Vasko Lipovac

Vasko Lipovac (14 June 1931 – 4 July 2006) was a Croatian painter, sculptor, printmaker, designer, illustrator and scenographer[2][3] and one of the most prominent artists of the region.[4] He is best known for his minimalist figuration and use of intense, unmodulated and often dissonant palette.[5] With the exception of his juvenile period of geometric abstraction, he remained loyal to figuration throughout his whole career. Exceptionally prolific, he worked in various techniques and was equally skilful in using high-polished metal, polychromous wood, enamel, terracotta or polyester to create his sculptures, reliefs and mobiles.[6]

Vasko Lipovac
Vasko Lipovac
Born(1931-06-14)14 June 1931
Kotor, Yugoslavia (now Montenegro)
Died4 July 2006(2006-07-04) (aged 75)
Split, Republic of Croatia
NationalityCroat
EducationAcademy of Applied Arts, Zagreb
Academy of Fine Arts, Zagreb
Kosta Angeli Radovani
Željko Hegedušić
Krsto Hegedušić
Known forSculpture, Painting, Drawing, Printmaking, Illustration, Scenography
Notable work
Cyclus (installation art) (1996)
AwardsEmanuel Vidović Lifetime Achievement Award[1]

Biography

Vasko Lipovac was born on June 14, 1931, in Škaljari, a small coastal settlement near Kotor in Montenegro. He was the youngest of five children in a very harmonious family of a prosperous merchant and a shipping agent Spasoje Lipovac and Antica Lui, the daughter of a respectable landowner Maksimilijan Lui.[7] He attended Real Grammar School in Kotor, where his drawing teacher was Mato Đuranović (1895–1973), the painter who inspired his students with the bright, shiny colors of his works.[8]

After graduating from the secondary school, he moved to Zagreb, Croatia in 1950 and enrolled in the Academy of Applied Arts. He initially chose sculpture, in the class of Kosta Angeli Radovani, but during his second year (1951/1952) he switched to painting, where his mentor became Željko Hegedušić.[9] It is worth mentioning that during this period of the early 1950s, many future prominent artists attended Zagreb Academy of Applied Arts, such as Zlatko Bourek, Jagoda Buić, Ante Sony Jakić, Zvonimir Lončarić, Mladen Pejaković, Ordan Petlevski and Pavao Štalter.[10][11] After graduation, from 1955 to 1959 he attended the Master's Workshop of professor Krsto Hegedušić.[12] This postgraduate study gave many talented young visual artists much needed freedom and opportunity to explore and use their artistic sensibility.[13]

In 1959 he married Milena Matas, and they later had three sons.[14] He spent most of the 1960 in the army, and upon returning to Zagreb he spent a year (1964–1966) as an art editor assistant in the magazine “Chemistry in industry”, which was the only full-time job he ever had.[15][16] Since 1967, Vasko Lipovac lived and worked in Split, Croatia, where the Mediterranean climate inspired him to fulfill his poetic vision, and to create numerous works.[17] Four thematic units have been detected in the work of Lipovac, namely the Mediterranean, sports, the sacral and erotic.[18]

During the whole course of his active life he carried within himself the images of the native landscape of Boka Kotorska and the rich cultural heritage of his home town, while his education in Zagreb provided him with an access to the essential experiences of modernism and figurative autonomy, especially thanks to Kosta Angeli Radovani. So in his work, apart from the early abstract phase, he tried to affirm the contemporary anthropomorphic and associative sculpture and figurative painting, succeeding in evoking the figures and ambiances of recognizably Mediterranean descent.[19] No matter how stylized, that figure is full of life, just like a human being who works, thinks, feels...[20]

He was intrigued by the idea of integrating art with architecture, and especially integration of art into workspace, so he collaborated with numerous architects.[21] Among his most prominent are the collaborations with Bernardo Bernardi (hr),[22] Julije De Luca (hr), Vjekoslav Ivanišević, Dinko Kovačić (hr),[23] Lovro Perković (hr), Jerko Rošin (hr),[24] and Ivan Vulić.[25]

Exceptionally prolific and equally skillful in various techniques and using wide range of materials, high-polished metal, polychromous wood, enamel, terracotta or polyester to create his sculptures, reliefs and mobiles, his work encompasses many different art forms (drawing, painting, sculpture, printmaking, design, illustration as well as set and costume design). As a result, he had almost 100 solo and over 200 group, juried, problem, conceptual, and important invitational exhibitions in Croatia as well as abroad during his life.[26][27] He gained a great deal of deserved popularity with the wider public and earned an equally high esteem and recognition with the professional critics and received over twenty awards and honors for his sculptures, paintings, graphics, illustrations and public monuments. In May 2006, “Slobodna Dalmacija” awarded him with the lifetime achievement award.

Vasko Lipovac died on July 4, 2006.[28]

Photos

In theatre

Since the mid-eighties Lipovac has made several highly successful excursions into performing arts and won prestigious Marul award in 1991 for set design.[29] His works in theatre include set, costume and puppet designs:[30][31]

References in popular culture on Vasko Lipovac and his work:

  • Brod u boci (1971) - poetry book by Arsen Dedić was inspired by Lipovac's painting of sailor holding a ship in a bottle.[32]
  • Kuća na pijesku (1985) - feature film directed by Ivan Martinac was mostly filmed at Lipovac's home in Split.
  • Plava murva, beach Girna Pošta on island Hvar (1990) - sculpture made by Ivo Milatić and Milivoj Čubre as an homage to Lipovac. It is made out of the blue painted mulberry driftwood found on the beach, and ritually repainted every year ever since.[33]
  • Tako lijepa (2004) - song from the album "Male Stvari" by hip-hop group Elemental.[34]
  • Tipkovnice u Zrak (2004) - song by rap group Dječaci.[35]
  • Astrolab za Vaska Lipovca (2011) - poem by Jakša Fiamengo[36]
  • Venem bez..., Split (2017) - graffiti made by unknown author in protest against the removal of the Blue Tree, iron sculpture erected in memory of Vasko Lipovac.[37][38]
  • Cyclists (2018) - animated short by Veljko Popović, awarded at Annecy and Hiroshima, was designed to pay homage to Lipovac.[39]
  • Tereza37 (2020) - Big Golden Arena winning feature film. At the initiative of Lana Barić, one of the modular sculptures used during Lipovac's famous 1974. intervention in Braće Borozan Street, was recreated for the film set. [40]

Awards

Lipovac was honored with numerous awards:[41]

  • 1968 5th Zadar Blue Salon Purchase Award
  • 1968 Cetinje Salon Award
  • 1969 Herceg Novi Winter Salon Award
  • 1970 NIP Slobodna Dalmacija Annual Award
  • 1971 6th Zagreb Salon Sculpture Award
  • 1971 3rd Split Salon Sculpture Award
  • 1972 Večernji List Purchase Award at the 7th Yugoslav Graphic Arts Exhibition in Zagreb
  • 1974 Purchase Award at the 8th Yugoslav Graphic Arts Exhibition in Zagreb
  • 1974 Purchase Award at the 1st Biennale of Contemporary Croatian Graphic Arts in Split
  • 1975 Honorary Mention at the 2nd Yugoslav Biennale of Small Sculpture in Murska Sobota
  • 1975 7th Split Salon Sculpture Award
  • 1977 Grigor Vitez Illustration Award, Zagreb[42]
  • 1978 Sculpture Award at the 7th Mediterranean Biennale in Alexandria
  • 1979 City of Split Award
  • 1981 Purchase Award at the Yugoslav Biennale of Small Sculpture in Murska Sobota
  • 1986 Emanuel Vidović Prize at the Split Salon
  • 1987 Grand Honorary Mention at the 7th Yugoslav Biennale of Small Sculpture in Murska Sobota
  • 1988 Third Triennial of Croatian Sculpture Award[43]
  • 1991 Marul Award for set design[44]
  • 1993 Purchase Award for the monument to King Petar Krešimir IV in Šibenik
  • 1993 MTG Award at the 14th Zagreb Exhibition of Drawings
  • 1995 First prize for the monument to Dražen Petrović at Olympic Museum, Lausanne
  • 1996 Split Salon Award
  • 1997 Award of the Croatian Watercolor Festival in Zagreb
  • 1998 2nd prize for the monument to Marko Marulić in Zagreb
  • 2003 Split Graphic Arts Biennale Award
  • 2004 Grand Prix of the 3rd Croatian Watercolor Triennale in Karlovac
  • 2006 Slobodna Dalmacija Lifetime Achievement Award in Split

References
  1. Šarac, Damir (June 17, 2006). "Ovisnost o Slobodnoj Dalmaciji". Slobodna Dalmacija (in Croatian). Split: Slobodna Dalmacija d.d. Retrieved June 27, 2014.
  2. Šeparović, Ana; Tomić, Darja (2013). "LIPOVAC, Vasko (Vasilije)". Hrvatski biografski leksikon (in Croatian). Zagreb: Leksikografski zavod Miroslav Krleža. Retrieved April 25, 2016.
  3. Gelemanović, Mirko. "Vasko Lipovac". Retrieved June 26, 2014.
  4. Pavičić Prijatelj, Ivana (2013). Akademski slikar i skulptor Vasko Lipovac vraća se doma (in Croatian). Kotor: Pomorski muzej Crne Gore, Kotor. p. 4.
  5. Matanić-Živanović, Ksenija (2013). "Lipovac, Vasko (Vasilije)". In Slaven Ravlić (ed.). Hrvatska enciklopedija (in Croatian). Zagreb: Miroslav Krleža Institute of Lexicography.
  6. Pavičić Prijatelj, Ivana (June 14, 2011). The Erotic Homo Adriaticus: 38 Years of Sex in Vasko Lipovac's Work (Speech). Days of Open Atelier. Atelier Vasko Lipovac, Split.
  7. Martinović, Jovan (July 2013). "Hommage Vasku Lipovcu" (PDF). Jedra Boke (in Croatian): 4–5. Retrieved 3 July 2014.
  8. Martinović, Jovan (July 2013). "Hommage Vasku Lipovcu" (PDF). Jedra Boke (in Croatian): 4–5. Retrieved 3 July 2014.
  9. Tomić, Ante (2008). Erotika. Zagreb: Profil International d.d. p. 340. ISBN 978-953-12-0802-4.
  10. Tomić, Ante (2008). Erotika. Zagreb: Profil International d.d. p. 336. ISBN 978-953-12-0802-4.
  11. "Mladen Pejaković, Životopis" (in Croatian). Retrieved July 13, 2014.
  12. Tomić, Ante (2008). Erotika. Zagreb: Profil International d.d. p. 337. ISBN 978-953-12-0802-4.
  13. Jelinčić, Frane (January 27, 1973). "S plohe u prostor". Studio – ilustrirana revija za televiziju, radio, film i kazalište (in Croatian). Zagreb: Vjesnik.
  14. Zlatar, Pero (March 20, 1976). "Čudesne ptice iz ekrana". Studio – ilustrirana revija za televiziju, radio, film i kazalište (in Croatian). Zagreb: Vjesnik.
  15. Tomić, Ante (2008). Erotika. Zagreb: Profil International d.d. p. 343. ISBN 978-953-12-0802-4.
  16. "LIPOVAC, Vasko (Vasilije)". Hrvatski biografski leksikon (in Croatian). Zagreb: Leksikografski zavod Miroslav Krleža. 2013. Retrieved April 25, 2016.
  17. Gelemanović, Mirko. "Vasko Lipovac". Retrieved June 26, 2014.
  18. Pavičić Prijatelj, Ivana (June 14, 2011). The Erotic Homo Adriaticus: 38 Years of Sex in Vasko Lipovac's Work (Speech). Days of Open Atelier. Atelier Vasko Lipovac, Split.
  19. Maroević, Tonko (2014). "Vasko Lipovac – A Bridge Between Cultures". Glasnik Odjeljenja Društvenih Nauka (22): 89. Retrieved September 3, 2014.
  20. Gelemanović, Mirko. "Vasko Lipovac". Retrieved June 26, 2014.
  21. Lipovac, Vasko (October 26, 1975). "Jedan dan veselja Vaska Lipovca". Slobodna Dalmacija (Interview) (in Croatian). Interviewed by Josip Škunca. Split: Slobodna Dalmacija d.d.
  22. Ceraj, Iva (2013). "Bernardo Bernardi – The spiritus movens of Early Design in Croatia". Art Bulletin (63): 119. Retrieved October 6, 2014.
  23. Šušak Živković, Živana (November 21, 2013). "Cijeli svijet se divio kompleksu Split 3". Dalmacija News (in Croatian). Retrieved October 6, 2014.
  24. Rošin, Jerko (March 3, 1974). "Oblik u prostoru, a ne riječ na tabli". Nedjeljna Dalmacija (in Croatian). Split: Slobodna Dalmacija d.d. p. 12.
  25. Cambi, Nenad (2007). "Vasku Lipovcu u počast, godinu dana poslije smrti". Mogućnosti : časopis za književnost, umjetnost i kulturne probleme. 4–6: 208–209.
  26. Belamarić, Joško; Gelemanović, Mirko (2007). Graphic Games. Split: Muzej grada Splita. p. 17.
  27. "Vasko Lipovac, One-man exhibitions". Retrieved October 11, 2014.
  28. Gelemanović, Mirko. "Vasko Lipovac". Retrieved June 26, 2014.
  29. "Premijere hrvatskih kazališta u 2001. godini". Retrieved September 3, 2016.
  30. "LIPOVAC, Vasko (Vasilije)". Hrvatski biografski leksikon (in Croatian). Zagreb: Leksikografski zavod Miroslav Krleža. 2013. Retrieved April 25, 2016.
  31. "Marulovi dani 1991". Retrieved September 3, 2016.
  32. Martinović, Jovan (July 2013). "Hommage Vasku Lipovcu" (PDF). Jedra Boke (in Croatian): 4–5. Retrieved 3 July 2014.
  33. Crncevic, Mirko (2020-09-19). "Slobodna Dalmacija - I Hvar ima 'Plavo stablo', Ivo Milatić, amaterski slikar iz Svirača, nijansom Vaska Lipovca prije 30 godina obojio murvu koju je donijela Neretva". Slobodna Dalmacija (in Croatian). Retrieved 2020-09-20.
  34. "Tako lijepa" (in Croatian). Retrieved June 4, 2015.
  35. "Nebu i Drugi – Tipkovnice u Zrak" (in Croatian). Retrieved April 4, 2015.
  36. Fiamengo, Jakša (2016). Pčela u jantaru (in Croatian). Split: Književni krug. ISBN 978-953-163-436-6.
  37. Klaric, M. (2017-10-25). "Slobodna Dalmacija - 'Venem bez njega': Splićanin pod okriljem noći ostavio emotivni vapaj institucijama kojeg mnogi potpisuju, ne znamo što se čeka?!". Slobodna Dalmacija (in Croatian). Retrieved 2020-09-20.
  38. Kojundžić Smolčić, Anita (2015-04-20). "Priča o Plavom stablu: ovdje neće biti čuda". Arteist (in Croatian). Retrieved 2020-09-20.
  39. Davies, Katie (2 July 2018). "Cyclists: Watch the award-winnng film inspired by Croatian artist Vasko Lipovac". The Calvert Journal. Retrieved 31 August 2018.
  40. "HAVC • Croatian film catalogue". www.havc.hr. Retrieved 2020-08-29.
  41. Tomić, Ante (2008). Erotika. Zagreb: Profil International d.d. p. 365. ISBN 978-953-12-0802-4.
  42. "Nagrada "Grigor Vitez"" (in Croatian). Retrieved July 29, 2014.
  43. Mohorovičić, Andro, ed. (1988). Treći trijenale hrvatskoga kiparstva (in Croatian). Zagreb: Gliptoteka Jugoslavenske akademije znanosti i umjetnosti.
  44. "Marulovi dani 1991". Retrieved July 29, 2014.

Further reading
  • Šimat Banov, Ive (2001). Vasko Lipovac. Zagreb: Art studio Azinović. ISBN 978-953-6271-39-9.
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