Drago Tršar - Pregled 1955-2009

DRAGO TRŠAR: Pregled 1955 - 2009



Drago Tršar, Pregled 1955 - 2009

Drago Tršar, Overview 1955 - 2009

CIP - Kataložni zapis o publikaciji
Narodna in univerzitetna knjižnica, Ljubljana

730(497.4):929Tršar D.

TRŠAR, Drago

Pregled 1955-2009 = Overview 1955-2009 : [Galerija Prešernovih
nagrajencev za likovno umetnost Kranj, Mestna in Prešernova hiša
v Kranju, 2. julij - 31. avgust 2009] / Drago Tršar ; [besedila
Milček Komelj, Robert Inhof ; prevod Andrej Grah Whatmough,
Ljubica Klančar, Marija Šubic ; fotograf Marko Zaplatil]. - Kranj :
Gorenjski muzej, 2009

ISBN 978-961-6478-30-4

246342400

O EROTIČNEM CIKLUSU DRAGA TRŠARJA in začutil njihovo življenje, saj se gledalcu
poraja dvom o tem, ali je na videz neživ objekt
Erotična dela Draga Tršarja, ki so bila novembra dejansko živ ali pa gre za urok, ki je živo bitje ujel
leta 2006 prvič v velikem obsegu predstavljena v negibnost gline in brona. Tršar ne naredi svojih
v Galeriji Murska Sobota, v začetku leta 2009 v erotičnih del samo v velikih dimenzijah, pač pa
Erotični galeriji Račka v Celju in sedaj v Galeriji tudi v majhnih in – kar je še posebej zanimivo – v
Prešernovih nagrajencev v Kranju, niso nek povsem miniaturnih dimenzijah.
naključen segment ali posamezno obdobje
v njegovem opusu. Z erotiko se namreč Drago Tršar je v svojem umetniškem izražanju
kontinuirano ukvarja že vse od leta 1953, ko vedno iskal neko ne posamičnost, ampak
je nastalo delo, imenovano Tolažba. Tršar zelo splošnost, oziroma, kakor bi rekel Platon, idejo.
dobro pozna zgodovino kiparstva, tako da se Njegovi cikli, kot so to Živali, Demonstranti,
njegov tako številčno kakor motivno izjemen Stara mesta in Kaplje, na pomenski ravni ne
opus vzpostavi kot intenziven in prepletajoč se izumljajo nečesa novega, nečesa osebnega.
dialog z velikimi mojstri erotične umetnosti, vse Gre za tisto splošnost, po kateri vsak prebivalec
od anonimnih mojstrov z različnih kontinentov našega planeta ve, kaj je žival, kaj staro mesto
starega sveta, pa vse do Feliciena Ropsa, Avgusta in kaj kaplja. Osebno in izvirno je samo tisto,
Rodina, Medarda Rossa, Alberta Giacomettija, kar v umetnosti mora biti tako, obvladovanje
Henrija Matissa, Georga Grosza in Pabla Picassa, likovnega jezika in umetnikova refleksija o
Pierra Klossowskega in številnih ostalih. Pri tem teh stvareh. Podobno je z njegovim erotičnim
se kipar zelo dobro zaveda, kaj je vpliv in kaj ciklusom, ki je nastajal vzporedno z njegovim
posnemanje, kaj je dialog in kaj ponavljanje znanim opusom, le da je bil povsem zaseben in
monologa. Tršarju neprenehoma uspeva doslej javnosti nedostopen. Tudi v tem ciklusu
vzdrževati samosvojo izvirno likovno govorico, Drago Tršar ne govori o posamičnosti, ampak o
ki je daleč od kakršnegakoli eklekticizma. splošnosti. Tisto, kar ga zanima, ni posamično
Drago Tršar je hkrati tudi izjemen risar. Zanj je žensko telo, ampak ženskost, in to tista erotična
obvladovanje risbe temelj likovnih umetnosti. ženskost, ki jo globoko v sebi čuti in razume vsak,
Brez dobre risbe namreč ni ne dobre slike, ne ne glede na morebitne zunanje moralistične
dobre skulpture ne dobre arhitekture. cenzure in avtocenzure. Hkrati pa je Tršarju ta
umik v zasebno omogočil tisto, kar si v svojem
Skulpture Draga Tršarja so izpolnjene s tako javnem opusu ni mogel privoščiti – sporadičen in
izraznostjo in tako življenjsko silo, da se nam zdi, hoteni umik v naturalizem. Ravno zaradi naštetih
kot da pod povrhnjico brona, gline ali keramike dejstev lahko zasebno postane javno, ne da bi
pulzira nemirno življenje samo. Ob tem dejstvu izgubilo kaj od svoje zasebnosti in intimnosti.
se spomnimo na mitičnega kiparja Dedala, za
katerega je Platon v dialogu Menon, dejal, da je Tršarjeve skulpture so včasih v celoti pobarvane
z magičnimi dejanji lahko oživil kipe, tako da mu ter s pomočjo barve odete v novo kožo, oziroma
niso ušli. Haptični karakter njegovih skulptur v neke vrste psevdo-inkarnat, včasih pa so jim
človeku zbudi željo po tem, da bi se jih dotaknil dodani samo posamezni barvni akcenti. Barva
je element, ki še nadalje stopnjuje čutni karakter

Tršarjevih del. Več kot petdesetletno študiranje katerem se človek rojeva med blatom in urinom
in ustvarjanje rezultira v opusu, ki je v slovenski (inter faesces et urinam nascimur).
umetnosti izjemen in nenavaden. Pri Tršarju gre
namreč za izredno sproščen likovni izraz izredno V viktorijanski Angliji 19. stoletja, ko je golota
potlačene likovne tematike. Erotični opus se pri še vedno bila nekaj sramotnega in ko so se
Tršarju ne izrazi le skozi medij skulpture, ampak celo zakonski pari ljubili v spalnih srajcah, pod
prav tako skozi medij keramike, slike, grafike odejo in ob ugasnjenih lučeh, je bil pogled na
in risbe. Njegova erotična dela najdejo svojo golo, lepo oblikovano žensko zadnjico nekaj
bivanjskost – povsem enakovredno - tako v sila seksualno vznemirljivega. Postavljali so celo
povsem miniaturnih glinenih plastikah kakor šotore, kjer je obiskovalec, potem ko je plačal
tudi v velikih bronastih skulpturah. vstopnico, lahko pokukal skozi majhno odprtino
in užival ob pogledu na razgaljeno žensko
Erotika je ena izmed najbolj ambivalentnih tém zadnjico. Sodobna pornografska industrija je
v umetnosti. Je navdihujoča, vznemirljiva in s svojim kataloškim herbarijem spolnih praks
pritegujoča človeški, predvsem moški pogled, in z lahko dostopnostjo pornografskih podob
hkrati pa ni umetnostne téme, ki bi lahko bila bolj v dobršni meri dosegla to, da je reprodukcija
osovražena in pogosto zelo grobo cenzurirana. fotografije gole ženske postala tako vsakdanja,
Najenostavneje je erotično umetnost označiti da ni več nič drugačnega, nič nenavadnega in
za pornografsko in jo s tem klasificirati kot nič vznemirljivega. Pornografskega periodičnega
sramotno, neresno in s tem za manjvredno tiska ne ubija moralistična cenzura, pač pa
nasproti ostalim vzvišenim témam, ki nam ravno transparentnost in enodimenzionalnost
govorijo, ali naj bi nam govorile, o vzvišenih in njene tavtologije ter hkrati s tem odsotnost
plemenitih resnicah človeškega bivanja. Erotična metaforične razsežnosti.
dela in prizore kopulacij najdemo domala v vseh
obdobjih človeštva, razporejeni pa so skoraj Erotične fotografije so, kakor fotografije nasploh,
po vsem svetu: v Peruju, Egiptu, Perziji, Kitajski, reproduktivne. Dajo se tiskati in multiplicirati v
Indiji in Japonski. V zahodni Evropi jih najdemo neštetih izvodih. Erotične in pornografske revije
na jamskih poslikavah iz mlajšega paleolitika, so potencialno vulgarne, ker so namenjene za
na faličnih reprezentacijah, na amuletih in vulgus, za množico, za razliko od umetnosti,
prizorih spolnih občevanj s starogrških vaz, na ki je enkratna in v principu omejena dostopu
rimskih svetilkah in pompejanskih freskah ter v precej manjšemu številu ljudi. Očitno erotična
vseh obdobjih zahodnoevropske umetnosti od tematika rabi umetnost in medij umetnine, da
romanike naprej. Erotična dela so se pojavljala v lahko ponovno zaživi in naredi človeški pogled
dveh različnih konceptih. V krščanski umetnosti ne le registratoren in klasifikacijski, ampak
zahodne Evrope so se eksplicitna erotična dejaven v smislu srednjeveškega pojmovanja
dela uporabljala kot svarilo pred enim izmed očesa. Mark Twain je Tizianovo sliko Urbinska
najhujših sedmerih naglavnih grehov, Luxurio ali Venera opisal kot najbolj pokvarjeno, vulgarno
pohoto, hkrati pa kot opomin oziroma memento, in obsceno sliko, ki obstaja na svetu. Twain
s pomočjo katerega naj človek ne bi pozabil pravi, da Venera leži vsem na očeh in da se nad
na izjavo, tezo ali anatemo sv. Avguština, po njo naslaja kdor hoče, ter hkrati doda, da je to

njena pravica, saj je Urbinska Venera umetnina, renesančne poze Adama in Eve pred drevesom
umetnost pa ima svoje privilegije. Sicer pa tudi spoznanja. Ravno tako ni naključje, da so
pornografske reprodukcije niso – z ustvarjalnega sadeži, ki so upodobljeni na Tršarjevi skulpturi z
izhodišča – povsem nekoristne. Umetnik lahko naslovom Staro sadje iz leta 1969 ravno jabolka.
iz njih črpa in ustrezno preoblikuje poze, do Sveto pismo govori o nedoločenem sadežu z
katerih sam ne bi mogel priti ne s pomočjo drevesa spoznanj, pri tem pa samega sadeža
modela ne s pomočjo fotoaparata. Nekaj, kar izrecno ne imenuje. Jabolko se je eksegetom
je v osnovi vulgarno, dobi, ustrezno mojstrsko zdelo najbolj ustrezen sadež zaradi tega, ker
preoblikovano in metaforično nadgrajeno v je latinski samostalnik malum enakozvočnica,
svoji enkratnosti, nesmrtno življenje umetnine, ki pomeni tako jabolko kakor zlo. Za Tršarja
ki ni več enodimenzionalna in kakršnokoli pa jabolko ni več skušnjevavski sadež, ampak
hermenevtiko izključujoča. Umetnina pa, kot je navadno odvrženo staro sadje.
rečeno, ima svoje privilegije. Prvi med njimi je
seveda možnost njenega obstoja. Videti je, kot da bi erotična dela Draga Tršarja,
bodisi postavljena v njegovem ateljeju bodisi
Na različnih slikah in freskah vidimo, da so prav razstavljena v galeriji, bila rezultat čarodejevega
najbolj intimna mesta uničena tako, da so po giba, ki z enim zamahom razkrije in predstavi
njih drgnili z ostrimi predmeti. Jure Mikuž pravi, vse tisto, kar je najbolj naravno, a za kar so si
da gre za eno izmed najbolj spontanih psihičnih dolga stoletja prizadevali, da bi ostalo skrito
reakcij preprostih ljudi, ki svojih nagonov ne v anatemizirani in retuširani temi svojega
znajo in nočejo kontrolirati. Gre za reakcijo, polobstoja. Slika in skulptura ne moreta
v kateri odseva njihova potisnjena seksualna predstaviti gibanja sukcesivno, pač pa izključno
energija, agresivnost in želja po uničevanju. Na kot fiksiranega in zamrznjenega v statičnem
javno izpostavljenih kipih ali slikah aktov pogosto segmentu gibanja. Da bi presegel statičnost,
vidimo spolne dele porisane, počečkane, ki je v mediju slike in skulpture ni mogoče
pobarvane ali izpraskane, skratka opazimo sled preseči drugače kot metaforično, uporabi Tršar v
uničenja, ki jo na ta ali oni način na umetnini nekaterih primerih metaforo valovanja. Metafora
pušča roka človeka – naknadnega »umetnika« - je več kot ustrezna, saj ritmično ponavljanje
in tako ponazarja oziroma metaforično izpolnjuje valovanja označuje ritmičnost spolnega akta,
željo po ritmičnem stiku s spolovilom. Uničeni hkrati pa se v valovih prikazujejo obrisi ženskega
intimni deli na umetninah nam torej govorijo telesa. Porajajoče se žensko telo v valovih nas
nekaj povsem drugega, kot so si zamislili spomni na mitološko Venero, ki je vstala iz
njihovi anonimni avtorji, ki so se na ravni zavesti morskih valov, lepa in bela kakor pena. Ponekod
prepričali, da opravljajo dobro in koristno delo v valovanje nakazuje samo posamezen val, ženski
poklon moralni čistosti in neomadeževanosti. bok, v katerega raste podolgovato, ležeče žensko
telo.
Mislim, da ni naključje, da oba ženska akta na
Tršarjevem najstarejšem delu iz erotičnega Tršarjev bronasti Ženski akt iz leta 1981, ki ga
ciklusa, na delu Tolažba iz leta 1953 s svojima je umetnik naredil po iranskem iluminiranem
pozama tako zelo spominjata na poznogotske in rokopisu, nam prikazuje konkavno usločeno

Veseličke / ‘Veseličke’, 2000 - 2005, žensko telo v akrobatski drži, ki omogoča,
keramika / ceramics, 18 x 15 cm da se njene genitalije neposredno razkrijejo
človeškemu pogledu. Glava in trup te
skulpture sta narejena tako, da s hrapavostjo
in grobostjo svoje povrhnjice spominjata
na skorjo drevesnega debla ali na fosiliziran
ostanek ženskega telesa. Od pasu navzdol pa
se figura spremeni v gladko, skrbno zloščeno
in refleksno površino nog in zadnjice. Pri tem
ženskem aktu gre za metamorfozo, za katero
pa ne moremo z gotovostjo vedeti za smer, v
katero ta metamorfoza poteka. Glede na Tršarjev
ostali opus pa je nekako najbolj naravno, da se
fosilizirano in nedefinirano telo spreminja oziroma
»oživi« v lepoto gladkega ženskega telesa. Ta
skulptura prav tako spominja na znamenit
prizor iz Pier Paolo Pasolinijevega filma Tisoč in
ena noč (1974), kjer smo lahko videli žensko z
razkrečenimi nogami, se pravi genitalijami kot
tarčo in moškega z napetim lokom, na koncu
puščice pa falus namesto konice. Podobno, le
da po svoji konturi konveksno pozo zavzema
Tršarjev kip V ekstazi iz leta 1998, ki prikazuje
udobno zleknjeno žensko telo z razkrečenimi
bedri in s stisnjenimi stopali. Skulptura V ekstazi
je za razliko od zgoraj omenjenega akta iz leta
1981 precej bolj naturalističen akt, nastal pa je po
štirih izmed trinajstih grafičnih listov iz Tršarjeve
grafične mape imenovane Erotikon, ki je leta
1998 izdal Mednarodni grafični in likovni center
v Ljubljani. Tudi ta akt zavzema svojo akrobatsko
pozo z namenom, da bi bile ženske genitalije kar
najbolj vidne. Izvor akrobatskih poz teh dveh
Tršarjevih skulptur je mogoče iskati v romanskih
konzolah in kapitelih.

Formalne prototipe Tršarjevih del najdemo
v skulpturah ekshibicionistov iz romanskih
cerkva. Pri tem izstopa podoba, imenovana
Sheela-na-gig, groteskna figura z veliko glavo,

izbuljenimi očmi in razkrečenimi nogami, ki si Tudi za ekshibicioniste in akrobate je videti, kot
z rokami groteskno razpira vagino, prav tako da bi vse svoje vratolomne akrobacije in prave
pa tudi različne skulpture akrobatov v skoraj jogijske drže izvajali le zato, da bi gledalcu kazali
nemogočih položajih Te figure so krasile cerkve najintimnejše dele svojega telesa, genitalije in
po vsej Evropi. Klesarji so jih ustvarjali v obliki anus.
konzol in kapitelov, torej kot opremo tistih delov
cerkva, ki so bili očem najbolj odmaknjeni in bili Eden izmed mnogih Tršarjevih keramičnih
skriti v temo. Te figure so rezultat ponovnega odlitkov Veseličk, ki je razstavil na balkonu
zanimanja za sedem naglavnih grehov, izmed Galerije Murska Sobota, je imel upodobljene
katerih je kot najbolj odvraten greh izstopala dlake, ki so bile spremenjene v kače. Seveda
Luxuria ali pohota. Obscene in skorajda gre za parafrazo Meduzine glave, pri čemer smo
pornografske podobe iz romanskih cerkva, niso lahko spoznali Tršarjev smisel za humor, s katerim
imele nobenega drugega namena, kakor na pristopa k erotični tematiki. Tudi frontalni
zelo mizogini način svariti tako klerike kot tudi položaj odlitka odzvanja Meduzo, ki je ubijala
preprosto ljudstvo pred grešenjem v mislih in ravno s frontalnostjo svojega obraza. Vendar pa
dejanjih. Te skulpture so torej svarile pred pastmi je Tršarjev odlitek predvsem duhovit in nam ne
Velike skušnjevalke, zaradi katere je Adam moral govori o dekapitaciji in kastracijskem kompleksu,
zapustiti rajski vrt. Ženska je namreč - po Albertu pač pa izpostavi sam Meduzin način ubijanja s
Velikem – bila pojmovana kot hudič v človeški pogledom, ki tistega, katerega zadane, spremeni
podobi. v kamen. Pri Tršarju je namig zelo nedvoumen,
tisti, ki ga zadane pogled Meduze vagine,
Ti srednjeveški ekshibicionisti niso bili nič okameni, vendar ta, ki okameni, ni mitološki
drugega kot moralistične in grozilne pridige junak, ampak penis, ki okameni (otrdi) v fazo
v kamnu, ne pa izraz domišljije posameznega erekcije. Nekaj je torej s pogledom ubito, da bi
kamnoseka, saj noben kamnosek v srednjem dobilo novo življenje in drugačno življenjsko
veku ni naredil ničesar, za kar ne bi bil plačan. funkcijo.
Njegovo delo pa je bilo izvršeno izključno v
skladu s potrebami in navodili naročnika. Ženska Oko oziroma pogled (visus) je tudi prvi izmed
na teh klesarijah je debela, plešasta, neprivlačna, tradicionalnih stadijev ljubezni, ki jim sledijo
njena drža pa odbijajoča, kot da bi naročniki govorjenje (alloquim), dotikanje (contactus),
hoteli pokazati, kako grd obraz se skriva izza poljubljanje (oscula) in nazadnje sam seksualni
privlačnega naličja greha, ki človeka zapelje v akt (factum) in orgazem - ali mala smrt - kakor ga
pogubo. Te podobe niso bile narejene zato, da bi zaradi podobnih simptomov (zaprte oči, izdih)
spodbujale grešne strasti, ampak da bi pred njimi imenuje Aristotel. Teh stopenj pa niso deležni
svarile in jih preprečevale. Tudi ljubezenski pari s samo v medčloveških odnosih. V mnogih primerih
teh konzol in kapitelov prestrašeno strmijo v nas, se ti stadiji, vse do stadija poljubljanja, prenesejo
kakor da bi jih ravnokar ujeli in flagrante delictio. tudi na podobe. Pigmalion se je zaljubil v kip, ki
Gre za pogled, ki je povsem drugačne narave ga je naredil sam. Ker je bil, kot kip, hladen, mrtev
od osramočenega in v tla uprtega pogleda in neživljenjski, ga je Afrodita oživila, tako da je
Adama in Eve, ki morata zapustiti rajski vrt. Pigmalion odslej lahko normalno živel s svojo

Galatejo, oživljeno skulpturo ali – v najslabšem mojster, da bi ga zanimal senzacionalizem ali da
primeru - z avtomatom. Ljudje se pogovarjajo, bi ga zamikala zlahka pričakovana, pogojno-
božajo in poljubljajo podobe svojih dragih, hodijo refleksna reakcija občinstva. V Tršarjevem
z njimi spat ter jih tako ali drugače ljubosumno erotičnem opusu gre za izrazito oseben svet,
varujejo. Včasih je podoba nadomestek tistega, katerega pa - kar je velika redkost v sodobni
ki je odsoten, včasih pa je podoba sama po sebi umetnosti - ne poseljujejo travme in tesnobni
tisti, ki sproži mehanizme ljubezni v človeškem občutki, ampak je ves sestavljen iz sproščenega
pogledu. Leonardo da Vinci je zapisal, da lahko in čistega joie de vivre. Tršarjev svet, ne glede
slikar prevara s sliko človeško oko tako, da se le- na popolno ignoriranje in ironiziranje smrti, ni
ta zaljubi v sliko ženske, ki ne predstavlja nobene površen. Izredno globok je ravno v vseh svojih
žive ženske. Leonardo je namreč nekoč naredil radoživih razsežnostih, ki v zadnji konsekvenci
sliko svete podobe, ki jo je kupil mož, ki je želel, najde svoj končni izraz v hvalnici življenju. Če
da Leonardo odstrani vse atribute božanskosti, je pri Tršarjevih delih kaj provokativnega, to
da bi jo mož lahko poljubljal brez občutka ni njegov ciklus erotičnih del, pač pa njegovo
greha. In nenazadnje tudi svetopisemski Adam obvladovanje likovne obrti. To obvladovanje
(Adamah), ki v hebrejščini pomeni rdečo prst, ni materije pri njem povzroči tisti suspenz, ki ga pri
nič drugega, kakor iz gline zgnetena skulpturo, ki marsikateri domislici ne zagotavlja umetniško
ji je Bog vdihnil dušo. delo, pač pa bolj ali manj posrečena teorija,
katero bi naj ta domislica ilustrirala.
Eden izmed vztrajno ponavljajočih se prizorov v
Tršarjevem erotičnem opusu so - kakor jih sam Tršarjeva erotična dela vsebujejo tisto
ljubkovalno imenuje – Mušice. Gre za ženske apotropejsko in eksorcistično moč, ki se je
akte, ki s svojimi visoko dvignjenimi nogami zmotno pripisovala romanskim Sheelam,
izrisujejo veliko črko V, hkrati pa pomenijo konico ekshibicionistom, zabavljačem in akrobatom.
smerokaza, ki pogled vodi točno k anatomskim Njegova dela varujejo pred zlim pogledom,
odprtinam ženskega telesa. V folklori je tisto, kar kateremu se - da bi se nevtraliziral in postal
je med dvema skrajnostima, vselej pomembna nenevaren - mora pokazati spolno zapeljiv prizor.
zona transformacije. Meje ali robovi so hkrati Tršarjeva dela povzročijo izničevanje tega zlega
nevarna področja in hkrati področja, ki so polna pogleda. Zli pogled se tako razprši in izgine
nadnaravnih moči. Časovni spoj med zimo in med množico dvignjenih ženskih nog, prsi in
poletjem ali med dnevom in nočjo predstavlja vagin ali pa se z nezmanjšano intenzivnostjo in
nevaren stik z drugim svetom. Dve anatomski smrtonostnostjo vrne pošiljatelju, reflektiran na
odprtini ženskega telesa sta fizična in simbolična površini dramatično napete, svetleče, skrbno
meja, liminalna zona in stik z drugim svetom, za zloščene in na konveksno ogledalo spominjajoče
katero pa pri Tršarjevih delih ne velja prepoved bronaste ženske zadnjice.
transgresije, ampak se gledalec napeljuje na to,
da – vsaj v domišljiji - to liminalno zono prekorači. Robert Inhof

Tršarjeva erotična dela niso in nočejo biti
provokativna. Umetnik je preveč moder in prevelik

DRAGO TRŠAR’S EROTIC OPUS Plato in the Meno dialogue as one who magically
gives life to sculptures so they could not escape
Drago Tršar’s erotic opus - the substantial part of him. The haptical character of his sculptures
which was first exhibited in The Gallery of Murska makes one want to touch them, to feel their life
Sobota in the beginning of 2006, followed by an force, as the viewer begins to doubt whether a
exhibition in Celje in the Erotic Gallery “Račka” in seemingly lifeless object is in fact alive or is it just
the beginning of 2009 and is now on show in the a spell which captured a living creature into the
Gallery of Prešeren Award Winners in Kranj - does stillness of clay or bronze. Tršar’s erotic works are
not represent a random segment or an individual not only created in large scale, some of them are
period in his artistic work. Drago Tršar has small and, particularly interesting are those in a
been continually inspired by the erotic theme completely miniature form.
ever since 1953 when he completed his piece
entitled Consolation. Tršar is well acquainted Throughout his artistic expression, Drago Tršar
with the history of sculpture and thus his opus – has never searched for any kind of individuality,
exceptional both in terms of its quantity as well as but rather something common or, as Plato would
its exceptional theme - is presented as an intense phrase it, an idea. In terms of their meaning, his
and intertwined dialog with great masters of Animals, Deonstrators, Old Towns and Droplets
erotic art, from anonymous masters from various do not invent anything new or personal. They
continents of the old world, to masters like reflect the general, common characteristics
Felicien Rops, August Rodin, Medardo Rosso, known by every single inhabitant of our planet
Albert Giacometti, Henry Matisse, George Grosz to identify an animal, an old town, or a droplet.
and Pablo Picasso, Pierre Klossowski as well as Personal and original is only that which must be
a large number of other artists. The sculptor such in art: mastering of the artistic language
is very well aware of the distinction between and the artists reflection on these. Similar is true
being influenced and copying, between dialog for his erotic works, which were shaped alongside
and repeating a monolog. Tršar has constantly his well-known opus with one exception: until
succeeded in maintaining his individual, original recently, this opus was completely private and
artistic expression which is far from any kind of inaccessible to public. As in other works, Drago
eclecticism. In addition, Drago Tršar is also an Tršar does not describe individuality, but rather
exceptional sketcher. To him, the mastering of that which is common.
sketching provides the basis for all fine arts, as
all good paintings, sculptures, or architecture are His interest lies not in any individual woman’s
based on a good sketch. body but rather in femininity, particularly
the erotic nature of the woman, so deeply
Drago Tršar’s sculptures are highly expressive and understood and felt by anyone regardless of any
full of life force, allowing us to witness restless external moral censorship or self-censorship. At
life itself pulsating beneath the bronze, clay or the same time, this privacy of his work allowed
ceramics surface. With this in mind we remember Tršar precisely that which he could not afford in
the mythical sculptor Daedalus, described by his public opus – a sporadic and willing retreat
into naturalism. It is precisely these facts that

can make what is private become public without of art appeared in two very different concepts.
losing any of its privacy and intimacy. In Western European Christian art, explicit
erotic works were used as a warning against
Tršar’s sculptures are sometimes covered with one of the deadliest of the seven sins or capital
paint, giving them a new skin or a kind of pseudo vices, Luxurio or lust, and at the same time as
incarnate, and at other times they may only be a reminder or memento, to help man not to
splashed with individual colour accents. The forget the statement, thesis or anathema by St.
element of colour further enhances the sensual Augustine: “…man is born between faeces and
character of Tršar’s works. This opus is the result urine” (inter faesces et urinam nascimur).
of over fifty years of study and creativity, and
is something exceptional and extraordinary in In 19th century Victorian England, when nudity
Slovene artistic expression. Tršar conveys an was still something shameful and when even
exceedingly relaxed artistic expression of an married couples made love wearing night gowns,
extremely suppressed artistic theme. His erotic under the bedding and in darkness, the view of
opus is not only expressed in sculpture, but also a naked, beautifully shaped woman’s bottom
in ceramics, paintings, graphics and sketches. His was something sexually tremendously exciting.
erotic works of art manage to exist – in utterly Tents were erected for visitors to, after they
equal terms – in miniature clay statues as well as had purchased their ticket, peep through a tiny
in large bronze sculptures. hole and delight in the view of a naked woman’s
bottom. With its catalogue of sex practices and
Erotica is one of the most ambivalent art themes easy access to pornographic images, the modern
as it is inspirational, exciting, eye catching, pornographic industry has more or less made the
particularly to the male eye, while at the same photographic reproduction of a naked woman
time there is no other art theme that is more such an everyday event that it no longer appears
hated and often brutally censored. It is easy to to be something different, unusual or exciting.
designate erotic art as pornography and thus Pornographic periodicals are not being killed-
classify it as shameful, frivolous and therefore off by moralist censorship but rather by the
inferior to other more noble themes which transparency and single-dimensionality of their
express or should express sublime and noble tautology and thus the absence of a metaphoric
truths of human existence. Erotic works and dimension.
scenes of copulation can be found in almost any
era of human history and almost anywhere in the Erotic photographs are, as photographs in
world: Peru, Egypt, Persia, China, India and Japan. general, endlessly reproducible; they can
In Western Europe they can be found in cave be printed and thus multiplied in countless
paintings from the neo-Palaeolithic, in phallic copies. Erotic and pornographic magazines are
representations, on amulets and scenes of sexual potentially vulgar, as they are intended for the
intercourse depicted on Ancient Greek vases, on vulgus, for the public, in contrast to art, which
Ancient Roman oil lamps and Pompeian frescoes, is unique, and therefore in principle, limited in
as well as in all periods of Western European art access to a great deal fewer people. Evidently, the
from Romanticism and beyond. Erotic works erotic theme requires art and works of art as the

medium for it to become alive again and to make Staro sadje / Old Fruit, 1969,
human eye not only to register and classify the gips in les / plaster and wood, 28 x 53 x 34 cm
image but also to become active in the medieval
understanding of the eye. Mark Twain described
Titian’s Venus of Urbino as the most perverted,
vulgar and obscene painting existing in the
world. According to Twain, Venus is lying before
everyone’s eyes for anyone to enjoy; and he adds
that this is her right since Venus of Urbino is a
work of art, and art has its privileges. That said,
pornographic reproductions are not – in terms
of creative origin – totally useless. An artist can
draw from these and appropriately remodel
poses which he himself could not arrive at
neither with the help of a model nor with the use
of a camera. That which is in its essence vulgar,
thus gains appropriate, masterly remodelled
and metaphorically upgraded in its uniqueness,
immortality of an artwork, which is no longer
single-dimensional and hermeneutically
preclusive in any way. An artwork has, as
mentioned, its privileges, the first of which is the
chance for it to exist.

In different paintings and frescoes we can
observe that the most intimate spots have been
damaged by sharp objects being scraped over
the spot. According to Jure Mikuž, this is one
of the most spontaneous physical reactions of
simple people, who are neither able nor willing
to control their urges. This reaction reflects their
suppressed sexual energy, their aggression,
and their desire to destroy. On many publicly
displayed sculptures and paintings of nudes, we
can often see that sexual organs have been drawn
over, scribbled over, coloured over or scratched
out. In short, we can see signs of destruction, left
in one way or the other on the artwork by human
hand, the hand of a subsequent “artist”, thus
illustrating a metamorphically fulfilled desire for

rhythmic contact with the genitals. Destroyed wave-like appearance of the silhouette of a
private parts in a work of art reflect something woman’s body. This vision of a woman’s body
totally different from what was their anonymous appearing among the waves reminds us of
authors’ intension, as they were convinced that mythological Venus, beautiful and white as froth,
their actions were good and useful, performed in rising from the sea. In places waves are indicated
the name of moral purity and chastity. as an individual wave, woman’s hips developing
into the elongated body of a reclining woman.
I believe it is no coincidence that the poses of
both nudes on Tršar’s oldest piece from his erotic Tršar’s bronze Nude of the woman from 1981,
opus - Consolation from 1953, are so very much which the artist sculpted inspired by the Iranian
reminiscent of the late Gothic and Renaissance illuminated manuscript, depicts the concave
poses of Adam and Eve standing in front of the shape of a woman’s body in an acrobatic position
Tree of Knowledge. Nor is it a coincidence that that allows her genitals to be openly revealed
fruits depicted on Tršar’s sculpture Old Fruit to human eye. With their course and rough
from 1969 are apples. The Bible talks about surface, the head and torso of this sculpture are
an indefinite fruit from the tree of knowledge reminiscent of tree bark or fossilized remains of a
without actually naming it. To exegetes, an apple woman’s body. From the waist down, her figure
seemed the most appropriate fruit because is transformed into a smooth, carefully polished
the Latin noun malum is a homonym, meaning and reflective surface of the legs and bottom. This
apple and evil. For Tršar, an apple is no longer a sculpture of a nude is a metamorphism, but we
tempting fruit, but an ordinary discarded piece are unsure as to the result of this metamorphosis.
of old fruit. When we consider the rest of Tršar’s opus, it seems
most natural for the fossilized and non-defined
It appears as if erotic works of art by Drago Tršar, body to be transformed or “brought to life” in
both those in his studio and those on exhibition the beautiful, smooth body of a woman. The
at a gallery, were the result of a magician’s hand sculpture is also reminiscent of a famous scene
who with a single move uncovers and presents from Pier Paolo Pasolini’s film Arabian Nights
all that is the most natural, but which people (1974), where we can see a woman with her legs
have striven for centuries to keep hidden in an wide apart and her genitals as a target and a man
anathematic and retouched darkness of semi- with a tautened bow and an arrow whose tip has
existence. Paintings and sculptures cannot been replaced by a phallus. A similar, although
express a succession of movement, but rather convex pose is assumed by Tršar’s sculpture
solely a single move fixed and frozen in a static In Ecstasy from 1998, depicting a statue of a
segment of a movement. In order to go beyond comfortably reclined body of a woman with her
this stillness which cannot be surpassed in a thighs far apart and closely tight feet. In contrast
painting or sculpture other than metaphorically, with the above mentioned nude from 1981, the
Tršar sometimes uses the metaphor of a wave. sculpture In Ecstasy is rather a more naturalistic
This metaphor is more than suitable, as the nude, based on four out of thirteen art prints
rhythmic repetition of the wave depicts the from Tršar’s graphic opus Erotikon, published
rhythm of the sexual act with simultaneous in 1998 by the International Centre of Graphic

arts in Ljubljana (Mednarodni grafični in likovni V ekstazi / In Ecstasy, 1981,
center v Ljubljani). This nude statue also takes bron / bronze, 33 x 63 x 33 cm
her acrobatic pose in order to enable the best
possible view of the woman’s genitals. The origin
of acrobatic poses of these two statues by Tršar
can be found in roman consoles and capitals.

Formal examples of inspiration for Tršar’s work
can be found in sculptures of exhibitionists in
Roman churches, in particular an image entitled
Sheela-na-gig, a grotesque figure with large
head, bulging eyes and legs spread wide apart,
while grotesquely spreading her vagina with her
hands, as well as different sculptures of acrobats
in almost impossible positions. These figures
adorned churches all over Europe. Stonemasons
created these in the form of consoles and
capitals to decorate the most remote areas of
churches, hidden by darkness. The figures are the
result of a revived interest for the seven capital
sins, of which Luxuria or lust stood out as the
most repulsive of them all. Obscene and almost
pornographic images from roman churches
had no other purpose but to warn, in a very
misogynistic way, both the clerics and the simple
folk against sin in thought and in deed. These
sculptures served as a warning against being
enticed into sin by The Great Temptress, who
caused Adam to be cast out from the Garden of
Eden. The woman was, according to Albert the
Great, seen as the devil in human form.

These medieval exhibitionists were nothing but
moralistic and menacing sermons set in stone,
rather than an expression of the individual
stonemason’s imagination, since no medieval
stonemason would do work for which he was not
commissioned. And his work was accomplished
solely to comply with the needs and instructions
of the client. Women depicted in these sculptures

are fat, bald, unattractive, and their posture is stage of love, followed by speaking (alloquim),
repulsive, as if the client’s intension was to show touching (contactus), kissing (oscula) and finally
what ugliness is hidden behind the attractive the sexual act (factum) and orgasm – or “la petite
mask of sin which leads man to his damnation. mort” – thus described by Aristotle due to similar
These images are not made to stimulate sinful symptoms (closed eyes, exhalation). These
passions but rather to warn against them and stages are not characteristic only of human
thus prevent sin. Even couples in love, depicted relations. In several instances these are, up to the
in these consoles and capitals, stare alarmingly at kissing stage, transferred to images. For example,
us as if they were just caught in flagrante delictio. Pygmalion fell in love with a statue, which he
It is a gaze that is completely different from the himself had made. As a statue it was cold, dead
disgraced and shameful expressions of Adam and lifeless, Aphrodite brought it to life so that
and Eve, who were forced to leave the Garden of Pygmalion could live normally with his Galathea,
Eden. It seems as if exhibitionists and acrobats the resurrected sculpture or – in the worst
were performing their perilous acrobatic tricks scenario - automat. People talk to, touch and kiss
and assumed yoga positions with the sole images of their loved ones, take them to bed and
intention of showing to the viewer their most in one way or another jealously safeguard them.
intimate body parts, genitals and anus. Sometimes an image is a substitute for an absent
one, and at other times the image itself triggers
One of Tršar’s many ceramic casts Veseličke, mechanisms of love in a human eye. Leonardo
exhibited on the balcony of the Murska da Vinci said that a painter is able to cheat the
Sobota Gallery, was depicted with her hair human eye with his painting so that the eye falls
being transformed into snakes. Of course in love with the painting of a woman which does
this is a paraphrase of Medusa’s head, which not depict any living woman. Leonardo painted
reflects Tršar’s sense of humour, with which he a holly image which was bought by a man who
approaches erotic themes. The frontal position of wanted Leonardo to remove all attributes of
the cast is also reminiscent of Medusa who was holiness so that the man could kiss the image
able to kill with her face. However, Tršar’s cast is without feeling that he was committing a sin.
primarily witty, not expressing a decapitation or And last but not least, Biblical Adam (Adamah),
castration complex, but rather exposing Medusa’s meaning red earth in Hebrew, is nothing more
means of killing by gaze which turns anyone who than a clay sculpture, into which God breathed
is caught by the gaze, into stone. In Tršar’s work his soul and therefore life.
the hint is very unambiguous: whoever is hit by
the gaze of Medusa’s vagina, is turned to stone, One of the persistent scenes in Tršar’s erotic opus
however the one who turns to stone is not the is – as affectionately called by the artist – Mušice.
mythical hero, but rather the penis that turns to These are nude women whose raised legs sketch
stone (hardens) and becomes erect. It is the gaze the capital V; at the same time they represent
that kills something for it only to assume a new the tip of a beacon, directing the eye towards
life and a different life function. the anatomic crevasses of a woman’s body. In
folklore anything between the two extremes is
The sight or vision (visus) is traditionally the first always a significant zone of transformation. The

boundaries or edges are both dangerous and full of raised women’s legs, breasts and vaginas, or
of supernatural powers. The time union between else it is returned with the same intensity and
winter and summer or between day and night deadliness to the sender, reflected on the surface
represents a dangerous contact with the after- of dramatically tense, shiny, carefully polished
life. Two anatomic crevasses of a woman’s body bronze of a woman’s bottom, reminiscent of a
represent a physical and symbolic boundary, convex mirror.
liminal zone and contact with the after-life
for which, in Tršar’s work, prohibition from Robert Inhof
transgression does not apply, in fact the viewer
is enticed to, at least in his imagination, cross this
liminal zone.

Tršar’s erotic opus is not and does not intend
to be provocative. The artist is far too wise
and a too good of a master to be interested in
sensationalism or to be tempted by an easily
expected conditionally-reflexive public reaction.
Tršar’s erotic opus is a presentation of a distinctly
personal world which is, as is rarely in modern
art, not colonized by traumas and feelings of
anxiety, but is composed of relaxed and pure joie
de vivre. Tršar’s world is, regardless of complete
disregard and banter of death, not superficial.
It is extremely deep in all of its joviality which in
the last consequence finds its final expression in
a hymn to life. If there is anything provocative in
Tršar’s work, it’s not in his erotic opus but in his
mastery of fine arts. His mastery of matter induces
such suspense which is not always assured by
a work of art, but more or less felicitous theory,
which this idea should illustrate.

Tršar’s erotic artwork contains such apotropean
and exorcist power which was wrongly attributed
to roman Sheelas, exhibitionists, entertainers and
acrobats. His work protects against the evil gaze
that must, in order for its power to be defused
and rendered harmless, be shown sexually
seductive scenes. Tršar’s works neutralise that
evil gaze by dispersing it among the multitude

DRAGO TRŠAR – STRELONOSEC SLOVENSKEGA povojne slovenske moderne umetnosti izpričal
KIPARSTVA izrazit smisel za dojemanje prvobitnosti, saj je
tudi v prvinsko stilizirane in celo geometrizirane
Drago Tršar kot nadvse vsestranska kreativna oblike zmogel zajeti močan izraz in izreči
osebnost misli in čustvuje z obvladovanjem notranjo napetost, ki likovno dognane gmote
kiparske snovi ter pri tem vse podreja tudi energično oživlja in notranje razganja.
svojemu pogledu na življenje, kot ga dojema v Take prelomne umetnine so otroška figura
zgodovinskem vrvežu in v zagonu posameznika, Janjice, deklice, ki – geometrijsko zgoščena
ki je sam sebi svet in njegovo osrčje. Svoje na bistvo, pa hkrati sveža kot improvizirana
dojemanje življenja širi v kozmične razsežnosti skica – izraža s svojo hipno otroško zadrego
ter venomer spaja človeka in naravo in se pri umetnikov impulziven smisel za psihološki izraz
tem ves čas razodeva kot luciden in občutljiv oziroma situacijo in karakter. Moč življenjske
snovalec, ki v svojem delu z izjemno ustvarjalno energije je tedaj ponazoril tudi z znamenitim
strastjo – neminljivim erosom – vse razkriva in bikom, slovenskim prototipom tega motiva, ki je
prenavlja. odmeval tudi pri drugih ustvarjalcih, v katerem
je jasno konstruirano telesno gmoto napolnil z
V njegovo roko je vsajen prvinski smisel za napetostjo pred naletom. V tak arhitektonsko-
kiparsko gmoto in voluminoznost, izrazita izrazni svet je vključil tudi neindividualiziranega,
slikarska nadarjenost pa ga je usmerila v posplošenega, a vendar nadvse pomenljivega
slikovitost in grafično ter barvno oživljanje človeškega posameznika, na primer konstrukcijo
plastičnih površin, s katero svojo snov dobesedno moža z oknom ali v geometriziran likovni preplet
slikovito razkraja in preraja; že mladostne grafike, skonstruirano skupino, podobo družine, ki ji je
zlasti linorezne knjižne ilustracije, izpričujejo pozneje posvetil tudi »katedralo«, ali rokoborcev
tudi njegov izrazit smisel za močno izraznost. in ekvilibristov; z njimi pa je še marsikaj naznanil,
Raznovrstnost izbranega oživljenega materiala, ne da bi se česarkoli samo togo držal ali se
med katerim dominirajo glina oziroma bron mehanično ponavljal.
in keramika ter terakota, je umetniku vselej
le najprikladnejša izrazna snov, ki jo gnete in Najbolj od vsega pa se je Tršarja že v zrelosti
gradi po konstrukcijskem ritmu in s strastjo, z ustvarjalne mladosti dotaknila tematika človeške
vsemi čutili in umom hkrati. Pri tem pa Tršarja množice, ker jo je lahko izoblikoval v enovito
v njegovem ustvarjalnem življenjskem procesu in hkrati razčlenjeno likovno kompozicijo,
podžiga in spodbuja sproščena ustvarjalna sugestivno v celoti in poživljeno v živahnosti
intuicija, ki mu že ob pogledu na karkoli vse struktur. Vanjo je vtisnil aluzijo na zgodovinski
spreminja v živo umetnino. nemir in prežemanja med ljudmi in postal
zaprisežen kipar človeka oziroma človeštva
Tršarjeva ustvarjalnost zajema že vsa povojna tudi še potem, ko niti ni bil več videti figuralik,
desetletja in se naravno, že kar samoumevno, vsaj ne v tradicionalnem pomenu, ampak
razvija iz mladostnih izhodišč. Umetnik je že po prej abstrakten ustvarjalec; a so navidezno
začetku petdesetih let 20. stoletja med pionirji abstraktne, celo kristalinične zasnove pri njem
vendar polne človeškega življenja, nabite z

izraznostjo, simboliko in življenjskim vztrajanjem postala osrednji del stavbne identitete), naselil
ali kipečim zanosom. pa se je tudi v konstrukcije strogo pretehtanih
arhitektonskih blokov in prometnih križišč, s
V figuralno razčlenjenih gmotah je kipar zmogel katerih poganjajo človeške glave – s čimer je
zajeti univerzalnost pomenov, valovanje Tršarjevo kiparstvo tudi naš prvi glasnik povojne
človeških gmot, gnečo demonstracij in vsakršnih urbane civilizacije z njeno modernostjo in hkratno
zborovanj, v bistvu pa manifestacijo same odtujenostjo. Umetnik pa se je zasanjal tudi v
človeške prisotnosti, torej oznanjanje obstoja. pravljico o mestu ali zgodbo o starem mestu ter
Človeško zgodovino je dojel tudi skozi nalaganje svoje kipe napolnil tudi z idejo eksistencialnega
plasti upodobljenega časa ter v več smeri razglabljanja o človeškem položaju, izraženega s
raznihana medsebojna razmerja, iz katerih se kolesom in vrvjo, v gledališču pa se je izkazal tudi
ponekod dvigne na površje prav tako posplošeni kot inscenator Smoletove Antigone.
posameznik kot kolektivni vodnik, zgodovinski
»veliki« med »malimi«. S tem si je umetnik ustvaril S primarnostjo instinktivne živosti, ki bruha iz
in zagotovil izhodišča za vsebinsko odprtost, globine odprte, prevotljene zemlje kot nenehen
v kakršno sta vključena kolektiven človek, ki razbrazdan človeški val, ali pa z rastjo človeškega
ga poganja zgodovinski val, in slehernik, ki si življenja iz razpoke v obli, ki označuje rojstvo kot
išče svoj lastni prostor pod soncem. S takim iz mitičnega kozmičnega jajca, pa se razkriva tudi
motrenjem se je Tršar razkril tudi kot instinktiven tesna povezanost umetnika z njegovim domačim
filozof, ne suh premišljevalec, marveč motreč notranjskim, prevotljenim kraškim jamskim
spremljevalec in »kronist« življenja, ki ustvarjalno svetom. Njegove vitke posamične figure,
živi iz naravnega, prvinskega instinkta in poganjajoče v duhu sodobnih, v etruščanski
tako dojema tudi vse človeško umeščanje, arhaiki temelječih pretanjšanih drevesastih oblik,
razporejanje, prerivanje in migetanje. Človeka kakršne so obvladovale moderno evropsko
tako dojema v času in prostoru, zaznamovanima kiparstvo v njegovih najbolj primarnih in skupnih
s človeškim krogom, ki je nadčasoven in ne težnjah, pa so se mu v luči te pripadnosti pričele
koledarski, ali ga izolira v bronastem okviru kot spreminjati tudi v kapniške forme in stebre, ki jih
reliefno sliko. Njegovo sporočilo pa je vtisnil tudi poživlja nabrekla kaplja kot porodnica oblike,
v podobo reliefnega »zapisa« in celo v razprto ki se nabira v polnost življenja in je hkrati vir za
knjigo, ki jo lahko prebiramo kot knjigo življenja. kiparsko razrast z drevesnimi kapniki zasejane
narave.
V svoji srečni sintezi geometrizirane gmote
in slikarsko slikovite ali bolj grafične reliefne Površinska razbrazdanost, ponekod spominja-
obravnave je tako kipar postavil vsepovsod v joča na razpokana drevesna debla, sunkoviti
osrčje človeka, ugledanega iz najrazličnejših skladi ritmično usklajenih gmot, reliefna grafična
vizur. Razbiramo ga v ideji spomeniških oblik, razčlenjenost, notranji prostori v plastičnih
ki se razpirajo v prostor in tudi v odrevenelosti oblikah, silhuete in reliefne figure v geometrijskih
oznanjajo neustavljivost, v likovni opremi okvirih ter gladke, absolutne krožne forme
arhitekturne zunanjosti (na ljubljanski Filozofski se v Tršarjevih kipih nenehno prežemajo
fakulteti sta njegova betonska reliefa množice in spreminjajo v že malone fantastične, a

vselej iz realnosti izhajajoče privide, nenehno zmodelirati in kot svetopisemski čudodelnik
prerajajoče se v neštetih metamorfozah, ki so ustaviti celo morske valove v njihovem
monumentalne tudi v majhnih formatih in tudi največjem navalu, z vanje vsajenimi kopalci,
v odtenkih dramatične konfliktnosti poetične in ki so hkrati brezskrbno srečna, a vselej tudi
celo lirske. Umetnik je s svojimi deli dobesedno mitično-pravljična bitja, kot neznana božanstva,
prežel slovenski umetnostni prostor, jih dvignil ki usmerjajo moč narave s svojim erosom, s
iz notranjosti, kot bi jih sklatil z neba, in z njimi katerim se jim hkrati tudi voljno prepuščajo. V
nerazdružno prežel človeka in naravo; človeško valove, v katerih se zibljejo figure, spreminja
postavo pa je s takih osnov s svojo kipečo formo umetnik celo lase svojih krhkih bronastih deklic,
dvignil tudi v igro ljubezenskih parov, v sožitje vzetih iz »zgodbe« o letnih časih. Upodobiti pa
mitičnih treh gracij ali človeških srečanj in v nemi se mu posreči celo meglice in vodne tančice ter
šepet skrivnih dialogov. Vsepovsod pa se iz takih vsakršno neoprijemljivo krhkost, kot bi, zaupajoč
gmot kot trajni zaščitni znak dvigajo na površino v neizmerno, že kar božansko imaginacijsko moč
grebeni človeških glavic. Ti so kot izrastki na ustvarjalnosti, skušal uresničiti neuresničljivo in
obzorjih vselej počlovečene, antropomorfizirane zajeti v bron celo vetrovni zrak.
materije, ki poživlja ambiente ali spomeniško
dominira v okolju, tako kot njegovi kipi na To pa Tršarju omogoča vse večja, že kar popolna
domačem vrtu, ki ga straži arhaičen nočni pes. ustvarjalna svoboda, ki si dopušča vse možnosti
Skrivne aleje med zelenjem in trstičjem, v katere ter brez zadržkov povezuje vse prijeme in zvrsti
se vključujejo postave kipov kot pridruženi del ter kiparsko snov spreminja tudi samo v obris,
narave in kot arhitekture razjedenih bronastih risarsko črto in slikarsko barvo. Iz sleherne oblike
debel in stebrov, pa se iztekajo z egiptovsko, a ali anatomskega detajla, iz sleherne nabrekline
docela tršarjevsko boginjo Sonca z zlato oblo ali kožne gube se lahko umetniku razcvete
na glavi. (Nekateri od teh »vrtnih« kipov so njegova vse zajemajoča forma kot neminljiva
prestavljeni tudi na razstavo.) roža, v kateri je ujeto veselje do življenja in
predanost cvetoči dinamiki, ki oživlja svet v
Tršarjeva kiparska snov je vseskozi počlovečena vsakokratno rast in povzdiguje njegovo drevje
in spomeniško totemska ali intimneje igriva in v drevesa življenja, četudi se na tram njegovega
pogosto celo miniaturna, a le po formatu, ne po vrta kot pilaster naslanja tudi pomenljivi »steber
cizelerskem prijemu. Njen oblikovalec je človeški živih in mrtvih.« Svoje veselje do barvitosti in
stvarnik, ki mu je vzor življenjska moč pradavnih slikarstva pa umetnik vse bolj izpričuje tudi s
ustvarjalnih sil, ki s svojimi pomniki in sledovi tem, ko kipe ne le sugetivno patinira ter bronaste
preoblikujejo in posvečujejo zemljo; njegova roka gmote ponekod kontrastno polira, da zasijejo kot
pa mu nenehno vse oživlja in s trpko hlastnim zlate, marveč jih, še posebno keramične, rad tudi
ali bolj igrivim zamahom ustvarjalno vlada živahno barva in tako spreminja tudi v barvite
nad elementi. Zato se umetnik, ki je življenjsko slikarske pojave.
povezan tudi z morjem, dotika celo morskih
motivov in v svoji drzni imaginaciji materializira Podobne barvne reliefe kot v bronu je naslikal
celo docela imaterialne, le hipno nemirne, zgolj tudi neposredno z barvno tubo, motiv
optične in ne toliko haptične pojave, saj ume razbrzdanih kopalk, stopljenih z valujočim

morjem, pa je prenesel tudi v barvite slike, ki jih V prežemajočih se zvrsteh Tršarjeve ustvarjalnosti
je pred leti prvič odmevno predstavil v sklopu se umetnikov pogled ustavlja ob vsem živem,
trienala mesta Kranja. prav nazadnje ob misli na iskre konje z rožami
v grivi, ki so tako kot valovi in človeške množice
Ves oblikovno-vsebinski razpon, ki zaobsega živi kot hrzajoči posamezniki ali gibke črede,
njegovo kiparstvo, je Tršar ves čas izražal tudi v nakodrane v živem ritmu, celoviti in posamični
energičnih, vehementnih risbah, s katerimi je v nenehnem valovanju svoje grive. Njegovi
mogoče živo ponazoriti vsakršna medčloveška ljudje se kot v pradavnem raju povezujejo z
razmerja in, metaforično, tudi moči narave. drevesi in se zakrivajo s cvetovi kot z naravnimi,
Svoj pogled na kozmos in človeka v njem pa je a hkrati fantastičnimi ščiti, v samostojne kipe
izrazil tudi na sijajnih risbah na ročno izdelanem mu oživljajo celo drevesni listi, navdušenje za
japonskem papirju, ki je sam slikarsko živ že s barvitost živo razgibane snovi pa je v Tršarjeve
svojo pikčasto slikovito površino, zaradi reliefne, kompozicije vključilo tudi žlahtna (fioritna)
globinsko občutene strukture pa ga umetnik polirana kamnita jedra. Med keramično množico
občuti kot že malone kiparsko obarvanega, in je kipov prepoznamo Kristuse, prerojene po ljudski
zato očitno tak, kot bi komajda čakal na Tršarjeve umetnosti, a do skrajnosti estetsko rafinirane, ali
risarske posege, ki mu podeljujejo resničen navdihnjene z naslikano krvjo s fra Angelicovih
življenjski smisel. Na takem zrnatem ozvezdju florentinskih fresk. Zlati kipci pa so vse bolj
mu zažarijo zlate lune in sonca ali svetlo zasije podobni relikviarijem ali ognjevito plamtečim
cela antropomorfna rimska cesta, njihovi žarki pa monštrancam, posvečenim bujnosti umetnikove
so spleteni iz frfotajočih, v krhki verigi povezanih domišljije in njegovih vse oživljajočih idej
človeških postav, tako kot tudi rastlinski listi, ki oziroma ustvarjalnih metamorfoz. Z nekaterimi
valujoče kipijo iz umetnikovih zlatih vaz. od svojih umetnin je umetnik reagiral tudi
na vzgibe zgodovinskih dogajanj, tudi ob
Vse v ustvarjalčevem monumentalnem in slovenskem osamosvajanju, ko je sodeloval v
mrgolečem, že kar nepregledno bogatem krogu intelektualcev, ki jih je številne pozneje iz
opusu tako prekipeva v življenjskem vzgonu, lastne spodbude tudi mojstrsko portretiral. Prav
vitalno, a tudi skrajno eterično, zlasti v vse bolj portreti, ki zajemajo dobršen del slovenskega
ezoterično zračnih risbah. Tudi v tem vzgonu kulturnega panteona in ki zaradi specifičnosti
pa izgubljeno ali, zmagujoč v viharjih in s edini niso vključeni na razstavo, pa Tršarja
strelo v rokah, kraljuje človek, vključen v vitalni predstavljajo kot sijajnega poznavalca ljudi, ki
neskončni kozmični ritem, a tudi potopljen v jih instinktivno občuti s svojim bistvom, jim rani
globine in enakomerno, a slikovito nanizan v površino in skoznjo poseže v njihovo psihično
ritmih razgibanih valov, kot na mitičnih bojnih oziroma karakterno notranjost, pri čemer
potovanjih s starodavnih, z epopejami davnih njihovo osebnostno prepoznavnost samo še
ljudstev poslikanih orientalskih rokopisov. stopnjuje, ne pa reducira. Ob tem pa raznolika
Motive morskih valov s pticami in ljubimci pa obličja širokopotezno preoblikuje v tudi likovno
je pretopil tudi v bronaste silhuetne vinjetnne samozadostno in prepričljivo, izrazito tršarjevsko
»risbe«, kopalke pa razpotegnil v razjedene kiparsko formo, ki bi bila umetniško izrazita tudi
horizonte razpotegnjenih ženskih sfing. ne glede na portretnost. Vse to pa kaže tudi na

Tršarjev izjemen posluh za globino in skrivnost s Tršarjem. Zelo resen zrel fant in z jasnimi
posameznika (ki mu ga je med portretiranci perspektivami.«
navdušeno priznal že Taras Kermauner), ne le
za kipenje neindividualiziranih, v enovit zanos Osebnostno izrazit, vsestranski in vse
zajetih gmot, ki jih poganjajo posplošene ideje povezujoč, a sčasoma tudi vse bolj razigran in
kolektivnih množic ali ritmi neobvladljivih tokov kar prekipevajoče inventiven je zrelo fantovski
človeške zgodovine. umetnik, temelječ na teh izhodiščih, še vedno
najizrazitejša slovenska kiparska osebnost, ki se
Delo Draga Tršarja je še ne do kraja pregledano ji ne more izmuzniti prav nič, kar je prikrito, in ki
in evidentirano, kaj šele do potankosti razloženo. jo že kar intrigantno priteguje tudi prav vse tisto,
Najbolj enovito in monumentalno ga predstavlja kar je videti materialno neulovljivo, ker se Tršar,
že leta 1975 izdana monografija Zorana kot mimogrede, z osebnim notranjim uvidom
Kržišnika, zajeto pa je še v številnih katalogih prebija skozi zunanjost v notranjost, v notranjo
in prikazih, tudi v svetovnih leksikonih, in dinamiko in duševnost, pa tudi v pesniško zrenje,
dostopno v javnih zbirkah (med njimi v parku zazrto v počlovečen, s figurami pretkan kozmos.
Middelheim v Antwerpnu). Veliko pozornost je Drago Tršar je s svojo raznovrstnostjo tako
doživelo že spočetka, ko je umetnik soustvarjal pojem, ki bi ga bilo mogoče med slovenskimi
ne le slovensko, marveč tudi širšo evropsko kiparji po strastni, a ne patetični erupciji ob
kiparsko umetnost, ustvarjalno vključen vsej medsebojni drugačnosti morda primerjati
v tok tedanjih najmodernejših procesov, kvečjemu s Francetom Kraljem, ki mu je bil
odkrivateljsko poglobljen v iskanje primarnih ustvarjalni bog prav tako Eros, sicer pa živi v
oblik, primernih tako za novo, nič več narativno njegovi energičnosti prav picassovsko strastna
realistično obliko javnih spomenikov kot za vitalnost.
izraznost prvinskosti, ki si skozi reduciran videz
krči pot do vsebinskega bistva brez zunanjih Drago Tršar je v svoji enovitosti raznovrsten in v
opisovanj. (V tem procesu je bil umetnik tudi raznovrstnosti enovit, mogočen in intimen, trpek
najopaznejša osebnost v skupini 53, ki je nove in radoživ, izkazalo pa se je, ob avtoportretni
ustvarjalne prijeme odmevno predstavila tudi v risbi z zatemnjenim očesom, da zna biti celo
jugoslovanskem prostoru.) A pri tem se je Tršar, ki preroški. Predvsem pa je intuitiven mislec, ki se
se je kot zelo izrazit umetnik dinamično profiliral mu ideje rojevajo same od sebe, neposredno iz
že pred svojimi kristusovskimi leti, po letu materiala, in genialno pronicljiv otrok, ki s svojim
1955, ko je za svojega bika prejel prvo nagrado pogledom in neukrotljivimi rokami z očmi in
aleksandrijskega mediteranskega bienala, pričel živci na prstih prešinja vse živo in prebuja svoje
vse bolj uveljavljati tudi v tujini. V zvezi s tem je gmote v vselej novo, samosvojo in univerzalno
slikar Božidar Jakac v svojem dnevniku še leta živost, ki jo poganja v neustavljivi tok njegove
1960 napisal, kako sta v družbi umetnikov Drago kreativnosti ustvarjalni eros, priklicujoč iz osrčja
Tršar in Zoran Kržišnik »pripovedovala o svojih kiparjevih oblik grebene vselej na novo rojenih
zanimivih doživetjih v Egiptu in o novih akcijah in hkrati – gledano iz perspektive večnega
za resno uveljavljanje jugoslovanske umetnosti v minevanja in prerajanja – večnih človeških glav.
inozemstvu«, ter dodal: »Prisrčen je bil razgovor Zato je Tršarjeva umetnost eruptiven pojav, ki se

rojeva iz užitka, sama od sebe, iz snovi, oplojene idole, namenjene za večno posmrtno življenje,
z umetnikovim ustvarjalnim duhom in strastjo, in v grobnice starodavnih piramid. S táko, izrazito
zato je v njej vodilna, gonilna sila rast. Slikovito veselo nadzemsko »grobnico« pa je kot oznanilo
razbijanje in razplasteno združevanje oblik ali razstave oznanil tudi svojo ljubezensko in
»ognjeniško-podzemeljski« izbruh in nazobčana hkrati smrtno zavezanost kiparstvu, s katerim je
strela njegovega mitičnega, prometejskega povezan na življenje in smrt, ki jo premaguje s
strelonosca pa so samo načini za odpiranje izvira, svojim živim ustvarjalnim delom, cvetočim kot
ki oživlja kipe s svojo svetlobo, za ustvarjalne roža in čvrstim kot bron.
posege v novo rojevajoče se življenje, in izhodišča
za nove ideje, ki se s svojimi prometejsko- Milček Komelj
protejskimi preboji rojevajo iz večnih prostorsko-
časovnih krogov in zemeljskih razpok.

Taka ustvarjalnost že sama po sebi govori o
nezadržnem življenjskem elanu in procesih, ki se
razširjajo iz oceanov in iz podzemlja, ki brazdajo
in prerajajo obličje zemlje in ljudi ter segajo z
rastjo svojih vertikal in zamahom kozmičnih risb
prav do neba. V sleherni obliki in smeri pa se lahko
umetniku vsakršni motiv tudi razigrano razživi
in razcvete kot roža ali drevo, ki je pri Tršarju v
resnici vedno tudi skriti človek, tako kot je njegov
človek lahko tudi roža, cvetlična primavera iz
letnih časov, in kot se pri njem čista, kapljičasta
oblika lahko spremeni v nabreklo formo odsotne
ženske, zgoščene v bujno oblino prsi, zagozdenih
v prevotljeno kocko, ki jih doji umetnikovo
ustvarjalno življenje. Razbrazdana umetnikova
površina pa je kot strjujoča se lava, v kateri se ob
pogledu v zemsko in človeško brezno spočenja
brbotanje razmišljanj in rojeva zanos dejanj, ki se
dogajajo kot vse bolj srečna, hlastno ustvarjalna
igra, kot izraz ljubezni do življenja in kot utelešen
eros, ki venomer živo cveti in v umetniku tako
prekipeva, da si je mojster ob pripravljanju
razstave iz nepreglednega gradiva zvrhano zajel
v naročje svoje barvite kipce figurin s cvetom na
glavi in jih nasul v veliko stekleno arhitekturo
kot svoj bujen ustvarjalni šopek, spodbujen z
mislijo na stare Egipčane, ki so polagali svoje

DRAGO TRŠAR: CREATIVE FORCE OF SLOVENE artist displayed his keen sense for the primeval
SCULPTURE back in the early 1950s, when even his stylised
and geometric shapes were endowed with a
As a highly creative individual, Drago Tršar powerful expression and displayed an inner
thinks and feels through his mastering of the tension that gave an energy and inner boost
sculptural matter. In the process, he subordinates to the artistically perfect masses. One of these
everything to his attitude to life as he perceives crucial works of art is the child figurine Janjica
it in the dynamism of history and yearnings of – a small girl that geometrically reduced to the
an individual who is both a world and its centre essential and with the freshness of an improvised
to himself. Tršar broadens his perception of life drawing expresses the artist’s impulsive sense
into cosmic dimensions, he always connects man for the psychological expression or situation
and nature and continually presents himself as a and character in its fleeting child-like shyness.
lucid and sensitive artist who in his work reveals At that time he depicted the power of life-force
and restores everything through his exceptional in the famous bull, the Slovene prototype of the
creative passion – the eternal Eros. motif, which also greatly influenced other artists:
its clearly constructed bodily mass is packed
His hand is invested with the authentic sensitivity with tension just before charging. In this world
for the sculptural mass and volume, whereas his of architectural expression he incorporated
undeniable talent for painting directed him to the non-individual, general, although highly
the pictorial and prompted him to bring three- significant human figure – for example, a
dimensional surfaces to life with the help of structure composed of a man and a window or
graphics and colour, resulting in a picturesque a group, an image of a family, to which he later
dissolution and transformation of the matter. dedicated the “cathedral”. It is constructed in a
His early graphic prints, particularly linocuts geometrical artistic knot or takes the shape of
serving as book illustrations, display his liking wrestlers and equilibrists. With these works he
for powerful expression. The broad variety of his heralded many things without rigidly following
selected, revived material – mostly clay, bronze, a certain style or mechanically repeating himself.
ceramics and terracotta – is invariably only the
most suitable means of expression to the artist, But most of all, in the mature phase of his creative
who kneads and builds it in a constructional youth, Tršar was mesmerised by the human
rhythm and with passion, all his senses and the crowd, shaping it into both a uniform and varied
mind at the same time. In his creative process, artistic composition, suggestive as a whole
Tršar is additionally driven and encouraged by and dynamic because of the lively structure.
his relaxed creative intuition that transforms He invested it with an allusion to the historical
everything that he sees into a living work of art. restlessness and interconnectedness of people
and he became a sworn sculptor of people and
Tršar’s creativity spans all post-war decades humanity in general and remained one even after
and naturally, almost self-evidently, develops he abandoned traditional figuralism and turned
from his youthful points of departure. The to abstraction. Nevertheless, his seemingly
abstract, even crystalline forms are full of human

life; they are packed with expression, symbolism facade of the Ljubljana Faculty of Arts have
and perseverance or seething with enthusiasm. become the main element of the building’s
identity); he also inhabits the constructions
The sculptor managed to invest the figural of carefully designed architectural blocks and
masses with a universality of meaning, the crossroads where human heads spring up – as
undulation of the human crowd, the throng of a result, Tršar’s sculpture is our first herald of
demonstrations and gatherings of any kind, and, the post-war urban civilisation and combines
last but not least, the manifestation of human modernity and alienation. The artist also dreamt
presence – the message of existence. He grasped a fairytale of a city or an old town, investing his
human history also by layering the depicted time sculptures with the idea of existential analysis
and mutual relations, sprawled into different of the human situation, which he expressed in
directions, from which the generalised individual the wheel and rope, whereas in the theatre he
and collective guide, the historical “big one” proved himself as a stage designer for Smole’s
among the “little ones”, surface from time to time. Antigona.
By this the artist created and secured a basis
for the thematic openness, which features the The primal spirit of the instinctive vitality pouring
collective man riding on the historical wave and out of the depths of the open, hollow earth like
every-man searching for his place under the sun. a constant, stormy human wave, or the growth
With this approach Tršar presented himself as an of the human life from the crack in the sphere
instinctive philosopher, not a dull thinker, but representing birth from the mythical cosmic
an observing companion and “chronicler” of life egg, also reveal a close connection between
that creatively lives his natural, authentic instinct the artist and his home region of Notranjska,
and thereby perceives people assuming different which is known for the hollowed world of the
positions, lining up, elbowing and throbbing. He underground Karstic caves. Because of this
understands man in the light of time and space connection, his slender, individual figures that
marked with the extra-temporal, non-calendar have dominated the most primal collective
human cycle, or else he isolates him in a bronze tendencies of modern European sculpture
frame as a picture in relief. He expressed his began to transform into stalactites and pillars,
message also in the image of the “relief” record brought to life by the bulging drop as a womb
or even an open book that can be read as a book of form gathering in the fullness of life, which is
of life. a source of sculptural growth of nature dotted
with stalactites like trees.
In his happy synthesis of geometric mass and a
more painterly/picturesque or graphic/relief-like The ragged surface that in places resembles
approach, the sculptor put man in the centre and cracked tree trunks, thrusting layers of
presented him from different angles. We see him rhythmically arranged masses, the relief-like
in monumental forms that open up into space graphics, the inner places in plastic forms,
and although rigid speak about the inevitable; silhouettes and relief figures in geometric frames
in the artistic features of an architectural exterior and smooth, absolute circular forms – all these
(the two concrete reliefs of the crowd on the constantly intertwine and transform almost into

phantasms that nevertheless all spring up from immaterial, restless, only optic and much less
reality, constantly and infinitely metamorphosing haptic phenomena. Like a biblical miracle worker
into monumental, although small forms and in he is able to sculpt even sea waves at the peak
poetic, even lyrical details of dramatic conflicts. of their strength, dotting them with bathers
The artist’s works have left an indelible mark on as carefree, happy, but also mythical, fairytale
Slovene art. He brought them from the depths beings resembling unknown deities that direct
as if plucking them from the sky and inseparably and surrender the power of nature with their
joined man and nature. On these foundations, he Eros. The artist transforms even the hair of his
elevated the human form into a game of lovers, bronze girls from the “story” of the seasons
the symbiosis of the Three Graces or human into the figure-carrying waves. He manages
encounters and into the inaudible whispering to depict the mists, water veils and any kind of
of secret dialogues. From these masses, the ungraspable fragility as if in his confidence in
crests of small human heads surface everywhere. the infinite, almost divine imaginative power of
They are like protrusions on the horizon of the creativity he tried to implement the impossible
every humanised, anthropomorphic matter that and capture even the wind-swept air in bronze.
livens up space or dominates the environment
like a monument – just like his sculptures in his Tršar is able to do this because of the growing,
garden, guarded by the archaic night dog. The practically complete creative freedom that allows
secret alleys through the greenery and reeds, itself all possibilities and without any prejudice
where the sculptural figures blend with nature blends all approaches and genres, transforming
like architectures of decayed bronze tree trunks the sculptural matter even into a mere outline,
and pillars, end with the Egyptian goddess of the drawn line or paint. The artist’s all encompassing
sun with a golden sphere on her head, which is form can like an immortal flower spring up
presented in Tršar’s distinct style. (Some of these from any shape or anatomical detail, bulge or
“garden” sculptures are also on display at the fold, capturing the joy of life and dedication to
exhibition.) blooming dynamism that bestows life to the
world with constant growth and transforms all
Tršar’s sculptural matter is entirely humanised, vegetation into the Tree of life, although the
totemised like a monument or intimately playful, roof of his garden is supported by the significant
even miniature – but only in format, not in the “pillar of the living and the dead”. The artist
meticulous approach. The artist is a human increasingly expresses his fascination with colour
Creator, following the example of the life force and painting not only in the suggestive patinas
of primeval creative forces that transform and of his sculptures and the contrasting polishing of
consecrate the earth with their reminders and the bronze masses that glow like gold, but also
traces; his hand constantly revives everything in the motley painting of some of the statues,
and creatively governs the elements with a particularly those made of ceramics, which he
bitterly eager or playful gesture. Therefore transforms in to colourful painterly apparitions.
through his life-long connection with the sea, the He painted colour reliefs similar to the bronze by
artist also touches upon the sea motifs and in his directly applying the paint from the tube and he
daring imagination materialises even completely repeated the motif of licentious bathers blending

with the sea waves in colourful paintings that he most recent works, his thoughts revolve around
successfully exhibited for the first time at the frisky horses with flowers in their mane, which
Kranj Triennial. like waves and human crowds live as neighing
individuals or moving herds undulating in
Tršar has continually expressed the formal and the rhythm of life. They are both uniform and
thematic scope of his sculpture also in energetic, individual in the infinite wave of their manes. Like
vehement drawings that clearly depict all human an ancient paradise, his people bond with trees
relations and, metaphorically, even the power of and hide behind flowers as if they are natural,
nature. He has expressed his view of the universe although at the same time fantastic shields.
and man’s place in it in brilliant drawings Even tree leaves come alive as independent
on handmade Japanese paper, the spotted sculptures and as precious polished (fiorite)
picturesque surface of which enhances the stone cores because of Tršar’s love for the
painterly effect, whereas because of its relief-like, colourfulness of dynamic matter. In the ceramic
deep structure, the artist approaches it almost as crowd of statues, we recognise Christs reborn
a sculpture. Therefore this paper invites Tršar’s from folk art, but highly aesthetically refined
drawing hand to give it a true meaning of life. On or inspired with the painted blood from Fra
this grainy constellation of stars, golden moons Angelico’s frescoes in Florence. Golden figurines
and suns glow in an entire anthropomorphic increasingly resemble reliquaries or fiery flaming
Milky Way, and their rays are woven from feathery monstrances, dedicated to the wealth of the
human figures connected in a fragile chain like artist’s imagination and his all-enlivening ideas
foliage that in abundance cascades from the or creative metaphors. In some of his works the
artist’s golden vases. Therefore the artist’s entire artist responded to the impulses of historical
monumental, seething, complex oeuvre bursts events, including Slovenia’s independence. At
with the force of life and almost ethereal vitality, that time he was part of a circle of intellectuals,
particularly in increasingly esoteric airy drawings. many of whom he later masterfully portrayed.
But even here man rules over the storms, either These portraits, which present a large part of
defeated or victorious; holding a lightning in his the Slovene cultural pantheon and which due to
hand he is part of a vital, infinite cosmic rhythm, their specifics are not included in the exhibition,
but he also sinks to the depths and stands in an reveal Tršar as an excellent connoisseur of
even, although picturesque line, governed by people, whom he instinctively and profoundly
the rhythms of dynamic waves like in a mythical understands, taps their surface and reaches
warrior campaign from ancient painted oriental into their psychological depths. In this process
scrolls with epics of long-gone peoples. The artist he accentuates their individuality instead of
has transformed the motifs of sea waves with reducing it. He vehemently reshapes their varied
birds and lovers into bronze silhouette vignettes forms into artistically self-sufficient sculptures
and bathers into gnawed horizons of elongated in his characteristic style, which would be
female sphinxes. artistically recognisable even if they were not
portraits. All this shows Tršar’s exceptional sense
In the intertwining genres of Tršar’s creativity, of the depths and mysteries of the individual
the artist’s gaze rests on everything alive. In his (as one of the portrayed, Taras Kermauner,

enthusiastically pointed out), and not only of Personally distinct, universal and all-embracing,
the teeming non-individualised masses that are but at the same time increasingly playful and
caught in a uniform surge and that are driven by highly inventive – this mature, although still
generalised ideas of collective crowds or rhythms youthful artist who remains faithful to his points
of the uncontrollable currents of human history. of departure continues to be the most distinctive
Slovene sculptor. Nothing is hidden from him and
The work of Drago Tršar has not been completely he is intriguingly fascinated by everything that
explored and inventoried or interpreted. The seems materially ungraspable. He skilfully, with
most comprehensive and monumental overview a personal insight, penetrates the exterior and
can be found in a monograph by Zoran Kržišnik, reaches into the depths, into the inner dynamics
which was published back in 1975, as well as in and spirit, as well as poetic contemplation of
other catalogues and presentations, including a humanised cosmos interwoven with human
world lexicons and public collections (such figures. Because of his versatility and passionate
as Middelheim Park, Antwerp). His work has although not pathetic eruptiveness, Drago Tršar
attracted considerable attention from the very could be compared with France Kralj. Although
beginning, when the artist helped shape not there are considerable differences between the
only Slovene, but also wider European art of two artists, Kralj’s creative deity was also Eros and
sculpture. He was part of the latest processes Picasso-like passionate vitality can be detected
and as an explorer he plunged into the search in the abundant energy of his work.
for primary shapes that would be suitable both
for the new, no longer narrative realist shape There is a variety in the uniformity of Drago
of public monuments and for the authentic Tršar’s art, and uniformity in its variety; his work
expression that through the reduced appearance is majestic and intimate, bitter and joyous. His
ploughs its way to the essential message without self-portrait drawing with a dark eye can be
external descriptions. (During this process, even prophetic. But above all he is an intuitive
the artist was the most prominent member of thinker who naturally, directly draws his
Group 53, which successfully presented their inspiration from the material. He is a genius,
new creative approaches to the Yugoslav public.) curious child whose gaze and indomitable hands
After 1955 when he received the first award of with eyes and nerves on their fingers penetrate
the Mediterranean Biennial in Alexandria for his everything alive and awaken masses into an ever
first bull sculpture, Tršar as a highly distinctive new, independent and universal life fed in the
artist dynamically matured even before his mid unstoppable flow of his creativity by the creative
thirties and gained international recognition. In Eros that from the very heart of the sculptor’s
his diary from 1960 Božidar Jakac described how forms summons the ever newly born and at the
Drago Tršar and Zoran Kržišnik told other artists same time eternal human heads seen from the
“about their interesting experiences in Egypt and angle of infinite passing and birthing. For this
new efforts for the final recognition of Yugoslav reason Tršar’s art is an eruptive phenomenon
art abroad.” Jakac added: “The conversation that is born out of pleasure, on its own, from
with Tršar was particularly pleasant. He is a very the matter inseminated with the artist’s creative
mature young man with clear goals.” spirit and passion, therefore its main driving force

is growth. The picturesque merging of forms on the face of the earth he has conveyed not
through shattering and layering or the “volcanic” only the message of the exhibition, but also his
and “chthonian” eruption as well as the serrated love and lifelong faithfulness to sculpture, with
lightning of his mythical Prometheus, carrying a which he is connected in life and death, striving
thunderbolt, are only ways of tapping the source for immortality with his living creativity that
that gives life to sculptures with its light, for blossoms like a flower and is solid like bronze.
creative shaping of a new life and the birthing of
new ideas that are born from eternal space-and- Milček Komelj
time cycles and cracks in the earth, forcefully
emerging like Prometheus or Proteus.

This creativity speaks about the unstoppable
life force and processes that spread from the
oceans and the underground depths, furrowing
and changing the face of the earth and people,
and growing in verticals and strokes of cosmic
drawings up to the sky. In every form and
direction, every motif can become playful and
bloom like a flower or tree, which in Tršar’s case
is invariably a hidden man, just as his man can be
a flower, a blossoming Primavera of the Seasons,
and just as a pure, drop-like form can in his art
change into the curves of an absent woman
condensed into the luscious form of breasts in a
hollow cube, full of milk of the artist’s creative life.
The artist’s rough surface is like a solidifying lava,
in which ideas bubble at the sight of the terrestrial
and human chasm and the ecstatic actions are
born, taking the form of an increasingly happy,
eager creative game as an expression of love for
life and as an embodied Eros, which infinitely and
fully blossoms and grows in the artist. During the
preparations for the exhibition he scooped up
a large spoonful of his colourful figurines with
blossoms on their heads from the vast archives
and poured them into big glass architecture. This
rich creative bouquet is inspired with the thought
of the ancient Egypt, where idols intended for the
eternal afterlife were placed in the tombs in the
ancient pyramids. In his distinctly joyous “tomb”

Zverina v prostoru / Beast in the Room, 1990,
bron / bronze, 61 x 40 x 22 cm



Štirje letni časi - Jesen / Four Seasons - Autumn,
1991, bron in keramika / bronze and ceramics,
90 x 48 x 49 cm

Na rožnem griču / Flower Hill, 2000,
bron in keramika / bronze and ceramics,

93 x 42 x 42 cm

Skupno jedro / Common Core, 2004,
pozlačen bron in kamena ploščica / gold-plated
bronze and stone tiles,
22 x 12 x 7 cm

Življenjska rast / Growing Life, 2004,
pozlačen bron in kamene ploščice / gold-plated

bronze and stone tiles,
23 x 18 x 8 cm

Kompozicija skulptur v okvirjih / Composition of
Framed Sculptures, 1972, bron / bronze,
51 x 40 x 17 cm



Skupina v bloku / Group in a Block,
1970, bron / bronze, 113 x 88 x 15 cm

Dve strani knjige / Two Pages of a Book,
1976, bron / bronze, 72 x 134 x 22 cm



Figure ob gori / Figures by the Mountain, 2002
bron in florit / bronze and fluorite,
26 x 17 x 10 cm

Grupa 2 - detail / Group 2 - Detail, 1958,
bron / bronze, 16,5 x 11 x 3 cm

Kaplja / Droplet, 1996,
bron / bronze, 43 x 39 x 19 cm



Ležeča ženska figura / Figure of a Reclining Woman,
1993, bron / bronze, 135 x 25 x 13 cm



Okamnelo morje / Petrified Sea, 2006,
bron / bronze, 50 x 87 x 38 cm

Monolit / The Monolith, 2008,
bron / bronze, 154 x 25 x 22 cm



Ženska figurica / Figure of a Woman, 1984,
bron / bronze, 8 x 3,2 x 3,2 cm

Par / A Couple, 1981,
bron / bronze, 6 x 10,5 x 4 cm

Rast / The Growth, 2006,
bron / bronze, 18 x 18 x 18 cm