artist witnessed tudi zapise svojih izrekov, ki jih razbiramo že na stenah himself at a highly sensitive age, an age that is now increasingly njegovega ateljeja (npr. Pustiti biti, Riši z levo in ponižno), ter returning to his memory. segmente iz poezije, ki se ji je pričel intenzivneje posvečati zlasti In his solitude and the search for catharsis, which he found in art, Bernik entitled his drawing and print cycles Katharsis ad infi nitum and Solitudes; since everything in Bernik’s work is interconnected, these two and other titles could be used to v osemdesetih letih prejšnjega stoletja, a je vključena v njegove denote one and the same image. Following individual dominant risbe tudi že v desetletju pred tem. V grafi ke je vpisoval tudi words such as grasses or angels, the artist increasingly began celotne pesmi, ki so vsebinsko in po izraznem načinu pravi to include in his paintings and prints various phrases, as well as ekvivalent njegove likovne ustvarjalnosti, tako kot besedilo segments of poetry, that can also be found on the walls of his v značilni krilati angelski postavi, izzvenevajoče s ponižno studio (e.g. Let it be, Draw with your left and with humility). vzhičenim začudenjem verza o čudež, kako vse je. Sčasoma pa Bernik only began to focus intensively on poetry in the 1980s, so pričeli učinkovati kot naslovi njegovih podob kar vanje vpisani even though it is also included in the drawings and sketches he datumi ob podpisnih monogramih in tako je dobila Bernikova created in the previous decade. He would also inscribe entire umetnost ob vsej brezčasnosti tudi značaj osebnega dnevnika poems in his prints, poems whose substantive and expressive umetnikovih meditacij in duhovnih iskanj. V novejšem času, aspects are on a par with his art. One such example is the text zlasti po prelomu tisočletja, se je Berniku ta dnevnik na novo inscribed on a typical winged fi gure of an angel, ending with osredotočil na kontinuirano risanje v majhnih priročnih formatih a humbly ecstatic line how wondrous the way everything is. (A4) in v različnih tehnikah, s čopičem v gvašu in še posebno Eventually, the dates inscribed on the images next to the artist’s s tiskarsko barvo ter s svinčnikom in nazadnje ponovno tudi initials took on the role of titles, giving a new dimension to s perorisbo, in take risbe je umetnik, od nekdaj velik ljubitelj the timelessness of Bernik’s art: it now took on the character knjig, zelo rad prestregel tudi v monumentalne publikacije. of a personal diary for the artist’s meditations and spiritual searching. In recent decades, particularly in the new millennium, Po knjigi risb Črte iz leta 1977, ki velja za njegovo prvo this journal of Bernik’s has focused afresh on continuous small »dnevniško« zamišljeno monografi jo, in Samotah iz leta format drawing (A4) in various techniques: paintbrush with 2002 je leta 2010 izšel izbor risb iz celotnega dotedanjega gouache, printing dyes, pencil and pen and ink drawing. The umetnikovega ustvarjanja z naslovom Nočni dnevnik in leto artist, always a great lover of books, has chosen to publish zatem najnovejša, enako obsežna knjiga perorisb Hvala, many of these drawings in large format publications. mama. Te risbe so videti v svoji mnogobraznosti neizčrpne 15 in so s kompleksno lestvico človeških telesnih in duhovnih Following the book of drawings entitled Lines, published in položajev usmerjene le v bistvene lege človeškega, posebej 1977 and considered to be Bernik’s fi rst “diary” monograph, ustvarjalnega iskanja, sanjanja in životarjenja, a tudi v and Solitudes in 2002, 2010 saw the publication of Night ekstatične vizije o usodi slovenstva. Te nam najdosledneje Diary, a selection of drawings created throughout the artist’s ponazarja cikel Slovenska Guernica, s prispodobnim prikazom entire career. In 2011, he published a collection of pen and ink kaotičnega stanja v razpadajoči stari in nastajajoči novi državi, drawings entitled Thank You, Mother. Portraying a complex zaradi posledic človeške norosti in vsakršnih zablod podobni range of human physical and spiritual positions, these multi- nekakšni prosekturi; iz njega in drugod pa je razvidna tudi faceted drawings focus on the most essential elements of kritika političnih in cerkvenih veljakov in njihovih navad humanity, particularly on creative searching, dreaming and oziroma značajev. V vso to nelagodnost pa se je pričelo vse miserable existence, but also on ecstatic visions about the bolj vključevati tudi umetnikovo osebno, posebej zdravstveno fate of the Slovenian nation. The latter are the most clearly počutje, ki ga danes slikar ob srečanjih najpogosteje pospremlja evident in the cycle entitled The Slovenian Guernica, depicting a s pristavkom Samo da smo zdravi!; toda njegova fi zična metaphorical chaos in the collapsing old country and the rising bolečina ima v sebi gotovo tudi vsesplošnejši pomen, hkrati new country, the follies and delusions of humankind making it pa je gorenjsko nesentimentalni, a vse bolj čustveni umetnik reminiscent of a prosectorium. Criticism of political and church (»Johan iz Breznice«) v táko samoopazovanje vnesel tudi pridih magnates, their habits and characters is evident in this cycle samoironije, ki ga je v zadnjem času ponekod nežno tonsko as well as in other examples of Bernik’s art. Lately, Bernik’s dopolnil kar s posušenimi sledovi blažilne modre frankinje, creative work is also frequently infi ltrated by his personal and pokapljane po risbah. especially his medical condition; when you see him, the artist usually comments on the latter with, As long as we are healthy! V takih intimnih formatih se je pričel vse bolj razkrivati tudi But his physical pain undoubtedly carries with it some kind of Bernikov domišljijski razmah, izražen na primer v večglavo general meaning. At the same time, the typically unsentimental, razraščenih fi gurah, grotesknih kot v kalejdoskopskem yet increasingly emotional artist (“Johan of Breznica”) has blodnjaku fantastičnega srednjega veka, vse življenjske situacije introduced a hint of self-irony into his self-examinations, adding pa so v njegovih risbah zajete malone kot situacijski vzorci, ki to his drawings a gentle fi nishing touch in the form of droplets zarisujejo zgodbe človeške samote, ustvarjalnih prizadevanj in of the soothing Blaufränkisch wine. razmišljanj, medčloveških osebnih odnosov ter umetnikovih It is in these intimate formats that Bernik’s imagination shines through, expressed for instance in the grotesque, multi- headed fi gures, reminiscent of something from a fantastical, kaleidoscopic, Medieval maze. Life situations are depicted in spominov. V njih je posebej pogosto tematiziran raznovrstno his drawings in the form of situational patterns, encompassing pomenljiv dialog med moškim in žensko ali med človeško fi guro stories of human solitude, creative endeavours, contemplation, in nepogrešljivimi poetičnimi ptički (ki se v resnici zbirajo na interpersonal relationships and the artist’s own memories. krmilni plošči pod Bernikovim brezniškim ateljejskim oknom in Frequent themes include meaningful dialogues between man se z njimi umetnik dobro razume in jih ima rad). V ustvarjalčev and woman or between a human fi gure and the requisite spomin pa se vse bolj vrivajo tudi misli na gunceljsko otroštvo poetic birds (in real life, birds such as these gather around pod Šmarno goro, ko ga je klicala mama z besedami: Janez, the feeder under the window of Bernik’s studio in Breznica; takoj domov ali Janez, večerjat. the artist loves them and gets along with them). The artist’s memory is now often invaded with thoughts of his childhood Očitno je, da je pričel umetnik več kot prostodušno, bolj kot z in Gunclje, at the foot of Šmarna gora, when his mother would resignacijo z vse večjim humorjem in samoumevnostjo zarisovati call him: Janez, come home right now, or Janez, dinner’s ready. vse svoje miselne prebliske, načrte, spomeniške utopije in družbene komentarje, na risbi z napisom Pouk risanja – It is apparent that Bernik has begun to freely include in his je ribolov kot akademijski profesor na primer tudi misel o art – with increasing humour and self-evidence rather than ribiču, ki ima srečo, če dobi v roke (oziroma na trnek) pravega with resignation – every one of his thoughts, plans, utopian študenta. Táko dnevniško dokumentiranje in izpovedovanje monuments and social commentaries. His professorial nature, se mu nenehno dogaja noč in dan in se mu, kot v oživelih for instance, shines through in the drawing entitled Teaching ustvarjalnih sanjah, kar sámo vriva tudi v današnje linearne Drawing – Is Fishing, illustrating the idea that a fi sherman risbe. Več kot zanesljiva roka mu vse te hipoma porojene zamisli is fortunate if he gets the right student in his hands (or on dojemljivo prestreza, sproti oživlja in usklaja (ter se morda his hook). The artist is constantly experiencing this type of sama sebi čudi), medtem ko se z njo povezana umetnikova expression and recording of thoughts; it is happening day zavest docela neprisiljeno predaja primarnemu risarskemu and night and, like a creative dream come true, it is invading 16 impulzu, izrečenemu na Bernikov najosebnejši način. Svobodno his most recent linear drawings. His reliable hand catches se mu prepušča v dopuščanju, naj traja, dokler traja, torej every idea the moment it is born, bringing it to life (perhaps dokler se ne izčrpa in sam po sebi ne izprazni ali spremeni. astonishing even itself as it does so), while the artist’s Tudi skozi táko neposrednost risbe in prostodušno zaupanje consciousness calmly devotes itself to his primary drawing njenemu nagovarjanju pa je več kot razvidna vsa Bernikova impulse, expressed in the most personal manner known to dotedanja risarska izkušnja, temelječa na nenehnem iskanju him. He surrenders himself to this impulse, allowing it to last in neprekosljivem znanju, s katerim se je umetnik, ki predobro for as long as it can, until the mysterious resource is exhausted riše, nekoč celo zavestno »spopadel«, da bi ne zapadel v golo and emptied or altered in some other way. It is through this virtuoznost, in je zato ponekod v resnici slikal celo z levo roko in directness of drawing, through this trusting confi dence in its miže. V knjigo Črte pa je kot motto vključil trikotniško oziroma encouragement, that the wealth of Bernik’s drawing experience piramidasto izoblikovano pesem Črta ter v njenem zadnjem, really comes into its own. This experience is based on a temeljnem verzu risarsko črto izenačil z besedo in njenimi constant search, on unparalleled knowledge; the artist, able to raznolikimi pomeni: črta kot beseda seme pomenja krasi odkriva draw too well for his own liking, once consciously “attacked” in plaši ljubi in mori. his own knowledge in order to prevent himself from ending up as a mere virtuoso. Sometimes, he actually did paint with his Poleg prevladujočih fi gur se v Bernikove nadaljnje risarske left hand and his eyes closed. As a sort of motto, Bernik’s book dnevnike vrivajo tudi aluzije na posvečenost alpsko mogočne Lines includes a pyramid-shaped poem entitled Line; in its fi nal, gorenjske narave, v katero umetnik postavlja poleg gotskih crucial verse, the line of a drawing is equated with words and Križanj tudi svoja ustvarjalno zamišljena svetišča, in spomini the many meanings they carry: lines like words plant seeds of na kulturne spomenike slovenstva, oživeli v risbah zveriženo meaning exposing and frightening loving and killing. konstrukcijskih, a jasno prepoznavnih zgodovinskih cerkva od Sv. Marka v Prešernovi Vrbi in srednjeveške romanske Zgornje In addition to the pervasive fi gures, Bernik’s later drawing Drage pri Stični ali gotskega Crngroba dalje. Z zapisanimi diaries also include allusions to the sanctity of the magnifi cent besedili na nekaterih risbah, največkrat hudomušno grotesknimi, Alpine landscape of Gorenjska, which the artist has scattered pa je umetnik poleg stanj svojega notranjega življenja ter with Gothic crosses and creatively imagined temples. There are človeških obsesij razkril tudi svoje poglede na estetiko, saj je also remembrances of Slovenian cultural monuments, brought ponekod te risbe pol zares pol humorno tudi sam pokomentiral, to life in drawings of distorted, yet clearly recognisable historical češ da so »čačkarije« resna stvar in da bi moral biti z baročnimi churches from the church of St. Marko in Vrba – the home of poet France Prešeren – and the Medieval Romanesque church in Zgornja Draga near Stična to the Gothic church in Crngrob and others. The inscriptions on some of the drawings are often humorously grotesque, describing the artist’s inner life črticami, ki jih je vse preveč, bolj previden. Še posebej ironično and human obsessions as well as his views on the aesthetic: pa je skoznje razvidna kritika nekdanjega političnega režima, on several of the drawings, he comments half-jokingly that katerega posledice vidi umetnik v idejno uniformiranih ljudeh “doodles” are a serious thing and that he should be more kot smešnih zadrtežih, zagledanih v idealizirano polpreteklost, sparing with his many Baroque lines. The drawings also refl ect ki se mu razkriva kot zgodovinska groteska ali vse do danes the artist’s ironic criticism of the former political regime, nadaljujoča se farsa. Vse bolj pa ga prevzema spoznanje in showing its consequences in the form of uniformed people, zavedanje, da je resnično pomembno in smiselno le notranje ridiculous in their obstinacy, obsessed with an idealised image življenje, do kraja prepuščeno ustvarjalni svobodi. Zato sije iz of the recent past. Meanwhile, the artist reveals this past as a teh neobremenjeno razcvetenih risb tudi umetnikova kmečka historical grotesque or a farce continuing into the present day. modrost, ki je ne ovirajo ne zunanja pričakovanja ne nepotrebni He is also becoming increasingly aware of the fact that the only nasveti morebitnih kuratorjev ne cenzure, ki bi jim bil lahko thing true and meaningful is inner life, infused through and Bernik kot z vseh strani opazovani in občudovani slikar podvržen, through with creative freedom. Consequently, these liberated, ampak se njegova črta počuti kot znanilka do kraja svobodnega, blossoming drawings seem to glow with Bernik’s simple po zračni belini listov drsečega ali plešočega življenjskega utripa wisdom, unencumbered by external expectations, superfl uous in pomeni ustvarjalcu pravo in edino odrešitev. advice from potential curators or censorship. As an admired artist in the public eye, Bernik could well be subject to such Iz risb v knjigi Nočni dnevnik je razvidna polstoletna panorama hindrances, but instead his line feels like a harbinger of life in Bernikovega risarskega »razvoja«, ki nikakor ni preprosto total freedom. Dancing and gliding around on the pure white linearen, marveč se na poti naprej venomer vrača v lastno paper, the line represents the only real and true salvation for the bližnjo in daljno preteklost; knjiga Hvala, mama pa temelji na artist. časovno najnovejših linearnih risbah iz poglavja Ko bolečina ne boli več v poprejšnji publikaciji ter posredno na njihovih The drawings in Night Diary illustrate fi fty years of Bernik’s starejših predhodnicah, slikovito »razmršenih« perorisbah iz development as a drawer. Rather than developing in a simple 17 sedemdesetih let 20. stoletja. Te malone fi ligransko pretanjene linear manner, he kept returning to his immediate and distant drobne črtne risbe so mu nenadoma pomladno vzbrstele z past before continuing the way forward. The book Thank You, neštetimi poganjki, ki so pričeli rasti fi guram celo iz glav in Mother collects Bernik’s most recent linear drawings based se mu vsepovsod razcvetati v prave rože ter frfotati tudi po directly on the chapter entitled When Pain No Longer Hurts zraku kot metulji. Take poetično zvrtinčene peresno tanke from his previous publication and based somewhat more črte, črtice in pike so pognale po ozračju Bernikovih risb, po indirectly on the picturesquely messy pen and ink drawings he obličjih in draperijah njegovih fi gur kot z botticellijevskega created in the 1970s. These tiny drawings with their fi ligrees of travnika Bernikove notranjosti (in nad njimi se je Bernika lines suddenly burst into spring, with countless shoots growing občudujoči Marijan Tršar tako navdušil, da jim je posvetil svoje even from people’s heads, blossoming into real fl owers and zadnje, predsmrtno besedilo, četudi se je bil pred tem odločil, fl ying through the air like butterfl ies. Poetically swirled, hairline da ne bo več pisal). Nato pa se je ta razcvet nadaljeval in se thin lines and dots suddenly appeared in Bernik’s drawings, še vedno preraja, ponekod v pravcatih risarskih metežih, saj on the faces and clothes of his characters, as if springing from umetniku linijski poganjki dobesedno pršijo kot cvetlični ali a Botticellian meadow in Bernik’s soul. Marijan Tršar, a great zvezdni prah ali se mu vrtinčijo in pikčasto razblinjajo po risbah admirer of Bernik, was so inspired by them that he went back kot roj žuželk in ščebet ptic in jih tako poživljajo s pomladnim on his decision to never write again and dedicated one fi nal organskim življenjem, v katerem pa je v drobencljavih učinkih text before his death to Bernik’s lines and dots. The blossoming ponekod razvidna tudi že kal nič manj estetsko žive krhko continued and still lasts today, sometimes expressed in veritable prasketajoče jesenske dračevine oziroma prefi njeno razvejane fl urries, with shoots of lines bursting from the artist’s pen like suhljadi. Umetnik je s tovrstnimi risbami bogato opremil pollen or stardust, swirling around his drawings and dotting nekoliko spremenjeni ponatis svoje pesniške zbirke Nikogar them like swarms of insects or birdsong. These elements infuse ni k večerji z novim, sproščujočim naslovom Kako velik je Bernik’s drawings with the organic life of spring, but here and dan, sčasoma pa se mu je krhko razcvetena risba ponekod there they are sprinkled with the fi rst signs of autumn, with spet bolj monumentalno in arhitektonsko okrepila ali zjedrila aesthetically crackling dry leaves and branches. The artist used v poudarjeni osredotočenosti le na temeljne silhuetne obrise these types of drawings to illustrate the amended second in je danes z vsemi svojimi možnostmi – od redukcionistične edition of his collection of poems previously entitled Nobody lapidarnosti do zvrtinčeno in vitičasto vzbrstele razigranosti – Is Coming to Dinner but now bearing a new, friendlier title odprta vsemu, kar obvladuje in obiskuje Bernikovo poetično of How Great the Day. His fragile, blossoming drawing style eventually grew more monumental, focusing once again on architectonic elements. Today, every aspect of it – from reductionist conciseness to swirling, tendrilled playfulness – is open to everything that dominates and permeates Bernik’s in kritično zavest in podzavest. Vsaka njegova misel ali njen poetic and critical conscious and subconscious. At any given utrinek in občutenje si lahko hipoma najde svojo ustrezno moment, his every thought and feeling will take on exactly the formo in vsaka njegova forma si lahko odkrije svoj pravi pomen, right form and every form will fi nd its own true meaning; even vse njihove kombinacije in povezave pa so tudi v največji at their most surprising, the combinations and connections of presenetljivosti vselej samoumevne, v likovnem prijemu enovite these forms are self-evident, united in their artistic style and in za današnjega Bernika več kot naravne. Janez Bernik se s more than natural for the Bernik of today. Janez Bernik uses takim risanjem, ki ga, kadar ne more spati, včasih pokliče k delu these drawings – sometimes even at night, if he has trouble tudi sredi noči, odrešuje, tolaži, sprošča in razveseljuje ter ob sleeping – to redeem, console, relax and delight himself and to njem zbira fi zične moči za nove, prihodnje slikarske umetnine, gather fresh strength for future painting masterpieces, great in velike tudi po formatih. the fi gurative and literal sense.

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Na prvi razstavi v novoustanovljeni galeriji ljubljanske Univerze Considering the scope of the artist’s dairy drawings and glede na umetnikov današnji dnevniško risarski razmah in spatial limitations, the fi rst exhibition in the newly established prostorske možnosti številčno prevladuje izbor takih najnovejših University of Ljubljana gallery offers a selection of Bernik’s risb, v katerih je spet več arhitektonike, pa tudi polno Bernikovih latest drawings that display many architectonic elements while značilnih miselnih situacij in domišljije, ki jo najbolj neposredno also focusing on mental situations and the imagination that ponazarjajo človeške postave s kozlovsko rogatimi in goveje is so characteristic of the artist; it is perhaps most directly razpotegnjenimi obličji. V njih sta zajeta Bernikova misel in represented in the human fi gures with goat horns and cattle- čustveni izraz, sama risba pa je umetniku samodejen jezik, ki like distorted faces. While the fi gures are symbolic of Bernik’s ga izgovarja v svojem docela osebnem, že dodobra utrjenem, a thought and emotional expression, drawing in itself is an almost 18 nikakor ne okostenelem, marveč gibko prilagodljivem linearnem automatic language for the artist – a language that is expressed slogu. in a highly personal, well established linear style that is elastic and fl exible rather than fossilised and stale. Ta slog je krčevito prvinski, izrazen in zato zverižen, ponekod do igrivo obarvane groteske. S takim jezikom pa umetnik This style is fi rmly primeval, expressive and sometimes distorted izraža ali le na videz deformira tudi lepotne ideale, še zlasti to the extent that it becomes playfully grotesque. It is this svoj aristokratski pogled na krasotne ženske kot simbol lepote, visual language that Bernik uses to express or seemingly to četudi so njihovi fi guralni obrisi bolj ali manj spačeni in zveriženi. deform ideals of beauty, particularly his own aristocratic view V tem pogledu je umetnik v gotiko zagledan in v Nemčiji sprejet of gorgeous women as symbols of beauty, even though their severnjak; a v pričujočih risbah je ta ekspresionizem ponekod outlines are more or less misshapen and deformed. It is this spet močno umirjen v bernikovsko klasiko in so zato njegove Gothic aspect that makes Bernik beloved in Germany. In these ženske, kot je na risbi zapisal sam umetnik, »lepo grde«. drawings, however, his expressionism is often less explicit, closer Klasično ital(ijan)sko umetnost ustvarjalec, ki je v nekdanjih to the classic Bernik; according to his own inscription on a risbah učinkovito prerajal v svoj osebni izrazni jezik tudi slovesne drawing, his women are “beautifully ugly.” Classic Italian (and renesančne portrete, prav tako občuduje kot severnjaško, ker Italic) art is just as beloved by the artist as Northern art, which njegov estetski svet nikakor ni enostransko zamejen. Marsikje indicates the broadness and open-mindedness of his aesthetic je v svojih najnovejših risarskih vzorcih pretkan tudi s cvetlično world. In fact, in some of Bernik’s older drawings, he dealt lepotnim ornamentom secesije, iz katere se mu izvija ekspresija, with ceremonial Renaissance portraits, giving them his own kot se je nekdaj Schieleju, sicer pa je usmerjen v sodobno expressive touch. Meanwhile, many of his later drawings are občutenje skozi ekspresionistični spomin na srednji vek s reminiscent of Schiele in that they display beautiful Art Nouveau prišiljenimi oblikami, ki so bile močno pri srcu že slovenskim fl oral ornaments with an expressive aspect. In general, however, ekspresionistom, in se mu spreminjajo in razraščajo tako v Bernik is focused on modern emotiveness, portrayed in the antropomorfne obrise in sestavine kot v oglato razčlenjene, expressionistic memories of the Middle Ages; he uses sharpened proti vrhu zožujoče se človeške piramide, če se zdi umetniku shapes – earlier so beloved of the Slovenian Expressionists – potrebno, prostorsko oziroma perspektivično defi nirane tudi which transform and grow into anthropomorphic forms and v svoji linearnosti. V Nočnem dnevniku pa Bernik naseljuje in elements as well as into angularly segmented human pyramids, udomačuje priostreno gorenjsko pokrajino ne le z umišljenimi their spatial properties and perspective defi ned in their linearity cerkvami, marveč s svojimi sicer zveriženimi klasičnimi, whenever the artist thinks it necessary. In his Night Diary, Bernik tames and enlivens the sharp Gorenjska landscape by adding imaginary churches. Moreover, his distorted images of classical Mediterranean architecture reference Italy, announcing a visit to an Italian Classicist Palladian villa (as well as a detour to the mediteranskimi arhitekturami obiskuje tudi Italijo oziroma distant Japan). His drawing formulations repeatedly combine napoveduje obisk italijanske klasicistične Palladijeve vile (pa fi rm architectonics, poetic reverie and strongly expressive tudi odhod na oddaljeno Japonsko) ter v risarskih formulacijah elements. His most characteristic temples, decorated with vedno znova povezuje čvrsto arhitektoniko, poetično rosettes above portals, are Romanesque rather than Gothic izsanjanost in krčevito izraznost; tudi njegova najznačilnejša in style; when their sharp basilica construction is softened by svetišča z rozetami nad portali na fasadah pa so v osnovi prej elegant volutes on the façade, the style could even be described kot gotska usklajeno romanska ali s spevnimi volutami, ki na as Renaissance or Baroque. fasadnih kulisah ponekod mehko ublažujejo njihovo stopničasto priostreno bazilikalno konstrukcijo, tudi renesančna in baročna. Even in his latest drawings, when dealing with human relationships, Bernik tends to dwell on the universal, the personal Tudi na teh najnovejših risbah se razmerja med ljudmi Berniku and familial relationship between man and woman (below his najraje združujejo v univerzalen in osebno-družinski odnos drawing of a fi gure, likely a priest in a robe with fl owers in his med moškim in žensko (na eni izmed njih – pod fi guro najbrž hands, this inscription can be read: They say that he had an duhovniškega moža v halji in z rožami v rokah – je razviden unhappy marriage; who knows, perhaps that is an excuse for napis: Pravijo, da je bil nesrečen v zakonu, kdo ve, če ni to his matters). His drawings focus on humour and wittiness, often izgovor za njegove stvari). Usmerjajo se v humor in duhovitost, based on the artist’s favourite – puns and their hidden or extra ki ničkolikokrat temelji tudi na umetniku vselej nadvse ljubih meanings, which is something that Bernik has always been fond besednih igrah oziroma vanje zajetih skritih in dodatnih of (One of them, fi rmly grounded in the cultural memory of a pomenih, ki so Berniku od nekdaj zelo blizu. (Eden od njih, comic paper and supported with the painter’s awareness of his zasidran v kulturnem spominu na humoristični časopis in own humour and frequent depiction of birds, is captured in podkrepljen s slikarjevo zavestjo o njegovem lastnem humorju the words Little owl on a stick.). From an old-age perspective, ter pogosti navzočnosti ptičev, je zajet v besedah Čuk na palci.) Bernik now increasingly perceives even the seriousness of Iz starostne perspektive pa se danes Berniku tudi resnost human searching, embodied in majestic wise men with 19 človeških iskanj, ki mu jih utelešajo veličastni modrijani s svojimi unusual attributes, as a grotesque, fruitless endeavour – which nenavadnimi atributi, vse bolj izkazuje tudi kot groteska, nevertheless carries a distinctive creative foundation and meaning kot jalovo prizadevanje, ki pa ima za umetnika vselej izrazito – and as a Prešeren-esque revelation that “we fi lled barrels with ustvarjalno osnovo in pomen, ter kot prešernovsko spoznanje, no bottoms.” Bernik, however, increasingly shrouds even such da »smo brez dna polnili sode«. A tudi taka spoznanja Bernik revelations in redemptive, relaxed, all-knowing and all-forgiving vse bolj ovija v odrešujoče sproščen in vserazumevajoč ter humour. Even the tall hats on his priests, once so severe, now odpuščajoč humor, zato so tudi visoka pokrivala njegovih seem like nothing more than theatrical caps of mediocre chefs nekdanjih smrtno strogih svečenikov zdaj videti le še teatralne who serve to add the spice of absurdity to life or to increase its kape vsakršnih kuharjev, ki nam absurdno začinjajo življenje ali vapidity. At the same time, the timeless cloths – robes that are stopnjujejo njegovo plehkost; obenem pa so brezčasne draperije, at once ascetic and opulent in their Roman dignity, tunics and posebno hkrati asketske in v rimljanski dostojanstvenosti uniforms decorated with dark lining, epaulettes and chevrons – in razkošne halje in različne, z epoletami in našivki ter all their wittiness and artistic splendour clearly demonstrate the potemnjenimi obrobami odlikovane tunike in uniforme ob vsej artist’s vision. His eyes piercing through the blindness of history, duhovitosti in priložnosti za razčlenjevanje likovnega bogastva Bernik knows how to portray these “skirts” with irony without tudi jasno pričevanje o umetnikovem pogledu, ki strmi na vse eliminating their grandiose character; he simply infuses them tudi skozi slepoto zgodovine in zna ironizirati tudi majestetičnost with ambivalence. Meanwhile, his drawings of young women takih »kikel«, ne da bi jo ukinil, ampak vsemu vdihuje sometimes look like coquettishly dressed naïve princesses straight večpomenskost oziroma ambivalentnost. Njegove celopostavne from a fairytale or a children’s theatre. mlade žene pa so ponekod videti kot koketno kostumirane naivne princese iz pravljic ali z mladinskih odrov. In Bernik’s latest work, even his architecture and strict architectonics sometimes come down from their high pedestal. Z visokega piedestala sta v Bernikovem današnjem delu This is true of upward staircases in particular: the artist, with ponekod spuščeni tudi njegova arhitektura in stroga his focus on the world of symbols, perceives them as symbolic arhitektonika, posebej kvišku usmerjena stopnišča, ki umetniku, of the human struggle to reach the goal or sometimes as zazrtemu v svet simbolov, simbolizirajo človekovo naporno victorious Olympic steps; but, on one of the exhibited drawings, pot do cilja ali ponekod olimpijsko zmagovalnih stopnic, na the stairs are no more than an everyday, practical obstacle for razstavljenih risbah pa so za postavo, ko se spušča po njih, the fi gure descending them. The artist’s commentary is simply: Be careful on these stairs, Fonze, they’re not 19 cm. Fonze, his joints angular, his legs and arm waving like a swimmer about to dive in, echoes the angular nature of the stairs and serves as another element in the unifi ed artistic architectonics, lightly s svojo višino le še vsakdanja praktična ovira, ki jo umetnik cutting through the expansive space. The physiognomy of at komentira z besedami: Fonze, pazi na stopnice, te niso 19 least some of the fi gures portrayed unquestionably refl ects the cm. Sam Fonze na njih pa se s svojimi oglatimi pregibi, z patriarchal, striking, somewhat Picasso-esque face of the artist nogami in z roko, s katero je zakrilil kot plavalec pred skokom, himself; this is particularly true of the prophetically majestic old usklaja z oglatostjo stopnic in vzpostavlja z njimi enovito man in a robe, sitting in contemplation on a characteristic block likovno arhitektoniko, lahkotno zarezano v zračen prostor. of stone or walking solemnly with his arms grasping a staff or Tudi v fi ziognomijah vsaj nekaterih izmed teh postav lahko reaching out in rapture towards his fate. However, Bernik’s life nedvoumno ugledamo patriarhovsko markantno umetnikovo revelation – “Enraptured rest is not a waste; it is a mercy” – can nekoliko picassovsko obličje, posebej v preroško veličastnem also be communicated by a less majestic fi gure. The enigmatic starcu v halji, zamišljeno sedečem na značilnem kvadru ali inscription below a suggestive, Christ-like fi gure standing in slovesno vznemirjeno stopajočem z vzneseno izproženimi, shoes on the edge of an angular pedestal, holding a rake and a usodo sprejemajočimi rokami ali s palico v rokah; Bernikovo bird, is related to Bernik (reportedly, he would sometimes feel življenjsko spoznanje: Zamaknjeno počivanje ni potrata, je sick of himself): No matter where I put that B, it’s always too milost, pa nam lahko sporoča tudi manj majestetična postava. much. (The letter B in a medallion is the artist’s characteristic Na samega Bernika, ki naj bi bil včasih celo samemu sebi signature and is present in all of these drawings. He often presedal, se nanaša tudi enigmatičen napis pod sugestivno places it in the midst of words in a particularly meaningful or kristusovsko fi guro, stoječo v šolnih na robu oglatega contextually relevant position.) podstavka, z dvojnimi grabljami v dlaneh in ptičem na njih: Kamorkoli napravim tisti B, je odveč. (Črko B v medaljonu, ki Bernik’s dignifi ed creatures, dressed in stately “skirts”, carry nastopa na vseh teh risbah kot značilni umetnikov podpis, pa in their hands ordinary tools that are at once concrete and je Bernik še večkrat postavil med besede na posebej pomenljivo symbolic, indicating not just a connection with the earth and oziroma kontekstualno osmišljeno mesto.) with everyday work but also reminding us of the rough, rustic 20 nature of humanity and of a time dominated by the primeval Umetnikove dostojanstvene kreature v častitljivih »kiklah« nosijo pickaxe and shovel. In this spirit, a shirtless man carries a tool v rokah tudi konkretna in hkrati simbolično pojmovana običajna with a pickaxe head on one side and shovel on the other; orodja, ki ne nakazujejo le zveze z zemljo in vsakdanjim delom, he is spurred on by the inscription: Attack, pickaxe behind, marveč opozarjajo tudi na človeško grobost in rustikalnost shovel in front. Elsewhere under a similarly “armed” fi gure, ter na čas, ki ga je obvladovala prvenstvena veljava krampa as well as under a more ritualistic, relaxed fi gure surrounded in lopate. V tem znamenju ima na eni strani držala kramp in by candles, there are humorous ponderings and “globalised” na drugi lopato na primer do pasu razgaljeni možakar, ki ga long-reaching geographical messages regarding “strategically” opogumlja podnapis: Gremo v napad, zadaj kramp, spredaj sudden changes of location: The Gradaščica fl ows into the lopata. Spet drugod pod tako »oboroženo« fi guro, pa tudi Black Sea – and onwards out of storms and into the Sorca and pod bolj obredno spokojno postavo med svečami, preberemo Dragonja; I’m back from Kamchatka tomorrow – see you in Vič. hudomušna modrovanja in »zglobalizirano« daljnosežna Sometimes, Bernik’s fi gures hold staffs that go through a typical geografska sporočila o »strateško« nenadnih krajevnih magical metamorphosis, transforming into metaphorically premikih: Gradaščica teče v Črno morje – in naprej iz neviht tangled, fantastical knots of deformed geometrical shapes, v Sorco in Dragonjo; S Kamčatke pridem jutri – se vidimo na growing into a palm tree trunk, theatrically transforming into Viču; ali pa se fi guram palica v značilnih »coprnijah« slikarjevih a constructional sculpture or coming to life as an inquisitive brezštevilnih metamorfoz spreminja v metaforično zavozlan horned snake. If a fi gure is holding two staffs, one of them is fantastičen preplet skrotovičenih geometrijskih oblik, se likely to become entangled with the other. rogovilasto razcveta v palmetno steblo, teatralno spreminja v konstrukcijsko skulpturo ali oživi v zvedavo rogato kačo. Kadar Sometimes the lines themselves are transformed into memories drži fi gura v rokah kar dve palici, pa se ji prva najraje z ročajem of the picturesquely scattered, broken letters, perhaps zapleta v drugo. demolished by a heavy hammer wielded by one of Bernik’s fi gures; the artist sometimes puts a hammer or a mallet, Sámo črtovje se umetniku ponekod spremeni tudi v spomin na artistically equated with a poisonous mushroom (of which there nekdanje slikovito razpredene oziroma razsute pismenke, ki jih are plenty in Bernik’s opus of drawings), into the hands of je morda razbilo grobo kladivo v rokah fi gure; kladivo oziroma occasionally ruthless observers. They are free to use the hammer macolo, likovno izenačeno s strupeno gobo, kakršnih sicer v on Bernik’s art, much like they used it – entirely unjustly – on Bernikovem risarskem opusu ne manjka, pa umetnik izroča tudi the artist himself in the past. New combinations and complements are used to connect all of these relationships into stories and sequences, something that the artist has previously sometimes focused on in two of his latest books of drawings. With the previously unseen drawings rokam včasih neusmiljenih gledalcev, ki se lahko z njim znašajo in this exhibition, he has gone a step further, using adhesive nad umetninami, tako kot so se docela po krivici tudi že nad tape to improvise connections between pairs of drawings and njim samim. establish relationships between the themes portrayed. It is these relationships that are established between various drawings at Vsa ta razmerja se v vedno novih kombinacijah in dopolnitvah any given moment that are especially attractive to the artist, povezujejo v pričevanja in zgodbe ter v nizanje sentenc, ki jih since the selection and positioning of the drawings in his books je umetnik deloma izpostavil že v obeh najnovejših risarskih are based on their “composition”. Bernik is also drawn to knjigah. Na razstavljenih, doslej še nepredstavljenih risbah pa the random relationships created by the infrequent visitors he jih je še posebej zaznamoval, ko je po dve pokončni risbi z receives; picking up and selecting his drawings from piles of lepilnim trakom provizorično povezal v podolžna t. i. dvojčka in hundreds and hundreds of pages; they stack and connect these obe sestavini usmeril v medsebojen odnos. Prav ta medsebojna drawings into new substantive and artistic contexts, into sets razmerja, ki se med risbami sproti vzpostavljajo, pa umetnika that the artist can look at with fresh eyes and wonder at all the še posebej privlačijo, saj temeljijo izbor in knjižna soočenja new stories they have to tell. njegovih tovrstnih risb ravno na njihovi »kompoziciji«. Umetnika pa značilno pritegujejo tudi razmerja, kakršna se vzpostavljajo These relationships presuppose a formative coordination of the pod prsti njegovih danes redkih obiskovalcev, kadar dvigajo artistic dialogue – especially between the rhythm of the fi gures risbe s kupov, razvrščenih po sto in sto listov, in jih med and their gestures and movements – and meaningfulness of ogledovanjem in izbiranjem premeščajo ter povezujejo v vedno substantive relations, especially when it comes to confrontations nove vsebinske oziroma likovne kontekste, v sklope, ki jim of man and woman, “cook” and bird, artist and creation, blank potem celo sam avtor na novo prisluškuje in se jim začudi kot canvas and observer or a fi gurative artwork that likes to frown tudi zanj novim »zgodbam«. at observers and often even to stick its tongue out at them. Even when it comes to apparently humorous situations, reminiscent of Taka razmerja predpostavljajo oblikovno usklajen likovni dialog, satire or caricature, or where fl eeting reactions to observations 21 posebej med ritmiziranostjo postav oziroma njihovih kretenj in of banal quotidian life are concerned, the artistic design of nagibov, ter pomenljivost vsebinskih relacij, posebno soočenja Bernik’s fi gures – usually slim or draped with architectonically moškega in ženske, »kuharja« in ptice, umetnika in stvaritve segmented fabric – infuses his drawings with a certain ali še praznega platna ter gledalca in fi guralne umetnine, monumental, expressive character. This gives the drawings the ki se pred opazovalcem rada namrdne ali mu pogosto celo status of distinctive artworks, even if they are less severe, less predrzno pokaže jezik. Tudi če gre za navidez humorne eschatologically binding and more relaxed, more playfully pensive situacije, spominjajoče na satire ali stripovske karikature, ali than they used to be. Within the architectonic design of his celo za bežne reakcije na opažanja iz banalne vsakdanjosti, drawings, Bernik is focused on the striking faces that he always sama likovna zasnova teh praviloma vitkih ali z arhitektonsko comes back to and that continue to illustrate his extraordinary razčlenjeno draperijo obloženih postav vdihuje risbam likovno powers of creation, on masterfully intertwined, angular fi nger monumentalnost in izraznost, ki jim dajeta status izrazitih, knuckles and on eternally bare legs, whose large pilgrim’s feet četudi danes manj resnobno in eshatološko zavezujočih in and expertly shortened perspectives frequently serve as tectonic bolj sproščeno ter igrivo zamišljenih umetnin. Znotraj njihove bases for the observer’s investigating eyes. Within this linear arhitektonske zasnove se umetnik osredotoča na markantna framework, the artist works at once instinctively and deliberately obličja, ki se mu venomer prerajajo in vedno znova ponazarjajo to bring his drawings to life with picturesque structures, empty njegovo izjemno živo stvariteljsko predstavno moč, ter na spaces, masses of lines on clothes and faces, ruffl ed beards and mojstrsko zgoščene preplete oglatih prstnih členkov na rokah thick, dishevelled hair, intensively black spaces, dots of all kinds, in na vedno znova gole noge, ki s svojimi velikimi romarskimi fragile knots of “doodles” and many other drawing elements – podplati in v vselej mojstrskih različnih perspektivičnih anything that will breathe aesthetic life and a kind of shivering skrajšavah pogosto predstavljajo tektonska oporišča inner restlessness into his fi gures and drawings. Meanwhile, raziskujočemu pogledu. V teh linijskih okvirih pa umetnik dates seem to have lost their importance for the artist, since he likovno osnovo instinktivno, a hkrati premišljeno poživlja tudi has ceased to inscribe them on his drawings despite their diaristic s slikovito risarsko strukturo, s prazninami in zgoščanjem črt nature; in his solitude, he ignores any outside obligations, the na draperijah in obličjih, posebno tistih z zmršenimi bradami passing of time and calendars. in košato razfrfotanimi lasmi, pa z intenzivnim črnjenjem in vsakršnimi pikčastimi učinki ter krhkimi »čačkastami« prepleti in In addition to the selection of 24 pairs – i.e. 48 of Bernik’s vsakršno risarsko »podrastjo«, kar vse njegove postave oziroma latest drawings – the exhibition also includes four of Bernik’s paintings from a decade ago: two fi gurative paintings and two paintings of temples that the artist normally keeps in his studio as silent witnesses of his enraptured creativity.

risbe estetsko oživlja z dobesedno drhtečim notranjim nemirom. Both temples are typical prototypes of the ideal spiritual setting Manj bistven pa je za umetnika, ki se v svoji samoti več ne ozira rather than concrete, existing churches. One of these basilicas na zunanje obveznosti ter na bežeči čas in koledarje, danes glows in the morning light, while the other is darker, with videti vsakokraten datum, saj ga v te, četudi dnevniške risbe illuminated golden clouds surrounding it like a halo, resting in praviloma več ne vpisuje oziroma ga izpušča. the evening dusk. Each of the temples is an organic expression of Bernik’s sense of architectonics. The temples are executed Priložnostnemu izboru 24 takih risarskih »dvojčkov«, torej from geometrical shapes, but these shapes are not mechanically 48 Bernikovim najnovejšim risbam, so na razstavi dodane še assembled; rather, they are fl exibly represented in fl uid drawings štiri desetletje starejše Bernikove slike: dve fi guralni in dve z symbolic of a restless heart, standing trustingly tilted in slanted motiviko svetišč, ki ju ima umetnik sicer obešeni v ateljeju kot uncertainty, torn between heavenly eternity and transcendental tihi pričevalki svojega zamaknjenega ustvarjanja. ignorance. There is a cross on the portal of the lighter church and another cross in front of it (many similar churches in Bernik’s Obe svetišči sta značilen prototip idealnega duhovnega paintings are surrounded by graveyards full of sagging crosses; prizorišča, ne konkretni, topografsko določljivi cerkvi. Ena one such church can be recognised as Križanke in Ljubljana, od bazilik sije v jutranji svetlobi in druga, temnejša, obdana while another drawing, entitled The Horror of Early Evening z zlato ožarjenimi oblaki kot svetniškimi nimbi, se medí v Light, features crosses scattered even in the sky). The lines mraku večera. V obeh se organsko razživlja Bernikov smisel depicting the church surroundings are reminiscent of a human za arhitektoniko, saj sta izpeljani iz geometrijskih likov, a ne fi gure or a spirit with its arms wide open and its hood reaching mehanično sestavljenih, marveč gibko izrečenih s tekočo risbo into the heart of the temple. This is emblematic of the all- srčnega nemira, zaupljivo nagnjeni v poševno negotovost, encompassing, reviving magic of Bernik’s drawings: the endless razprti v nadzemsko večnost in transcendentalno neznanost. metamorphoses connect architecture with organic nature, Na svetlejši cerkvi vidimo v portalu in pred njim zasajen križ transforming one into the other. Bernik’s colour palette, on the 22 (številne sorodne Bernikove cerkve so na slikah obdane s other hand, has an expressive intensity and a warm quality that celimi pokopališči povešenih križev, med njimi v skladu z make his paintings seem no less alive than the sketches, despite imenom konkretneje razpoznavne ljubljanske Križanke, na the fact that Bernik is at heart a drawer. His painter’s sensibility is eni izmed takih risb z napisom Groza predvečerne svetlobe also evident from the rich layering of colours in his paintings; the pa so križi posuti tudi po nebu); cerkveno okrožje pa je hkrati colourful matter is reborn again and again in the changing light. širokopotezno sklenjeno iz linij, ki asociirajo na človeško Colours even spread out of the painting and on to its frame in postavo oziroma podobo duha z razprtimi rokami, segajočo the form of ancient discoloured moss, abrasions or coloured s kapuco v globino svetišča. V tem je razvidna vseoživljajoča lichen, thus turning the frame into an integral part of the artistic magija slikarjeve risbe, ki v nenehnih metamorfozah povezuje identity of Bernik’s masterpieces. arhitekturo in organsko naravo ter preraja eno v drugo, njegova barvitost pa učinkuje z izrazno intenziteto in toplo prežarjenim The sanctity that is embodied in and radiates so intensely from občutenjem, ki ne daje slikam nič manj izrazitega življenjskega these paintings is a defi ning mark of Bernik’s creativity throughout pečata kot risarska osnova, pa četudi je Bernik v temelju rojen his artistic career, but particularly in the mid-90s. It is also a risar. Njegova slikarska občutljivost izžareva tudi že skozi sámo natural refl ection of the cultural milieu in which Bernik creates his bogato barvno plastenje slik, ki se v svoji barviti materiji vedno art: at the foot of majestic mountains near Prešeren’s Vrba and na novo prebuja v spreminjajoči se svetlobi, umetnik pa barvno near Žirovnica, the home of linguist Matija Čop. In his younger življenje kot patinasto lisast razjeden mah, odrgnino ali barvni years, Bernik was fond of visiting the birch trees on Sorško polje lišaj presaja tudi na robove okvira slike, ki tako postaja sestavni near the birthplace of writer Simon Jenko (the artist’s scholarly del likovne identitete njegovih umetnin. brother, academician France Bernik, focused on Jenko in his studies), and he even drew up the architectonic design for the Posvečenost, ki ju sliki utelešata in intenzivno izžarevata, je chapel of St. John the Baptist on Sorško polje. Throughout his odločilno znamenje celotne Bernikove ustvarjalnosti, še posebej life, Bernik has always perceived places and nature with a special tiste po sredini devetdesetih let 20. stoletja, ter naraven odzven focus on their spiritual and historical aspects, on culture and art kulturnega okolja, v katerem Bernik v tej svoji posvečenosti and, consequently, on their spiritual sanctity. He would enhance ustvarja pod gorskimi pečinami v bližini Prešernove Vrbe in this sanctity with his own inner strength and project it on to his Čopove Žirovnice, medtem ko je v mladosti rad zahajal med fantasies of studio views full of yearning and hallucinations of nekdanje breze Sorškega polja v bližino Simona Jenka (ki se fl oating Mediterranean palm trees. It is simplifi ed versions of mu je posvečal njegov studiozni brat akademik France Bernik), palm trees that surround his bright temple, while the evening church, positioned on fortifi ed basement sarcophagi serving as an architectural base, is surrounded by a range of magical pyramid shapes – typical Bernik “sacred mountains”. zamislil pa si je tudi arhitektonski načrt za kapelo sv. Janeza When it comes to fi gurative paintings, the artist has shared Krstnika na Sorškem polju. Kraje in naravo je vse življenje with us one of his most expressive searchers. This time it is not dojemal zlasti skozi njihovo duhovnozgodovinsko pričevalnost, a man lost in the rapture of meditation but a representative skozi kulturo in umetnost, in s tem skozi njihovo duhovno of the most energetic aspect of the human spirit; rather than posvečenost; to posvečenost pa je prerajal iz lastne notranje surrendering to a higher power, he persists on his search with moči in jo projiciral tudi v sanje o ateljejskih pogledih, ki se his mind fi rmly set on his goal. The fi gure, free of all aspects iztekajo v hrepenenjske južnjaške privide lebdečih mediteranskih of civilisation and status in its naked humanity, stands with its palm. Prav palme, spremenjene v poenostavljen znak, obdajajo feet wedged into the many obstacles. It is grasping a staff in tudi njegovo svetlo svetišče, medtem ko mu večerno cerkev, its hand and thrusting it through Bernik’s much liked trinity priraščajočo z arhitekturnega podija utrjeno zidanih kletnih of parallel horizontal lines (which divide the upper part of the »sarkofagov«, na robovih obdaja magična piramidalna painting into four darker fi elds and conceal within them the arhitektonika značilnih Bernikovih »svetih gor«. symbolic perception of sacred and earthly numbers so beloved by the artist) in an attempt to draw a complete, redemptive Od fi guralnih slik pa nam je umetnik prepustil enega od circle, symbolic of man’s inner perfection and integrity. For svojih izrazitih iskateljev – tokrat ne umirjeno meditativnega Bernik’s fi gure, these symbolic barriers represent obstacles zamaknjenca, ampak predstavnika tiste človeške energičnosti, around the bright, sky blue “arena” of life, while the fi gure ki se ne le prepušča višji milosti, marveč si v svojem iskanju itself is distinctly expressive in its intensity and almost blood red tudi sama krčevito prizadeva in dopoveduje, kaj mora doseči. as if it had been fl ayed like a martyr, giving it the appearance of Skozi Berniku močno ljubo triado vzporednih vodoravnih a being suffused with pain. črt (ki deli zgornji rob slike na štiri temnejša polja ter v sebi skriva tudi umetniku ljubo simbolno dojemanje svetih oziroma The man caught in a moment of intense movement is zemeljskih števil) se vsega civilizacijskega in statusnega contrasted by the majestic image of the woman resting in an razbremenjena, z nogami med ovire zagozdena postava v svoji armchair in the second painting. Although this is essentially 23 goli človečnosti krčevito napreza in izteguje roko s palico, s a representative, traditional motif in portraiture, Bernik was katero želi vzpostaviti oziroma do kraja zarisati odrešilni krog able to infuse it with a distinctly spiritual meaning and give it kot svojo notranjo popolnost in integriteto. Simbolične pregrade a strong inner dynamic, a vibrating inner intensity. The female predstavljajo Bernikovemu človeku ovire nad sinjim svetlim fi gure as seen through the expressive eyes of the artist is a prizoriščem življenjske »arene«, sama postava pa je v svoji beauty, sublime and spiritually striking in her distortedness (or intenziteti tudi izrazito ekspresivno, če že ne krvavo rdeča, kot perhaps in spite of it), in the “beautiful ugliness” or expressive bi bila mučeniško odrta, in je zato videti do kraja bolečinska. “ugly beauty” of her angular face. She sits in resignation with her hands clasped in her lap, but inwardly she is restless, lucid, Intenzivno razgibanemu moškemu na drugi sliki kontrastira almost horrifi ed, facing destiny with her large piercing eyes. mogočna podoba spokojneje v fotelju sedeče ženske. Tudi The rhythmic drawing, misshapen sharp edges and softer forms takemu, v osnovi reprezentativno tradicionalnemu portretnemu give her a special vibrancy. Below the severe tectonics of the motivu pa je zmogel dati Bernik izrazito poduhovljen pomen in face, the clothing is constructed with the same architectonic vanj vnesti močno notranjo razgibanost, že docela vzvibrirano fi rmness. The fabric is made up of rectangular shapes, and notranjo krčevitost. Figura je skozi umetnikov ekspresivni there is a heart-shaped pattern leaning against the woman’s pogled uzrta lepotica, vzvišena in duhovno prezentna prav (ali intertwined hands, so characteristic of Bernik. The heart-shaped tudi) v risarski zveriženosti, »lepi grdoti« ali ekspresivno »grdi pattern continues in the background of the painting in the lepoti« svojega oglatega obličja, navzven z vdano spuščenimi form of blooming petals or butterfl y wings behind the woman’s sklenjenimi rokami, a navznoter nespokojna, lucidno, če že back. The effect of mysterious intensity, agitated calmness and ne tudi zgroženo strmeča z velikimi prodornimi očmi, zazrta v aristocratic restfulness in a state of somewhat nervous alarm usodo in razgibana z ritmi risarskih sunkov, zveriženo ostrorobih is achieved through the duality of colours in the image: the in mehkejših oblik. Pod resnobno tektoniko obličja je enako intermingling shades of green and pinkish violet are at their arhitektonsko čvrsto skonstruirana tudi draperija, zgrajena iz most striking in the brightly accentuated, darkly traced lines pravokotnih likov, nad značilni splet rok pa se dami naslanja along the edges, where the colours intertwine picturesquely vzorec v obliki srca, ki se pleteniči tudi v ploskovnem »ozadju« and bend in lively arabesques. slike kot razcvet rožnih listov ali kot metuljasta krila za njenim hrbtom. Skrivnostno intenzivna, v svojem miru vznemirjena, v This duality, fi lled with inner tension and constantly striving morda nekoliko nervozni vznemirjenosti aristokratsko spokojna to achieve synthesis, is present throughout Bernik’s entire creative oeuvre. It can be found in the artistic spiritual world that encompasses restful and yearning lonely fi shing islands, unpopulated prehistoric magma, archaeological ancient temples and restless sacred architecture spreading out into the sanctity pa je podoba tudi v komorno barvitem dvospevu: v dvoglasnem of nature. It can be sensed in the self-portraits of Bernik-esque prepletu odtenkov zelene in rožnato vijolične barve, ki se searchers, who are either focused and calmly enraptured or posebej slikovito prežemajo in skoraj arabeskno ukrivljajo v živo more often leaping energetically and struggling with a possessed okrepljenih in temneje izrisanih, posebej poudarjenih linijskih intensity to uncover the fi nal secret; in Bernik’s later and more obrobah. intimate drawings, these searchers tend to devote themselves with an attitude that is at once critical and jocular to all the Taka dvojnost, polna notranje napetosti in nenehno stremeča confusion, joy and delusions of the chaotic world of humankind. k sintezi, je zajeta tudi v celotnem Bernikovem ustvarjalnem The fi gures in Bernik’s newest drawings allow their inner tension opusu, v umetniškem duhovnem svetu, segajočem od to sprout from their faces with natural abandon, transforming spokojnih, a hrepenenjskih samotnih ribiških otokov, into spring fl owers and distorting the fi gures’ attributes into neobljudenih še predčloveških magem, arheološko starodavnih mysterious symbols of inner intensity. This is emblematic of svetišč ter nemirne sakralne arhitekture, ki se razrašča v the artist’s inner unrest and relentless creative persistence – posvečeno naravo, do avtoportretnih bernikovskih iskalcev, something that is in a state of constant renewal and serves as the ki v svoji zbranosti zamaknjeno mirujejo ali še pogosteje life blood of Bernik’s drawing. energično skačejo in si kot obsedeni prizadevajo za razkritje zadnje skrivnosti, a se na današnjih intimnejših risbah hkrati All of this relentless creativity stems from the fertile soil of Bernik’s kritično in razigrano hudomušno posvečajo tudi še vsem searching, restless spirit, which drives the artist to return again and zmešnjavam, veseljem in zablodam kaotičnega človeškega again to paintings fi nished in the past and judge them from his sveta. Notranja napetost pa sedanjim Bernikovim risarskim present standpoint. This has resulted in Bernik touching up and fi guram s prav naravno neprisiljenostjo poganja iz obličij altering his paintings (the large scale Temple painting, for instance, v prerojeno pomladansko cvetje in jim krivenči atribute v continuously evolved from 2001 to 2004). He is never satisfi ed skrivnostne znanilce notranje intenzitete, v znamenju pričevanja that his own paintings or prints are ever entirely complete, even 24 o umetnikovem notranjem nemiru in neomajnem ustvarjalnem after they have been signed as seemingly fi nished; he cannot vztrajanju, ki se živo obnavlja kot Bernikov risarski življenjski accept any version as truly fi nal, thus preventing his own searchers krvotok. as well as scientifi c or philosophical people in general from learning once and for all the true essence and origin of what drives Vsa taka nenehna ustvarjalnost prirašča iz plodnega humusa the world onwards in this cycle of constant renewal and eternal Bernikovega iščočega, nikoli pomirjenega duha, ki v luči mortality. But that is what keeps the world going and what drives današnjega pogleda presoja tudi nekdanje, že dokončane the creativity of Janez Bernik so persistently. umetnikove slike, in zato jih Bernik tudi še pozneje dopolnjuje in preslikava (nastajanje njegovega širokopotezno naslikanega In the mornings, days and nights of Breznica, endless drawings Svetišča na primer sega med leti 2001 in 2004). Tudi lastno, že are born and grow through the creative medium of Bernik’s naslikano in v grafi ki celo izjedkano ter že podpisano delo mu hand. These outwardly small, yet monumental linear drawings nikoli ni videti dokončano, nikoli do kraja pomirjeno in zares vividly encompass the painter’s inner and outside world, his life’s dokončno, tako kot njegovim iskalcem in tako znanstvenemu efforts and scope, condensed in an increasingly concise and kot fi lozofskemu človeku nasploh ni nikoli dano, da bi enkrat in substantial drawing style. Originating from a fatal allegiance za vselej dokončno spoznal bistvo in počelo vsega, kar poganja to art, the artist’s drawing expression grows like birdsong and svet v njegovo večno obnavljanje in večno umrljivost. A zato v fl owers, developing tirelessly from his life situations, dreams svojem delu nikakor ne odjenja, tako kakor nikakor ne odjenja and epiphanies. All of these drawings are living expressions of ustvarjalni Janez Bernik. Bernik’s creative presence, his undying desire to create order from formlessness and to liberate his life from all dogmatic Skozi kreativni medij njegove izjemne roke se v brezniških jutrih, limitations; they testify to the artist’s unspoken, poetically dnevih in nočeh rojevajo in razraščajo nove in nove, navzven metaphoric contemplation of humanity, the world and, above all, drobne, a monumentalne linearne risbe, v katerih je živo zajet the creative indestructibility that is spurred on so passionately by ves slikarjev notranji in zunanji svet, ves njegov življenjski napon Bernik’s eternal love of drawing – a love that (as the artist wrote in razpon, zgoščen v vse bolj lapidarno in bistveno risarsko on one such drawing) “never goes to sleep”. besedo, ki se mu iz usodne privrženosti umetnosti neutrudno sama oglaša in razrašča iz vsakokratnih življenjskih stanj, sanj in Milček Komelj spoznanj kot žvrgolenje ptic in rast cvetlic. Vse take risbe so živ izraz Bernikove stvariteljske pričujočnosti, njegove nenehne sle po urejanju brezobličnosti in hkratnem življenjskem osvobajanju iz vsakršnih dogmatskih omejitev, so pričevanje o njegovem nedeklarativnem, pesniško metaforičnem razmišljanju o človeku in svetu ter predvsem o ustvarjalni neuničljivosti, ki jo strastno podžiga Bernikova večnostna risarska ljubezen: ljubezen, ki (kot je umetnik zapisal na eno izmed takih risb) »ne hodi spat«.

Milček Komelj

25 27. 6. 89, akril na platnu, 27. VI. 1989, 150 x 130,5 cm 26 27. 6. 89, acrylic on canvas, 27 Jun 1989, 150 x 130.5 cm 27 28 3. 12. 96, akril na platnu, 3. XII.1996, slika 160 x 130 cm, z okvirom 187, 5 x 158 cm 29 3. 12. 96, acrylic on canvas, 3 Dec 1996, canvas 160 x 130 cm, with frame 187.5 x 158 cm

Svetišče, akril na platnu, 23. X. 2001 – 13. I. 2004, slika 48,5 x 61,5 cm, z okvirom 86,5 x 90 cm

Temple, acrylic on canvas, 23 Oct 2001 – 13 Jan 2004, canvas 48.5 x 61.5 cm, with frame 86.5 x 90 cm

30 31

7. 12. 04, akril na platnu, 7. XII. 2004, slika 52 x 74 cm, z okvirom 79,8 x 102 cm

7. 12. 04, acrylic on canvas, 7 Dec 2004, canvas 52 x 74 cm, with frame 79.8 x 102 cm 32 33 34 35 36 37

24 dvojnih nenaslovljenih in nedatiranih perorisb s kemičnim svinčnikom, 29,5 x 42 cm, od 2011 do 2012

24 double untitled and undated pen and ink drawings, ballpoint pen, 29.5 x 42 cm, from 2011 to 2012 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 68 Podatki o umetniku in njegovem delu About the Artist and His Work

Janez Bernik je bil rojen 6. septembra 1933 v Guncljah pri Ljubljani. Na Janez Bernik was born on 6 September 1933 in Gunclje near Ljubljana. pobudo profesorjev je že po tretjem letniku srednje Šole za umetno Encouraged by his teachers, he passed the entrance examination for obrt (poznejše Šole za oblikovanje) opravil sprejemni izpit za likovno the Academy of Fine Arts after fi nishing his third year at the upper akademijo. Med letoma 1951 in 1955 je študiral na Akademiji za secondary School of Arts and Crafts (later School of Design). From upodabljajočo umetnost v Ljubljani, kjer je diplomiral iz slikarstva pri 1951 to 1955, he studied at the Academy of Fine Arts in Ljubljana, prof. Maksimu Sedeju, zatem pa je do leta 1958 pri njem obiskoval graduating in Painting under Prof. Maksim Sedej. Until 1958, he še specialko za slikarstvo ter specialko za grafi ko pri prof. Božidarju attended a specialist postgraduate Painting programme under Prof. Jakcu. Leta 1959 se je izpopolnjeval v grafi čnem ateljeju Johnnyja Sedej and a specialist postgraduate Printmaking programme under Friedlaenderja v Parizu. Od 1970 do 1996 je poučeval na ljubljanski Prof. Božidar Jakac. During 1959, he trained at Johnny Friedlaender’s Akademiji za likovno umetnost, od leta 1979 kot redni profesor. printmaking studio in Paris. From 1970 to 1996, he taught at the Leta 1998 mu je Univerza v Ljubljani podelila častni naziv zaslužni Academy of Fine Arts in Ljubljana, where he was made Professor in profesor in 1998 zlato plaketo za pedagoško delo. Leta 1989 je bil 1979. In 1998, he was awarded the honorary title Professor Emeritus izvoljen za izrednega in 1993 za rednega člana Slovenske akademije and received a golden plaque for his teaching work at the University znanosti in umetnosti, leta 1994 za zunanjega dopisnega člana of Ljubljana. In 1989, he was elected an associate member of the Nacionalne akademije sv. Luka v Rimu in 1996 za rednega člana Slovenian Academy of Sciences and Arts and was made a full member Evropske akademije znanosti in umetnosti v Salzburgu. Leta 2003 ga in 1993. In 1994, he became an associate corresponding member je predsednik države dr. Janez Drnovšek odlikoval z zlatim častnim of the National Academy of St. Luke in Rome, and in 1996 he was znakom svobode Republike Slovenije. appointed a full member of the European Academy of Sciences and Živi in ustvarja v Breznici pri Žirovnici na Gorenjskem. Arts in Salzburg. In 2003, he was awarded the Golden Order of Freedom of the Republic of Slovenia by President Janez Drnovšek. Bernik se posveča slikarstvu, grafi ki, knjižnemu in grafi čnemu Janez Bernik lives and works in Breznica near Žirovnica in the oblikovanju, ilustraciji, tapiserijam, opremi interierov, scenografi ji Gorenjska region. (sodeloval je predvsem z avantgardnim Odrom 57) in pesnjenju. Imel je prek 70 samostojnih razstav po vsem svetu, sodeloval je v dolgi Bernik works in painting, printmaking, book and graphic design, vrsti skupinskih razstav, njegovo delo ves čas spremljajo obsežni illustration, tapestry work, interior design, set design (he has študijski in kritiški zapisi, nazadnje v izboru dokumentirani leta 2005 collaborated mainly with the avant-garde Oder 57 group) and poetry. 69 v dokumentacijskem delu kataloga njegove velike pregledne razstave As well as participating in countless group exhibitions, he has had v ljubljanski Moderni galeriji. Izdal je več samostojnih grafi čnih map, more than 70 solo exhibitions throughout the world. Bernik’s work predstavljen je v vrsti razstavnih katalogov (npr. ob samostojnih has always been discussed in extensive studies and critical texts, razstavah v Düsseldorfu, Kölnu, Ljubljani, Nürnbergu, Celovcu in ob a selection of which was compiled in 2005 in the catalogue that umetnikovi predstavitvi na bienalu v Benetkah) in monografi jah (1966 accompanied a major retrospective exhibition of his art at Ljubljana’s je izšla knjiga Janez Bernik z besedilom Zorana Kržišnika, 1977 Črte Moderna galerija. Bernik has published several printmaking portfolios – Crte – die Linien – Lines z besediloma Zorana Kržišnika in Jureta and has been included in a number of exhibition catalogues (e.g. for Mikuža, 1980 monografi ja Janez Bernik z besedili več avtorjev: Ronalda his solo exhibitions in Düsseldorf, Cologne, Ljubljana, Nuremberg Alleya, Giulia Carla Argana, Jožeta Ciuhe, Gilla Dorfl esa, Zorana and Klagenfurt and for his participation at the Venice Biennale) and Kržišnika, Jureta Mikuža, Miodraga B. Protića, Jirˇija Siblika in Rudija monographs (the book Janez Bernik with text by Zoran Kržišnik was Šeliga (1984 delno predelana tudi v srbohrvaškem in angleškem jeziku), published in 1966, Črte – Crte – die Linien – Lines with text by Zoran 1993 knjiga Janez Bernik. Jedkanice in akvatinte z besedilom Milčka Kržišnik and Jure Mikuž in 1977, the monograph Janez Bernik was Komelja, 2002 Janez Bernik, Samote z besedili Nika Grafenauerja, published in 1980 and comprised texts by several authors: Ronald Tineta Hribarja in Milčka Komelja, 2008 Janez Bernik, Slikarjeva hiša z Alley, Giulio Carlo Argan, Jože Ciuha, Gillo Dorfl es, Zoran Kržišnik, besedili Brede Ilich Klančnik, Miklavža Komelja, Tineta Hribarja, Draga Jure Mikuž, Miodrag B. Protić, Jirˇi Siblik and Rudi Šeligo (in 1984, Jančarja in Naceta Šumija, 2010 Nočni dnevnik in 2011 Hvala, mama, this book was partly translated into Serbo-Croatian and English), the oboje z besedilom Milčka Komelja). Je tudi avtor pesniških zbirk (ciklus book Janez Bernik. Etchings and Aquatints with text by Milček Komelj Triptih, objavljen 1985 v razstavnem katalogu Moderne galerije, 2008 was published in 1993, Janez Bernik, Solitudes with text by Niko Nikogar ni k večerji, 2010 Kako velik je dan). O Berniku je bilo posnetih Grafenauer, Tine Hribar and Milček Komelj was published in 2002, več fi lmskih prikazov in televizijskih oddaj, med njimi leta 1971 Janez Janez Bernik, The Painter’s House with text by Breda Ilich Klančnik, Bernik. Eine optische Monographie avtorja Dietricha Mahlowa, 1992 Miklavž Komelj, Tine Hribar, Drago Jančar and Nace Šumi was celovečerni Umetniški večer z Janezom Bernikom scenarista Jožeta published in 2008 and 2010, and 2011 saw the publication of Night Hudečka in režiserja Filipa Robarja Dorina in leta 2005 ob umetnikovi Journal and Thank You, Mother respectively, both with text by Milček veliki pregledni razstavi v ljubljanski Moderni galeriji video Molčeča usta Komelj). Janez Bernik has also written several collections of poetry avtorice Nataše Prosenc. (the Triptych cycle was published in 1985 in an exhibition catalogue by Moderna galerija, Nobody Is Coming to Dinner was published in Umetnik je prejel za vrhunska dela na svetovnih razstavah vrsto 2008 and How Great the Day in 2010). Bernik has been the subject of pomembnih nagrad in več nagrad za življenjsko delo, med njimi several documentaries and television shows, including Janez Bernik. nagrado za grafi ko v Luganu, zlato medaljo za slikarstvo v Riminiju, Eine optische Monographie by Dietrich Mahlow in 1971, the feature- nagrado za slikarstvo v Benetkah in San Marinu, glavno nagrado za length An Artistic Evening with Janez Bernik written by Jože Hudeček grafi ko na bienalih v São Paulu, Tokiu, Seulu, Ljubljani, Frechenu and directed by Filip Robar Dorin in 1992, and the video Silent Mouth in Novem mestu, častno nagrado na grafi čnem bienalu v Varšavi in by Nataša Prosenc, made in 2005 for the major retrospective exhibition Benetkah, Jakopičevo, Prešernovo in Herderjevo nagrado ter tudi of Bernik’s art at Ljubljana’s Moderna galerija. nagrade za oblikovanje svojih monografi j. The excellence of Bernik’s work at various international exhibitions has Bernikovo delo je zastopano v številnih slovenskih in tujih javnih been recognised by a number of important awards and several life zbirkah: v Ajdovščini (Pilonova galerija), Amsterdamu (Zbirka Peter achievement awards, including an award for printmaking in Lugano, Stuyvesant), Benetkah (Museo d'Arte Moderna Ca' Pesaro), Beogradu gold medal for painting in Rimini, awards for painting in Venice and (Muzej savremene umetnosti, Galerija Grafi čki kolektiv), Beverly Hillsu San Marino, top awards for printmaking at biennales in São Paulo, (Chomsky Gallery), Bremnu (Kunsthalle), na Brniku (Likovna zbirka Tokyo, Seoul, Ljubljana, Frechen and Novo mesto, honorary awards at Aerodrom Ljubljana), v Buenos Airesu (Museo del Arte Moderno), printmaking biennales in Warsaw and Venice, the Jakopič Award, the Cetinju (Umjetnički muzej SR Crne Gore), Cincinnatiju (Cincinnati Prešeren Award, the Herder Award and several design awards for his Art Museum), Carvallisu (Oregon State University), na Dunaju monographs. (Graphische Sammlung Albertina), v Idriji (Mestni muzej), Kranju (Galerija Prešernovih nagrajencev), Lazarevcu (Moderna galerija), Bernik’s work is represented in countless public collections in Slovenia Ljubljani (Moderna galerija, Mednarodni grafi čni likovni center, Zbirka and abroad: in Ajdovščina (Pilon Gallery), Amsterdam (Peter Stuyvesant Akademije za likovno umetnost in oblikovanje, Umetniška zbirka Collection), Belgrade (Muzej savremene umetnosti, Galerija Grafi čki Avtocommerce, Nova ljubljanska banka, zbirka SAZU Zakladi slovenske kolektiv), Beverly Hills (Chomsky Gallery), Bremen (Kunsthalle), Brnik grafi ke 1955-2005), Londonu (New London Gallery, Tate Gallery), (Aerodrom Ljubljana Fine Art Collection), Buenos Aires (Museo del Mariboru (Umetnostna galerija), Metliki (Galerija Kambič), Montrealu Arte Moderno), Cetinje (Umjetnički muzej SR Crne Gore), Cincinnati (Musée d'art contemporain de Montreal), Novem mestu (Likovna (Cincinnati Art Museum), Corvallis (Oregon State University), Idrija zbirka Krke), Nürnbergu (Kunsthalle), Oaklandu (California College (Municipal Museum), Kranj (Gallery of Prešeren Award Winners), of Arts and Crafts), Osaki (University of the Arts), Parizu (Cabinet des Lazarevac (Moderna galerija), Ljubljana (Moderna galerija, International Estampes, Musée d'Art Moderne de la Ville de Paris), Piranu (Likovna Centre of Graphic Arts, Academy of Fine Arts and Design Collection, zbirka Bernardin), Pragi (Narodni galerie), Prištini (Galerija umetnosti), Avtocommerce Art Collection, Nova ljubljanska banka, SASA collection na Reki (Muzej moderne i suvremene umjetnosti), v Riu de Janeiru Treasures of Slovenian Printmaking 1955-2005), London (New London (Museu de Arte Moderna), Rimu (Galleria nazionale d' arte moderna), Gallery, Tate Gallery), Maribor (Maribor Art Gallery), Metlika (Kambič San Franciscu (Museum of Art, Golden Gate University), São Paulu Gallery), Montreal (Musée d’art contemporain de Montreal), Novo 70 (Museu de Arte Moderna), Saulgauu (Galerie und Verlag Aras), Skopju mesto (Krka Fine Art Collection), Nuremberg (Kunsthalle), Oakland (Muzej na savremenata umetnost, Umjetnička galerija), Splitu (Galerija (California College of Arts and Crafts), Osaka (University of the Arts), umjetnina), Stockholmu (Moderna Museet), Tokiu (Franell Gallery, Paris (Cabinet des Estampes, Musée d’Art Moderne de la Ville de Paris), National Museum of Western Art), Varšavi (Muzeum Narodowe), Piran (Bernardin Fine Art Collection), Prague (Narodni galerie), Pristina Velenju (Galerija Velenje), Washingtonu (The Library of Congress) (Art Gallery), Rijeka (Muzej moderne i suvremene umjetnosti), Rio de in Zagrebu (Muzej suvremene umjetnosti, Kabinet grafi ke Hrvatske Janeiro (Museu de Arte Moderna), Rome (Galleria nazionale d’ arte akademije znanosti i umjetnosti). moderna), San Francisco (Museum of Art, Golden Gate University), São Paulo (Museu de Arte Moderna), Saulgau (Galerie und Verlag Aras), Skopje (Muzej na savremenata umetnost, Umjetnička galerija), Split (Galerija umjetnina), Stockholm (Moderna Museet), Tokyo (Franell Gallery, National Museum of Western Art), Velenje (Velenje Gallery), Venice (Museo d’Arte Moderna Ca’ Pesaro), Vienna (Graphische Sammlung Albertina), Warsaw (Muzeum Narodowe), Washington (Library of Congress) and Zagreb (Muzej suvremene umjetnosti, Kabinet grafi ke Hrvatske akademije znanosti i umjetnosti).

Izdajateljica Univerza v Ljubljani, Kongresni trg 12, Ljubljana Publisher University of Ljubljana, Kongresni trg 12, Ljubljana

Za izdajateljico rektor prof. dr. Radovan Stanislav Pejovnik For the publisher Rector of the University, Prof. Dr. Radovan Stanislav Pejovnik

Organizator razstave Galerijski svet Galerije Univerze v Ljubljani, Kongresni trg 12, Ljubljana Exhibition Organiser Gallery Counsil of the University of Ljubljana Gallery, Kongresni trg 12, Ljubljana

Za organizatorja Miroslav Birk, univ. dipl. pravnik, pomočnik rektorja UL, in prof. dr. Jožef Muhovič, predsednik Galerijskega sveta For organiser Miroslav Birk, LL. B., Assistant to the Rector of the UL, and Prof. Dr. Jožef Muhovič, Gallery Council President

Uredniki prof. dr. Milček Komelj, izr. član SAZU, prof. dr. Jožef Muhovič, prof. mag. Branko Suhy Editors Acad. Prof. Dr. Milček Komelj, Prof. Dr. Jožef Muhovič, Prof. Mag. Branko Suhy

Postavitev razstave prof. dr. Milček Komelj, izr. član SAZU, prof. dr. Jožef Muhovič, prof. mag. Branko Suhy Exhibition Installation Acad. Prof. Dr. Milček Komelj, Prof. Dr. Jožef Muhovič, Prof. Mag. Branko Suhy

Komuniciranje z javnostmi Gregor Jagodič Public communacations Gregor Jagodič

Arhitekturna ureditev razstavnega prostora Miha Bratina, Aleksander Polanko, Špela Glavač, Urša Ješe (mentor: prof. mag. Peter Gabrijelčič, Fakulteta za arhitekturo UL) Arhitectural organisation of the exhibition space Miha Bratina, Aleksander Polanko, Špela Glavač, Urša Ješe (mentor: Prof. Mag. Peter Gabrijelčič, Faculty of Architecture, UL)

Izvedba ureditve razstavnega prostora Aljošin (Aljoša Lozej s. p.) in Eltibo d.o.o. Execution of the organisation of the exhibition space Aljošin (Aljoša Lozej s. p.) in Eltibo d.o.o.

Prevod Alkemist, d. o. o. Translation Alkemist, d. o. o.

Lektorica Nada Šumi Editing and proofreading Nada Šumi

Fotograf Miha Benedičič Photographer Miha Benedičič

Izdelava barvnih izvlečkov Tiskarna Schwarz, Ljubljana Execution of colour extracts Tiskarna Schwarz, Ljubljana

Grafi čni oblikovalec prof. Peter Skalar Graphic designer Prof. Peter Skalar

Tisk Mat-Format, Ljubljana Printed by Mat-Format, Ljubljana

Naklada 500 izvodov Print run 500 copies

© Copyright Univerza v Ljubljani, Kongresni trg 12, Ljubljana University of Ljubljana, Kongresni trg 12, Ljubljana