Aleksandar Srnec
Encyclopedia
Aleksandar Srnec was a Croatia
n artist. He is mainly known for his avant-garde
designs and kinetic
and lumino kinetic art
.
Srnec was one of the founding members of the Exat 51 group whose active members between 1950 and 1956 were the architects Vjenceslav Richter
, Bernardo Bernardi, Zdravko Bregovac, Božidar Rašica
and Vladimir Zaharović and the painters Vlado Kristl and Ivan Picelj
. He made abstract art based on the use of geometric shapes. In 1953, he designed his first kinetic objects entitled, Space Modulator, while in 1956, he began his experiments with moving sculptures and reliefs.
In the 1960s, Srnec participated in the New Tendencies exhibitions. From 1962, he became involved with luminal-kinetic experiments, for example Luminoplastic I, and from 1968, he began making "ambience art". His work entitled Luminoplastic Ambience, exhibited in 1967, in Gallery SC, (Student Centre Gallery) in Zagreb, was the first luminal-kinetic object/ambience in Croatian art. He collaborated with the Zagreb School of Animated Films
and made sets for three puppet films. He also made the animated film A Man and His Shadow together with Dragutin Vunak.
In the period from 1974–77, he returned to making kinetic sculptures in highly polished metals. He also began experimenting with light. He exhibited at many shows in Croatia and abroad: Zagreb (1953, 1967, 1969, 1971, 1978, 1979, 1983, 1992), Belgrade (1953, 1956, 1968, 1971), Banja Luka (1972), Paris (1959), London (1960, 1961) and Mannheim (1971). His retrospective exhibition Present Absence was held in two cities: at the Gallery of Old and Contemporary Masters and at Varteks facilities in Varaždin, (2008) and at the Museum of Contemporary Art, Zagreb
, (2010). He received many awards, including the Vladimir Nazor Award
for life achievement (1999) and the Croatian Association of Artists Life Achievement Award (2008).
Croatia
Croatia , officially the Republic of Croatia , is a unitary democratic parliamentary republic in Europe at the crossroads of the Mitteleuropa, the Balkans, and the Mediterranean. Its capital and largest city is Zagreb. The country is divided into 20 counties and the city of Zagreb. Croatia covers ...
n artist. He is mainly known for his avant-garde
Avant-garde
Avant-garde means "advance guard" or "vanguard". The adjective form is used in English to refer to people or works that are experimental or innovative, particularly with respect to art, culture, and politics....
designs and kinetic
Kinetic art
Kinetic art is art that contains moving parts or depends on motion for its effect. The moving parts are generally powered by wind, a motor or the observer. Kinetic art encompasses a wide variety of overlapping techniques and styles.-Kinetic sculpture:...
and lumino kinetic art
Lumino Kinetic Art
Lumino Kinetic art involves, as the name suggests, light and movement. It is a subset and an art historical term in the context of the more established kinetic art, which in turn is a subset of new media art...
.
Srnec was one of the founding members of the Exat 51 group whose active members between 1950 and 1956 were the architects Vjenceslav Richter
Vjenceslav Richter
Vjenceslav Richter was a Croatian architect. He was also known for his work in the fields of urbanism, sculpture, graphic arts, painting and stage design.-Career:...
, Bernardo Bernardi, Zdravko Bregovac, Božidar Rašica
Božidar Rašica
Božidar Rašica was an architect, scenographer and painter.-Career:He studied in Rome, Belgrade, Warsaw and Zagreb where he graduated in 1942...
and Vladimir Zaharović and the painters Vlado Kristl and Ivan Picelj
Ivan Picelj
Ivan Picelj was a contemporary Croatian painter, sculptor and graphic designer.Picelj developed a specific variation of geometric abstraction in Croatian painting by using primary colours and by reducing the shapes to geometric elements. He made sculptures and reliefs in wood and in metal...
. He made abstract art based on the use of geometric shapes. In 1953, he designed his first kinetic objects entitled, Space Modulator, while in 1956, he began his experiments with moving sculptures and reliefs.
In the 1960s, Srnec participated in the New Tendencies exhibitions. From 1962, he became involved with luminal-kinetic experiments, for example Luminoplastic I, and from 1968, he began making "ambience art". His work entitled Luminoplastic Ambience, exhibited in 1967, in Gallery SC, (Student Centre Gallery) in Zagreb, was the first luminal-kinetic object/ambience in Croatian art. He collaborated with the Zagreb School of Animated Films
Zagreb School of Animated Films
Zagreb school of animated films is an animation film studio located in Zagreb, Croatia and is a part of the Zagreb Film company. It is represented by authors like Nikola Kostelac, Vatroslav Mimica, Dušan Vukotić and Vladimir Kristl...
and made sets for three puppet films. He also made the animated film A Man and His Shadow together with Dragutin Vunak.
In the period from 1974–77, he returned to making kinetic sculptures in highly polished metals. He also began experimenting with light. He exhibited at many shows in Croatia and abroad: Zagreb (1953, 1967, 1969, 1971, 1978, 1979, 1983, 1992), Belgrade (1953, 1956, 1968, 1971), Banja Luka (1972), Paris (1959), London (1960, 1961) and Mannheim (1971). His retrospective exhibition Present Absence was held in two cities: at the Gallery of Old and Contemporary Masters and at Varteks facilities in Varaždin, (2008) and at the Museum of Contemporary Art, Zagreb
Museum of Contemporary Art, Zagreb
The Museum of Contemporary Art is a contemporary art museum located on Dubrovnik Avenue in Zagreb, Croatia. It is the biggest and most modern museum in the country....
, (2010). He received many awards, including the Vladimir Nazor Award
Vladimir Nazor award
The Vladimir Nazor Award is an annual award given by the Croatian Ministry of Culture to Croatian artists for highest achievements in various artistic fields. It was established in 1959 and is named after the notable writer Vladimir Nazor...
for life achievement (1999) and the Croatian Association of Artists Life Achievement Award (2008).
Further reading
- Denegri, Jerko; Turković, Hrvoje; and Vukić, Feđa, Aleksandar Srnec, Present Absence Sudac Edition, Zagreb, (2008).
External links
- Aleksandar Srnec biography
- Aleksandar Srnec at the Sudac CollectionSudac CollectionSudac Collection is a large private collection of avant-garde art owned by Marinko Sudac, a Croatian art collector., the Sudac Collection comprised 1500 works of avant-garde artists from former Yugoslavia, created between 1915 and 1989...
website