Julije Knifer Painter of Absurd
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JULIJE KNIFER PAINTER OF ABSURD Dissertation zur Erlangung des akademischen Grades Doktor der Philosophie In der Philosophisches Fakultät des Eberhard Karls Universität Tübingen vorgelegt von Iva Stefanovski aus Zagreb, Croatia 2016 Gedruckt mit Genehmigung der Philosophischen Fakultät Der Eberhard Karls Universität Tübingen Dekan: Prof. Dr. Jürgen Leonhardt Haubtberichterstatterin: Prof. Schamma Schahadat Mitberichterstatter: Prof. Esteban Castañer Muñoz Tag der mündlichen Prüfung: 05.02.2016. Declaration of Good Academic Conduct “I, Iva Stefanovski, hereby certify that this dissertation, which is 81.222 words in length, has been written by me, that it is a record of work carried out by me, and that it has not been submitted in any previous application for a higher degree. All sentences or passages quoted in this dissertation from other people's work (with or without trivial changes) have been placed within quotation marks, and specifically acknowledged by reference to author, work and page. I understand that plagiarism – the unacknowledged use of such passages – will be considered grounds for failure in this dissertation and in the degree programme as a whole. I also affirm that, with the exception of the specific acknowledgements, the following dissertation is entirely my own work." Signature of candidate: For my mother TABLE OF CONTENTS LIST OF FIGURES ......................................................................................................... iii ACKNOWLEDGMENTS ............................................................................................... vi ABSTRACT .................................................................................................................... vii 1. INTRODUCTION....................................................................................................... 1 2. HISTORICAL OVERVIEW ..................................................................................... 8 2.1. CROATIAN AVANT-GARDE AND NEO-AVANT-GARDE ............................... 8 3. JULIJE KNIFER ...................................................................................................... 23 3.1. BEFORE GORGONA ............................................................................................. 23 3.2. GORGONA.............................................................................................................. 35 3.2.1. GORGONA’S SPIRIT .......................................................................................... 52 4. FORM ........................................................................................................................ 64 4.1. ANTI-PAINTING .................................................................................................... 64 4.2. MEANDER .............................................................................................................. 83 4.2.1. TOWARD MEANDER IN THE 1950s ................................................................ 97 4.2.2. MEANDER IN THE 1960s ................................................................................ 108 4.2.3. MEANDER AFTER 1960s ................................................................................ 135 5. COLOR .................................................................................................................... 155 5.1. COLORS ................................................................................................................ 155 5.2. CONTRAST .......................................................................................................... 159 5.3. BLACK .................................................................................................................. 173 5.4. WHITE ................................................................................................................... 183 6. TEXT ........................................................................................................................ 194 6.1. INFLUENCES ....................................................................................................... 194 6.2. BANAL DIARIES ................................................................................................. 203 i 6.3. NOTES ................................................................................................................... 219 6.4. A PETITIONARY LETTER TO THE ACADEMY OF ARTS AND SCIENCES IN ZAGREB ......................................................................................................... 225 6.5. NOTES ................................................................................................................... 235 7. CONCLUSION ....................................................................................................... 242 BIBLIOGRAPHY ......................................................................................................... 257 ii LIST OF FIGURES Figure 1: Josip Seissel, Pafama, 1922 ............................................................................ 14 Figure 2: Julije Knifer, Self-portraits 1949-195 ............................................................. 28 Figure 3: Julije Knifer, Franz Hals, 1952 ....................................................................... 32 Figure 4: Julije Knifer, Composition 15, 1959 ............................................................... 33 Figure 5: Julije Knifer, Composition 13, 1959 ............................................................... 34 Figure 6: Julije Knifer, Gorgona anti-magazine No.2, 1961 .......................................... 49 Figure 7: Gorgona, Knifer’s Adoration, 1966 ................................................................. 50 Figure 8: Julije Knifer, Anti composition, 1960 .............................................................. 93 Figure 9: Julije Knifer, Meander 2,1960 ........................................................................ 94 Figure 10: Julije Knifer, Meander 20, 1965 ................................................................... 95 Figure 11: Julije Knifer, White Relief, 1971 ................................................................... 96 Figure 12: Julije Knifer, Composition, 1957 ................................................................ 100 Figure 13: Julije Knifer, K-18a, 1960 ........................................................................... 103 Figure 14: Kazimir Malevich, Four Squares, 1915 ...................................................... 104 Figure 15: Kazimir Malevich, Black Cross, 1920 ........................................................ 105 iii Figure 16: Julije Knifer, Composition 17, 1960 ........................................................... 110 Figure 17: Julije Knifer, Meander No.1, 1960 .............................................................. 112 Figure 18: Julije Knifer, Meander 15, 1964 ................................................................. 119 Figure 19: Julije Knifer, Meander in the Corner, 1961 ................................................ 121 Figure 20: Exposition 0.10, 1915 .................................................................................. 123 Figure 21: Kazimir Malevich, Black Square, 1915 ...................................................... 126 Figure 22: Julije Knifer, Meander, Branimir street, 1987 ............................................ 137 Figure 23: Julije Knifer, MZ 01, 1970 .......................................................................... 138 Figure 24: Julije Knifer, Collage, 1970-1975 ............................................................... 139 Figure 25: Julije Knifer, Meander, 1970 ...................................................................... 140 Figure 26: Julije Knifer, Arbeitsprocess, 1975 ............................................................. 141 Figure 27: Julije Knifer, Meander 1-8, 1978 ................................................................ 143 Figure 28: Julije Knifer, Meander, 1978 ...................................................................... 145 Figure 29: Julije Knifer, Untitled, 1970 ........................................................................ 146 Figure 30: Julije Knifer, TÜ H DA, 1975...................................................................... 147 Figure 31: Julije Knifer, Triptych TR TÜ H DA I, 1981 ............................................... 151 Figure 32: Julije Knifer, TÜ H DA DI, 1987 ................................................................ 152 iv Figure 33: Julije Knifer, 9.X.97.6.I / II 19.II-7-XI-98 21 V, 1998 ................................ 154 Figure 34: Julije Knifer, MNB, 1970 ............................................................................ 158 Figure 35: Julije Knifer, Meandar 3.IX-16.IX 1981/ 1-81, II, 1981 ............................. 182 Figure 36: Kazimir Malevich, White on White, 1918 ................................................... 187 Figure 37: Julije Knifer, Meandar TÜ-H-DA-DI, 1987 ................................................ 188 Figure 38: Julije Knifer, Untitled, 1990 ........................................................................ 189 Figure 39: Julije Knifer, Banal Diaries, 1975-2003 ..................................................... 204 Figure 40: Julije Knifer, Banal Diaries, 1975-2003 ..................................................... 205 Figure 41: Julije Knifer, Banal Diaries, 1975-2003 ..................................................... 206 Figure 42: Julije Knifer, Banal Diaries,