Drzne ptice sanj /Daring Birds of Dreams

Drzne ptice sanj / Daring Birds of Dreams

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DRZNE ptice sanj : poezija in grafike Prešernovih nagrajencev,
članov SAZU 1947-2018 = Daring birds of dreams : poetry and graphic art
of Prešeren award winners, members of The Slovenian Academy of
Sciences and Arts 1947-2018 / [uredniški odbor Marko Arnež ... [et al.] ;
pesmi izbrali Marko Arnež, Niko Grafenauer, Barbara Kalan ; grafike
izbral Milček Komelj ; besedila Marko Arnež ... [et al.] ; fotografije
umetniških del Igor Zaplatil ; pesmi prevedli Mateja Matevski ... [et al.],
besedila, življenjepise v angleščino prevedla Špela Truden]. - Ljubljana :
Slovenska akademija znanosti in umetnosti ; Kranj : Galerija Prešernovih
nagrajencev : Zavod za turizem in kulturo, 2018

ISBN 978-961-6815-18-5 (Zavod za turizem in kulturo)
1. Vzp. stv. nasl. 2. Arnež, Marko
296864000

Drzne ptice sanj

Daring Birds of Dreams

POEZIJA IN GRAFIKE
PREŠERNOVIH NAGRAJENCEV,

ČLANOV SAZU 1947–2018 /

POETRY AND GRAPHIC ART OF
PREŠEREN AWARD WINNERS, MEMBERS

OF THE SLOVENIAN ACADEMY OF
SCIENCES AND ARTS 1947–2018

Kranj 2018



Vsebina / Content

8 Marko Arnež:
Drzne ptice sanj / Daring Birds of Dreams

18 Tadej Bajd:
Ob 80. obletnici Slovenske akademije znanosti in umetnosti /
On the 80th Anniversary of the Slovenian Academy of
Sciences and Arts

26 Niko Grafenauer:
Zagovor vidca in potomcev / An Apology of the Mystic
and His Progeny

32 Milček Komelj:
Grafična umetnost Prešernovih nagrajencev, članov
Slovenske akademije znanosti in umetnosti / Graphic Art
by Prešeren Award Winners, Members of the Slovenian
Academy of Sciences and Arts

42 Pesmi in likovna dela Prešernovih nagrajencev,
članov SAZU 1947–2018 / Poems and Artworks of Prešeren
Award Winners, Members of the Slovenian Academy of
Sciences and Arts 1947–2018

169 Življenjepisi pesnikov in slikarjev, Prešernovih nagrajencev,
članov SAZU 1947–2018 / Biographies of Prešeren Award
Winning Poets and Painters, Members of the Slovenian
Academy of Sciences and Arts 1947–2018

Pesniki, Prešernovi nagrajenci,
člani SAZU 1947–2018 /

Poets, Prešeren Award Winners, Members of the
Slovenian Academy of Sciences and Arts 1947–2018

42 Mile Klopčič
52 Jože Udovič
62 Matej Bor (Vladimir Pavšič)
72 Ivan Minatti
82 Ciril Zlobec
94 Tone Pavček
100 Janez Menart
110 Dane Zajc
120 Kajetan Kovič
130 Niko Grafenauer
140 Tomaž Šalamun
150 Milan Dekleva
160 Boris A. Novak

Slikarji, Prešernovi nagrajenci,
člani SAZU 1947–2018

Painters, Prešeren Award Winners, Members of the
Slovenian Academy of Sciences and Arts 1947–2018

48 Avgust Černigoj
58 Božidar Jakac
68 France Mihelič
78 Lojze Spacal
90 Zoran Mušič
106 Drago Tršar
116 Janez Bernik
126 Andrej Jemec
136 Valentin Oman
146 Metka Krašovec
156 Emerik Bernard

Marko Arnež

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Drzne ptice sanj

Dve poti, ki sta se začeli leta 1938 in 1946, se med sabo prepletata v tej pes-
niški zbirki. Prva pripada Akademiji znanosti in umetnosti, ki je bila usta-
novljena leta 1938 in je leta 1994 dobila današnje ime Slovenska akademija
znanosti in umetnosti, čeprav ima dejansko svoje začetke že leta 1693 z usta-
novitvijo latinske Academie Operosorum Labacensium. Druga se je začela
leta 1946, ko je takratno Ministrstvo za prosveto izdalo odredbo o podelje-
vanju nagrad za umetnost in znanost. Obe instituciji sta na nek način pove-
zani z imenom Prešeren. Prvi predsednik 23 kranjskih cerkvenih in
posvetnih izobražencev, med katerimi je bilo največ pravnikov in zdravni-
kov, Operozov, je bil doktor Janez Kersnik Prešeren, ki se je, kot je zapisal
častni član SAZU, akademik prof. dr. France Bernik, priložnostno ukvarjal
tudi s pesnikovanjem. Po doktorju Francetu Prešernu pa se od leta 1955 ime-
nujejo najvišja priznanja Republike Slovenije za dosežke na področju umet-
nosti, ki jih podelijo na osrednji proslavi ob slovenskem kulturnem
prazniku.

Slovenska akademija znanosti in umetnosti (SAZU) združuje znanstvenike
in umetnike, ki so bili izvoljeni med njene člane zaradi vrhunskih dosežkov
v znanosti in umetnosti in ki s svojim delovanjem negujejo, spodbujajo in
pospešujejo znanstveno misel ter umetniško ustvarjalnost. Upravni odbor
Prešernovega sklada, ki podeljuje Prešernove nagrade, s podeljevanjem na-
grad vrednoti vrhunsko slovensko ustvarjalnost, postavlja zanjo merila in
jo spodbuja. Zakon iz leta 1991 določa podelitev največ dveh Prešernovih
nagrad in največ šest nagrad Prešernovega sklada.

80 let delovanja SAZU in 70 let podeljevanja Prešernovih nagrad sta nas
spodbudila k izdaji te pesniške zbirke. Osemdesetletnico so umetniki, sli-
karji in kiparji, člani SAZU, že obeležili z veliko razstavo svojih del aprila
2018 v Narodni galeriji, tokrat pa v Kranju predstavljamo umetnike, slikarje
in pesnike, ki so poleg članstva v tej najvišji akademski družbi bili nagrajeni
tudi z nagrado za najvišje dosežke s področja kulture in umetnosti – s Pre-
šernovo nagrado.

Slovensko akademijo znanosti in umetnosti in Prešernove nagrade povezuje
že dolgoletno sodelovanje. SAZU je bila poleg Društva slovenskih književni-

9

Drzne ptice sanj

kov, Glasbenega sveta pri Ministrstvu za prosveto in Društva slovenskih upo-
dabljajočih umetnikov tudi predlagateljica teh nagrad od samega začetka.
Mnogi njihovi člani so Prešernovi nagrajenci in nagrajenci Prešernovega
sklada (predvsem iz umetniškega razreda in razreda filoloških in literarnih
ved), predsednik SAZU v letih 2008–2013, akad. prof. dr. Jože Trontelj, pa je
bil nekaj časa tudi predsednik Upravnega odbora Prešernovega sklada.

Galerija Prešernovih nagrajencev Kranj že dobrih 20 let predstavlja Prešer-
nove nagrajence in nagrajence Prešernovega sklada ter zbira in ohranja nji-
hova dela v svoji stalni zbirki. Če smo sprva predstavljali predvsem
nagrajence s področja likovne umetnosti, v zadnjih letih posvečamo pozor-
nost vsem nagrajenim področjem. Shod muz na Kranjskem Parnasi, kot je
že tradicionalno srečanje aktualnih lavreatov leta 2010 poimenoval Jaroslav
Skrušny, je dogodek, na katerem se vsako leto v Kranju na slovenski kulturni
praznik zberejo vse nagrajenke in nagrajenci ter z ogledom svojih fotograf-
skih portretov skozi fotografski objektiv Toneta Stojka in večernim pogo-
vorom v Prešernovemu gledališču zaključijo osrednji kulturno dogajanje
8. februarja.

Tokratni dogodek bo preplet poezije in grafike, verza in odtisa. SAZU ima
v svoji bogati likovni zbirki tudi večjo grafično zbirko, v kateri je tudi 11
umetnikov, Prešernovih nagrajencev. Po tri izbrane grafike bodo v novembru
2018 na ogled v Pavšlarjevi hiši v Kranju in reproducirane v tej zbirki. 13
pesnikov, prav tako članov SAZU in dobitnikov Prešernove nagrade, pa bo
s po tremi pesmimi in enim prevodom v enega izmed devetih izbranih tujih
jezikov predstavljenih na recitalu v Prešernovem gledališču.

Številnim izbranim umetnikom v tej knjigi to ne bo prva predstavitev v naši
galeriji. Avgust Černigoj se je že predstavljal s svojimi učenci, dela Franceta
Miheliča smo predstavili iz družinske zbirke, niz razstav ob stoletnici rojstva
Lojzeta Spacala smo z otvoritveno razstavo začeli v Kranju, Drago Tršar je
ob svoji 90-letnici pohod po številnih slovenskih galerijah in muzejih s svo-
jim Monumentom začel prav v Kranju, Andrej Jemec se je galeriji z Enim
soncem za vse predstavil v številnih tehnikah in materialih, Ecce Homo Va-
lentina Omana je krasil stene galerije spomladi leta 2011, Emerik Bernard je
z barvami napolnil galerijo leta 2010, Metka Krašovec pa je s Čisto risbo go-
stovala leta 2016. Zoran Mušič, Janez Bernik in Božidar Jakac še čakajo na
samostojno predstavitev.

10

Drzne ptice sanj

Tudi pesniki so večkrat gostje galerije. Poleg srečanj Shod muz na kranjskem
Parnasi smo Nika Grafenauerja, Borisa A. Novaka in Milana Deklevo gostili
na Svetovnem dnevu poezije 2017, Ciril Zlobec pa je nastopil ob veliki retro-
spektivi Vladimirja Makuca. Ostali pesniki, člani SAZU in nagrajenci, bodo
prvič predstavljeni v pričujoči jubilejni zbirki: Matej Bor, Mile Klopčič, Ka-
jetan Kovič, Janez Menart, Ivan Minatti, Tone Pavček, Tomaž Šalamun, Jože
Udovič in Dane Zajc.

Naslov pesniške zbirke Drzne ptice sanj smo si izposodili iz Minattijeve
pesmi Nekoga moraš imeti rad, iz njegovega poziva,
»da nekomu moraš, moraš,
to je kot kruh, kot požirek vode,
moraš dati svoje bele oblake,
svoje drzne ptice sanj,
plašne ptice nemoči ...«

in iz Novakove pesmi Od/ločitve, da
»Med zemljo in nebom
izberi ptico.«

Če izbereš ptico, izbereš oboje, nebo in zemljo. Ptica je simbol prijateljstva
bogov z ljudmi, je simbol pesništva. Ptice so glasnice božanskega glasu, sim-
bol miru, ljubezni in modrosti, torej tistega, kar v današnjih časih najbolj
pogrešamo.

In če se na koncu vrnem k dr. Jožetu Trontlju, na katerega me vežejo zelo pri-
jetni spomini, potem ne bo odveč, da tu še enkrat povzamem misel, s katero
se je nekaj dni pred svojo smrtjo v tankočutnem nagovoru ob odprtju raz-
stave Marlenke Stupica leta 2013 dotaknil številnih obiskovalcev: »/.../ Živimo
v manj prijaznih časih. V takih dneh bolj kot sicer potrebujemo hrano tiste po-
sebne vrste, ki nam zmore povrniti dobro počutje, duševno ravnotežje, vero v
vrednote. Ta hrana je visoka kultura, so velike umetnine, ki nas s svojo očarljivo
lepoto ali s svojimi globokimi sporočili, največkrat pa z obojim, ganejo in prev-
zamejo. Te umetnine človeka bogatijo, so velik privilegij za tistega, ki se jim
odpre. So dar posebnih ljudi, ki so v dovršenost svojih del vložili ne samo svoj
izjemni talent, ampak tudi desetletja trdega dela. Dela, ki skoraj vedno daleč
presega trud povprečnega Zemljana. Zato, spoštovani, je narodova dolžnost,
da se svojim vrhunskim umetnikom primerno zahvali. Nagrade, ki nosijo ime

11

Drzne ptice sanj

našega največjega pesnika, so slovenskim umetnikom vrhovno priznanje. Kranj-
ska galerija pa je njihov spomenik.«
Majhen del drznih ptic sanj je zbranih tudi v tej knjigi.
Naj se ob koncu zahvalim vsem, ki so sodelovali pri izdaji te čudovite pes-
niške zbirke: pesnikom, slikarjem in njihovim svojcem, da so nam odstopili
pesmi in likovna dela za objavo, prevajalcem za njihove prevode, Niku Gra-
fenauerju in dr. Milčku Komelju za izbor pesmi in grafik ter strokovni be-
sedili, predsedniku SAZU prof. dr. Tadeju Bajdu za uvodno besedo, Zoranu
Mezgu, Špeli Truden, Dušanu Komanu in vsem na SAZU, ki so s svojo pri-
zadevnostjo prispevali k izidu pesniške zbirke; Lidii, Barbari, Mariji, Mirjam,
Teji in Bojanu pri pripravi pesniške zbirke ter Gorenjski banki, ki že tradi-
cionalno sodeluje pri promoviranju Prešernovih nagrajencev v naši galeriji.

12

Daring Birds of Dreams

Two paths, first trodden upon in 1938 and 1946 respectively, intertwine in
the present poetry collection. The first one is that of the Academy of Sci-
ences and Arts, which was established in 1938 and baptised the Slovenian
Academy of Sciences and Arts in 1994. It actually came into being in 1693,
with the establishment of the Latin Academia Operosorum Labacensium.
The second was traced in 1946, when the then Ministry of Education issued
a decree on presenting awards for arts and sciences. Both institutions are
in some way, associated with the name Prešeren. The first president of 23
Carniolan ecclesiastical and secular intellectuals – the Operosi, most of
whom were lawyers and doctors of medicine, was Dr. Janez Kersnik
Prešeren, who, in the words of Professor Dr. France Bernik, Honorary Mem-
ber of the Academy, also occassionally tried himself as a poet. Since 1955,
the highest Slovenian national award in the arts, awarded on National Cul-
ture Day on 8 February, has borne the name of Dr. France Prešeren.

The Slovenian Academy of Sciences and Arts (SASA) unites scientists and
artists, elected its members for their outstanding achievements in the fields
of sciences and arts, and whose efforts are directed at nurturing, encoura-
ging and enhancing scientific thought and artistic creativity. The Prešeren
Fund Executive Board, responsible for awarding the Prešeren Award, evalu-
ates exceptional Slovenian creative output, sets criteria and encourages it.
The 1991 Prešeren Award Act prescribes the awarding of no more than two
Prešeren Awards and no more than six Prešeren Fund Awards.

The 80th anniversary of the Slovenian Academy of Sciences and Arts and
70th anniversary of the Prešeren Award have inspired us for the publication
of the present poetry collection. Artists, painters and sculptors, members of
the Academy, have already marked the 80th anniversary with a retrospective
exhibition of their work at the National Gallery in Ljubljana in April this
year. In Kranj, we are introducing Academy members – artists, painters and
poets, winners of the most prominent national award in the field of culture
and art, the Prešeren Award.

The Slovenian Academy of Sciences and Arts and the Prešeren Fund have
been closely cooperating for a great number of years. Together with the

13

Daring Birds of Dreams

Slovenian Writers’ Association, the Music Council with the Ministry of Edu-
cation and the Slovenian Fine Artists’ Association, the Academy was one of
the proponents for the Award from its very beginnings. Several of its mem-
bers are recipients of the Prešeren Award or the Prešeren Fund Award (pre-
dominantly from the Arts and Literary and Philological Sections), while
Professor Dr. Jože Trontelj, Academy President from 2008 to 2013, also
served a term as President of the Prešeren Fund Executive Board.

The Kranj Prešeren Award Winners of Fine Arts Gallery has presented win-
ners of the Prešeren Award and the Prešeren Fund Award for a good 20
years, and has been collecting their work in its permanent collection. Even
though initially predominantly focusing on the presentation of the fine arts,
we have expanded to include all award winners. Shod muz na Kranjskem
Parnasi, as the meeting of annual Prešeren Award winners was named by
Jaroslav Skrušny in 2010, is an annual event which brings to Kranj all
Prešeren Award winners from the current year on National Culture Day on
the 8th of February, for the exhibition of their portraits, as captured through
the photo lens of Tone Stojko, followed by an evening debate at the Prešeren
Theatre to conclude the cultural festivities on this national holiday.

The present event is a blend of poetry and graphic art, verse and print. The
opulent collection of the Slovenian Academy of Sciences and Arts also con-
tains a large graphic art collection, including 11 artists, winners of the
Prešeren Award. In 2018, three selected prints by each artist will be exhibited
at the Pavšlar House in Kranj and reproduced in this collection; 13 poets,
also members of the Slovenian Academy of Sciences and Arts and Prešeren
Award winners, will be represented with three poems and one translation
each to one of the nine selected foreign languages, and presented at a recital
at the Prešeren Theatre.

For many artists, featured in this book, this will not be the first presentation
at our gallery. Avgust Černigoj and his students have already exhibited here,
we exhibited works by France Mihelič from the collection, property of his
family, the opening exhibition in a succession of Lojze Spacal’s exhibitions
to mark 100 years of his birth was organised in Kranj. On his 90th birthday,
Drago Tršar commenced his stroll through numerous Slovenian galleries and
museums with his Monument in Kranj, Andrej Jemec presented a plethora
of techniques and materials with the exhibition Eno sonce za vse, Ecce Homo

14

Daring Birds of Dreams

by Valentin Oman adorned the Gallery walls in spring 2011, Emerik Bernard
filled the Gallery with colours in 2010, and Metka Krašovec was our guest
with her 2016 exhibition Čista risba. Zoran Mušič, Janez Bernik and Božidar
Jakac have yet to be presented in independent exhibitions.

Poets frequently visit our Gallery. In addition to Shod muz na kranjskem Par-
nasi, we welcomed Niko Grafenauer, Boris A. Novak and Milan Dekleva at
the 2017 World Poetry day (Svetovni dan poezije 2017), while Ciril Zlobec visi-
ted us at the grand retrospective of Vladimir Makuc. The remaining poets,
members of the Slovenian Academy of Sciences of Arts and Prešeren Award
winners: Matej Bor, Mile Klopčič, Kajetan Kovič, Janez Menart, Ivan Minatti,
Tone Pavček, Tomaž Šalamun, Jože Udovič and Dane Zajc are presented in
this book for the first time.

The book title Daring Birds of Dreams was borrowed from Minatti’s poem
Nekoga moraš imeti rad, from his cry,
“da nekomu moraš, moraš,
to je kot kruh, kot požirek vode,
moraš dati svoje bele oblake,
svoje drzne ptice sanj,
plašne ptice nemoči ...”

and from Novak’s poem Od/ločitve, that
“Med zemljo in nebom
izberi ptico.”

When you select a bird, you have selected both, the heavens and the Earth.
A bird symbolises the friendship of Gods and people, and is a symbol of poe-
try. Birds are heralds of divine voice, symbols of peace, love and wisdom,
all of which we are yearning for most in this present time.

Allow me to return in the end, to Dr. Jože Trontelj, to whom I am bound by
extremely fond memories, and cite his words, uttered during his graceful
speech a mere few days before his parting, at the opening of the exhibition
by Marlenka Stupica in 2013, which touched the hearts of many visitors “/.../
We are living in rather unkind times. In times of this sort we need, more than
ever, food of that special kind, the sort than can restore our well-being, spiritual
balance, faith in values. This food is high culture, great artistic masterpieces,
full of charming beauty or profound messages, but most often of both, touches

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Daring Birds of Dreams

and moves us. Such masterpieces enrich us and are a great privilege for those
who choose to open up to them. They are gifts from special people who in-
vested in them not only their exceptional talent, but also decades of hard work,
work which nearly always by far exceeds the efforts of average Earthlings. It
is therefore, ladies and gentlemen, our national duty to express adequate grati-
tude to our supreme artists. The awards named after our nation’s greatest poet
are recognition of the highest kind for these Slovenian artists. And the The
Kranj Prešeren Award Winners of Fine Arts Gallery is their memorial.”
A miniscule part of these daring birds of dreams is also collected in this
book.
Last but not least, allow me to thank everyone who contributed to the pub-
lication of this wonderful poetry collection: poets, painters and their families
for allowing the publication of their poems and works of art; the translators
for providing translations; Niko Grafenauer and Dr. Milček Komelj for se-
lecting poems and prints and contributing their expert texts; the President
of the Slovenian Academy of Sciences and Arts, Professor Dr. Tadej Bajd for
the introduction; Zoran Mezeg, Špela Truden, Dušan Koman and all other
SASA employees whose diligence contributed to the publication of this po-
etry collection; Lidia, Barbara, Marija, Mirjam, Teja and Bojan for the prepa-
ration of this poetry collection, and Gorenjska banka, who have traditionally
cooperated on the promotion of Prešeren Award winners at our gallery.

16



Tadej Bajd

18

Ob 80. obletnici Slovenske akademije znanosti in umetnosti

Spoštovane akademikinje in akademiki,
cenjene prijateljice in prijatelji Slovenske akademije znanosti in umetnosti,

osemdesetletnico Slovenske akademije znanosti in umetnosti in hkrati 325-
letnico njene predhodnice Academiae Operosorum praznujemo v letošnjem
letu v luči umetnosti.

Čeprav med Operozi ni bilo umetnikov, je bil njihov vpliv na umetnost večji
kot na znanost. Leta 1701 so ustanovili glasbeno akademijo filharmonikov
in leta 1709 literarno Emonsko akademijo. Načrtovali so tudi akademijo lju-
bljanskih likovnikov. Njihovo živahno umetniško delovanje je dalo Ljubljani
novo baročno podobo, na katero smo ponosni do današnjih dni. Stolnico,
uršulinsko cerkev, tivolski grad, mestno hišo in še mnoge druge stavbe pri-
pisujemo okusu in marljivosti Operozov.

Spomladi smo naš jubilej proslavili v ljubljanski Narodni galeriji. Slovensko
javnost smo opozorili na dela akademikinj in akademikov slikarjev in ki-
parjev. V osemdesetih letih jih je bilo vsega triindvajset. Ko je bila leta 1938
ustanovljena Slovenska akademija znanosti in umetnosti, je imela le 33 čla-
nov. Med njimi je bilo 6 umetnikov. Takšno razmerje med znanstveniki in
umetniki ohranjamo do danes, ko ima akademija največ 100 članov in je
med njimi 20 umetnikov: slikarjev in kiparjev, pisateljev in pesnikov, skla-
dateljev in arhitektov.

Jeseni slavimo našo obletnico v Kranju. Današnje praznovanje namenjamo
sožitju poezije in upodabljajoče umetnosti. To pravzaprav ni nič nenavad-
nega, saj smo Slovenci od nekdaj s posebno pozornostjo sprejemali knjige
poezij, ki so bile obogatene z ilustracijami likovnih umetnikov.

Številni likovni umetniki so za svoja dela iskali navdih v Prešernovih poezi-
jah, od epskega Krsta pri Savici do liričnih Strunám. Mnoge ilustracije pes-
nitev so zbrane v Prešernovem albumu akademika Franceta Kidriča.

Kar nekaj primerov najdemo, ko so svoje stvaritve združili akademiki sli-
karji in akademiki pesniki. Najzgodnejši takšen par sta bila akademika Alojz
Gradnik in Božidar Jakac. Ko sta izšli zbirki Padajoče zvezde in De profundis,

19

Ob 80. obletnici Slovenske akademije znanosti in umetnosti

Slovenska akademija še ni bila ustanovljena. Kasneje, ko sta oba že bila člana
Akademije, je Jakac z novimi grafikami pospremil bibliofilsko zbirko pesmi
Eros Tanatos.

Devetdesetletnica akademika Cirila Zlobca nas je razveselila s knjigo devet-
desetih ljubezenskih pesmi, ki jih spremljajo prefinjeni akvareli akademi-
kinje Metke Krašovec. Žal sta nas prav v tem jubilejnem letu oba zapustila.
Z intimnimi risbami je Metka Krašovec obogatila tudi zbirko pesmi akade-
mika Tomaža Šalamuna. Eni izmed pesmi v tej zbirki je Šalamun dal naslov
Vsi smo veseli teh Metkinih risb.

Številni slovenski likovni umetniki so ilustrirali pesniške zbirke akademi-
kov. Poeziji je bil še prav posebej naklonjen Miha Maleš. Spomnimo se samo
akvarelov v Pavčkovi zbirki Same pesmi o ljubezni. Bibliofilsko izdajo pesmi
akademika Kajetana Koviča je ilustriral Jože Ciuha, priljubljene pesmi aka-
demika Ivana Minattija pa akademski slikar Boris Jesih. France Kralj je opre-
mil drobno knjižico pesmi akademika Franceta Bevka.

Mnogi slikarji akademiki so iskali navdih v poeziji slovenskih pesnikov.
Med knjigami, ki jih s posebnim veseljem vzamem v roke, so Kettejeve Po-
ezije z imenitnimi vinjetami akademika Maksima Gasparija. V novejšem
času sta se v nekoliko grozljivih verzih in upodobitvah odlično ujela Svet-
lana Makarovič in akademik France Mihelič. Pesmi Srečka Kosovela je v
skupni ljubezni do Krasa pospremil naš dopisni član Lojze Spacal. Pesmi
Simona Jenka je najprej ilustrirala Ivana Kobilca, ki ji v letošnjem letu ob
100-letnici Narodne galerije namenjamo posebno pozornost. Kasneje pa je
njegove Obraze opremil akademik Janez Bernik.

Posebej prikupne so ilustracije otroških pesmi. Kdo ne pozna Zupančičevega
Cicibana z risbami Nikolaja Pirnata ali Golijeve Sneguljčice s slikami Toneta
Kralja in Grafenauerjevega Pedenjpeda z ilustracijami Marjana Mančka.

Lahko bi našteval še številne druge primere sožitja slovenske poezije in
likovne umetnosti. Kot znanstvenik si lahko predstavljam, da bo kmalu
digitalna knjiga izpodrinila na papirju natisnjeno znanstveno knjigo. Ne
morem pa si zamišljati življenja brez lepih ilustriranih knjig poezij, ki jih
vedno znova s posebno pozornostjo in ljubeznijo jemljemo z naših knjiž-
nih polic.

20

Ob 80. obletnici Slovenske akademije znanosti in umetnosti

Seveda člani Slovenske akademije niso samo slikarji in pesniki. Na koncu
ne morem, da ne bi omenil letošnjih odličnih razstav našega kiparja Draga
Tršarja in številnih mednarodnih priznanj pisatelja Draga Jančarja. Našim
skladateljem se moram zahvaliti, ne samo za odlične koncerte, ampak tudi
zato, ker skrbijo, da so slovesni akademijski dogodki spremljani z izbranimi
glasbenimi stvaritvami. Naši arhitekti pa so bili v tem letu bogato predsta-
vljeni na razstavi v sloviti newyorški MoMi.
Naše članice in člane umetnike pogosto najdemo med Prešernovimi nagra-
jenci. To vedno znova potrjuje, da odgovorno in skrbno izbiramo odlične
nove izredne in dopisne člane Slovenske akademije znanosti in umetnosti.

21

On the 80th Anniversary of the Slovenian Academy
of Sciences and Arts

Honourable Academy Members, Ladies and Gentlemen, dear friends of the
Slovenian Academy of Sciences and Arts,

This year, we are celebrating the 80th anniversary of the Slovenian Academy
of Sciences and Arts and the simultaneous 325th Anniversary of its predece-
ssor, Academia Operosorum in the light of art.

Even though there were no artists among the Operosi, they influenced the
arts rather more importantly than the sciences. In 1701, they founded the
Academia Philharmonicorum, and in 1709, the Academia of Emona. They
had also planned an academy of Ljubljana painters. Their lively art ende-
vours has granted Ljubljana its new, Baroque image, which makes us proud
to this day. We attribute the Ljubljana cathedral, the Ursuline Church, the
Tivoli Castle, the Town Hall and many other important buildings to the taste
and dilligence of the Operosi.

In the Spring, we celebrated our anniversary at the National Gallery in Ljub-
ljana. Works of Slovenian painters and sculptors, members of the Slovenian
Academy of Sciences and Arts, were displayed to the Slovenian general public.
In its 80-year existence, there were 23. On its foundation in 1938, the Academy
counted only 33 members, 6 of them artists. The ratio has been preserved to
present-day, when the Academy has 100 members, of which 20 are artists:
painters and sculptors, writers and poets, composers and architects.

In the Autumn, we will celebrate the anniversary in Kranj. Today’s festivities
are devoted to the harmony of poetry and the fine arts. This is really not
unusual, since the Slovenians have always paid particular attention to poetry
volumes, illustrated by painters. Numerous artists sought inspiration for
their work in Prešeren’s poetry, ranging from Krst pri Savici to lyrical Strú-
nam. Many poetry illustrations are collected in Academy Member France
Kidrič’s Prešernov album.

There are several examples of collaboration between painters Academy
members and poets. Alojz Gradnik and Božidar Jakac were the earliest pair
of this sort. When the collected poems Padajoče zvezde and De Profundis

22

On the 80th Anniversary of the SASA

were published, the Academy had not yet been established. Later, when both
artists were elected Academy Members, Jakac contributed new prints to the
bibliophile poetry collection Eros Tanatos.

Academy Member Ciril Zlobec’s 90th birthday was marked by a volume of
90 love poems, accompanied by refined aquarels by Academy Member
Metka Krašovec. Sadly, we had to bid farewell to both of them in this jubi-
lary year. Metka Krašovec also enriched Academy Member Tomaž Šalamun’s
poetry collection with her intimate drawings. One of the poems in the said
volume is entitled Vsi smo veseli teh Metkinih risb.

Several Slovenian painters illustrated Academy Members’ poetry collections.
Miha Maleš was particularly partial to poetry. Let us revert our attention to
his watercolours in Pavček’s Same pesmi o ljubezni. Jože Ciuha contributed
illustrations to Kajetan Kovič’s collected poems, while painter Boris Jesih
provided his artwork for Ivan Minatti’s poems. France Kralj equipped
France Bevk’s tiny poetry volume with his art.

Several painters, Academy Members, were inspired by Slovenian poets. One
of the books I enjoy reading again and again with particular pleasure, is
Kette’s Poezije, with outstanding vignettes by Academy Member Maksim
Gaspari. In more contemporary times, the somewhat intimidating verses by
Svetlana Makarovič wonderfully harmonised with France Mihelič’s artwork.
Srečko Kosovel’s poems are beautifully accompanied by Corresponding
Member Lojze Spacal’s work, expounding their joint love of the Karst.
Painter Ivana Kobilca, whom we are especially honouring on the 100th anni-
versary of the National Gallery, was the first illustrator of Simon Jenko’s
poems. Several decades later, Academy Member Janez Bernik contributed
his artwork for Jenko’s Obrazi.

Illustrations of children’s poetry are particularly endearing. Who is not fa-
miliar with Župančič’s Ciciban, complete with drawings by Nikolaj Pirnat
of Golija’s Sneguljčica with Tone Kralj’s paintings and Grafenauer’s Pedenj-
ped, illustrated by Marijan Manček.

We could continue enumerating countless other examples of co-existence
of Slovenian poetry and the fine arts. As a scientist, I can easily imagine digi-
tal science books ousting their printed counterparts. I cannot, however,
imagine life without beautifully illustrated poetry books, which we respect-

23

On the 80th Anniversary of the SASA

fully and lovingly take off our bookshelves time and again.
Naturally, not all members of the Slovenian Academy of Sciences and Arts
are painters or poets. I cannot fail to mention this year’s outstanding exhi-
bitions of the Academy’s own sculptor, Drago Tršar, and numerous interna-
tional honours, awarded to writer Drago Jančar. The Academy is grateful to
its members composers, not only for their excellent concerts, but also for
providing selected musical pieces for festive Academy occasions. Architects,
members of the Academy, were honoured by a prolific presentation of their
opuses at the renowned New York Museum of Modern Arts.
Artists, members of the Slovenian Academy of Sciences and Arts are fre-
quently awarded the Prešeren Award. This confirms repeatedly, that the
Academy responsibly and carefully selects its new associate and correspon-
ding members.

24



Niko Grafenauer

26

Zagovor vidca in potomcev

Prešeren se v enem svojih najlepših nemških sonetov Nichts trägt an ihm
des Dichtergeists Gepräge (Nič ga kot pesnika ne razodeva) sprašuje, zakaj
neki vztraja v svoji zli usodi in kaj sploh hoče s svojimi poezijami doseči?
Sledi odgovor v tercinskem delu, kjer sebe primerja z labodom in svoje petje
z labodjim spevom, sonet pa sklene z verzi:
Ni petje moj poklic, a moram peti,
ker me zadela je nenadejano
puščica, ki ne da mi ozdraveti.

Iz povzetka pesmi in citiranih verzov je več kot razvidno, da je Prešeren ra-
zumel pesništvo kot svojo eksistencialno poklicanost, ki se ji ni mogoče
odreči ali upreti, čeprav zahteva žrtve. To poslanstvo pa ima svoje korenine
tako v ljubezni do idealizirane ženske, kar je bila zanj Julija Primic, kot do
»maternega jezika« in »Slovenšne céle«, ki je po meri materinega jezika.

V tej luči seveda tudi prav nič ne preseneča Prešernov odklonilni odnos do
ilirskega gibanja, kot ga razberemo v njegovem pismu Stanku Vrazu iz leta
1837, kjer med drugim pravi: »Tendenca naših carmina in druge literarne de-
lavnosti je samo ta, da bi kultivirali naš materni jezik. Če imate vi drugačen
cilj, ga boste težko dosegli …«

Pesnik se torej odloča tako, kot mu to nalaga njegova bitna zavezanost »ma-
ternemu jeziku«, ki ga želijo on in podobno misleči »kultivirati«, kar pa se
ne bi moglo zgoditi, če ne bi bilo ljudskega pesništva, Trubarja, Dalmatina,
Linharta, Vodnika, črkarskih pravdarjev, slovničarjev in drugih predhodni-
kov, da ne naštevam vsevprek. To hotenje je bilo še posebej pomembno, če
imamo pred očmi oblikovanje in krepitev slovenske nacionalne zavesti, ki
je že od Brižinskih spomenikov dalje vezana na slovensko besedo kot tisto,
kar nas razlikuje od drugih narodov.

Hkrati pa je res tudi to, kot se je izkazalo, da se šele v Prešernovi pesniški
vokaciji impregnativno in umetniško polno prekrijeta tako slovenska forma
mentis kot evropsko kulturno izročilo in duh tistega časa. Samo iz pesnikove
tvorne navezanosti na evropsko kulturo in pesništvo na eni – pri čemer ne
gre zanemariti Čopove vloge – in iz eksistencialne vpetosti v slovenstvo na

27

Zagovor vidca in potomcev

drugi strani se je lahko izvila njegova pesem kot creatio novi, s katero se je
kot nenavadna prikazen pojavil »na horizontu slovenske puščave«, kot pravi
Ivan Prijatelj.
Vse to je bilo očitno v ozadju zamisli o ustanovitvi sklada za Prešernove na-
grade leta 1947. To je najvišje slovensko priznanje za umetniške dosežke pri
nas. Z njimi se je začelo pomembno poglavje v naši kulturi z namenom, da
presežemo puščobno obzorje, kakršnega je opisal Ivan Prijatelj.
V tej knjigi se srečujemo s trinajstimi pesniki in enajstimi likovnimi umet-
niki, ki so prejeli Prešernovo nagrado za svoje delo. Večina od njih je že po-
kojnih, najstarejša pa sta slikar Avgust Černigoj (r. 1898) in pesnik Mile
Klopčič (r. 1905), ki sta to nagrado prejela prva (1947).
Med njima je velika estetska in izpovedna razločenost, saj Černigoj spada
med prve slovenske avantgardiste, Klopčič, po rodu iz rudarske družine, pa
med izrazito socialne pesnike. Oba sta umrla v prvi polovici osemdesetih
let 20. stoletja, kar pomeni, da vsekakor in vsemu navkljub spadata v čas
večno živih klasikov.

28

An Apology of the Mystic and His Progeny

In one of his most impressive German sonnets, Nichts trägt an ihm des Dich-
tergeists Gepräge (Nothing gives him away as the author) Prešeren wonders
about his persistence in ill faith and about the final aim of his poetry. In the
tercet part, in which he likens himself to a swan, he compares his poetic ex-
pressions to swan song, and concludes the sonnet with the following verses:

Ist Dichten auch nicht mein Beruf gewesen; Doch sing’ ich, seit der Pfeil mich
unvermuthet Getroffen, von dem ich nicht kann genesen.

The poem’s summary and verses cited prove beyond reasonable doubt, that
Prešeren believed poetry to be his existential calling, which he was unable
to either give up or resist, even though it had demanded significant sacrifices
on his part. This calling was rooted both, in his love to an idealised female
figure, embodied for him in Julija Primic, as well as his “mother tongue” and
“Slovenšna céla”, as was formed in accordance with his mother tongue.

In the light of this, Prešeren’s deprecatory stance toward the Illyrian move-
ment, clearly expressed in his 1837 letter to Stanko Vraz, in which he ex-
claims, among other: “The single tendency of our carmina and other literary
endeavours is only to cultivate our mother tongue. If you aim for a different
goal, it will be hard to achieve …”

The poet therefore decided in accordance with his existential commitment
to his “mother tongue”, which he wished to “cultivate”, similarly to his like
minded contemporaries. This would, however, have been impossible with-
out folk poetry, Trubar, Dalmatin, Linhart, Vodnik, participants in the
Slovene Alphabet War, grammarians and other predecessors, to name but a
few. This tendency proved particularly relevant for the formation and
strengthening of Slovenian national sentiment, which has been, from the
Freising Monuments onwards, tied to Slovenian as the distinctive charac-
teristic in comparison to other nations.

It is also true that, as it occurred later, Prešeren’s impregnatively and artis-
tically accomplished poetry vocation managed to fully capture both, the
Slovenian forma mentis as well as the European cultural lore and Zeitgeist.
Only from the poet’s active attachment to European culture and poetry on

29

An Apology of the Mystic and His Progeny

one hand – let us not neglect the role of Čop in this – and his existential in-
clusion into the Slovenian idea on the other, his poem could emerge as cre-
atio novi, which made him stand out as an unusual apparition “at the
horizon of the Slovenian desert”, as Ivan Prijatelj put it.
All of these arguments played an instrumental part in the 1947 foundation
of the Prešeren Award as the most prestigious national award for artistic
achievements, and the beginning of an important chapter in Slovenian cul-
ture, intended to overcome the dreary horizon as had earlier been described
by Ivan Prijatelj.
This book comprises the works of thirteen poets and eleven artists, who
have received the Prešeren Award for their opuses. The majority of them
are already deceased, starting from the oldest, painter Avgust Černigoj (b.
1898) and poet Mile Klopčič (b. 1905), the first recipients of the Award (1947).
A significant aesthetic and narrative discrepancy is observable between the
two, with Černigoj as one of the first Slovenian avantgardists and Klopčič,
born into a miners’ family, as a pronouncedly social poet. Both of them
passed on in the early 1980s, which classifies them, most certainly and in
spite of everything, into the group of eternal classics.

30



Milček Komelj

32

Grafična umetnost Prešernovih nagrajencev, članov SAZU

Ker so med dosedanjimi likovnimi umetniki akademiki malone vsi prejeli
Prešernovo nagrado, je po reprezentativni razstavi njihovih slik in kipov v
ljubljanski Narodni galeriji v počastitev 80-letnice ustanovitve Slovenske aka-
demije znanosti in umetnosti v letošnjem jubilejnem letu prirejena še po-
sebna razstava njihovih grafik v kranjski Galeriji Prešernovih nagrajencev.

Razstava grafik Prešernovih nagrajencev akademikov zajema gradivo iz gra-
fične zbirke SAZU, ki je bila v Sloveniji prvič v celoti predstavljena leta 2008
v katalogu Zakladi slovenske grafike 1955–2005 ob razstavi na ljubljanskem
gradu. Do povoda za nastanek zbirke je prišlo povsem nepričakovano in
spontano, kar vem iz osebnega pričevanja. Ko je nekdanji predsednik Ma-
kedonske akademije znanosti in umetnosti, umetnostni zgodovinar Cvetan
Grozdanov leta 2004 obiskal SAZU, je v Kostanjevici na Krki pred Jakčevo
avtoportretno grafiko vzneseno zaklical, da stoji pred očetom makedonske
grafike, in si nemudoma zaželel, da bi v Makedonski akademiji predstavili
Jakčevo ali, še bolje, kar celotno slovensko grafično umetnost. Rezultat te
pobude je bila leta 2006 postavljena razstava povojne slovenske grafike v
Skopju. Dela zanjo je zbral sedanji svetovalec SAZU za umetnostno zgodo-
vino dr. Lojze Gostiša, po mecenski zaslugi novomeške tovarne zdravil Krka
pa je celotna zbirka prešla v last SAZU. Za pričujočo razstavo v Kranju je
bila zbirka dopolnjena še z deli akademikov Avgusta Černigoja, Draga
Tršarja in Emerika Bernarda; slednji je izbrana dela prelil v sitotisk za
skupno knjigo svojih likovnih del in pesmi Andreja Medveda, naslovljene
Labirinti.

Grafična zbirka, na fondu katere temelji razstava, zaradi večje enovitosti za-
jema le umetnine od srede 20. stoletja dalje, ob katerih se je izoblikoval
pojem t. i. ljubljanske grafične šole, ki ga je Gostiša v katalogu celotne zbirke
razširil na prikladnejši pojem slovenske grafične šole, ker je slovenska gra-
fika na ljubljanskem grafičnem bienalu, pa tudi na drugih bienalih po svetu,
zlasti sprva izkazovala nekatere specifične poteze, posebno v zamolklem ko-
loritu in izjemni tehnični perfekciji. Seveda slovenska grafika korenini že v
starejšem času, od 16. stoletja dalje. V povezavi z risbo se je začela na novo
uveljavljati že v umetnosti t. i. vesnanov, vrhunsko umetniško raven, ki je

33

Grafična umetnost Prešernovih nagrajencev, članov SAZU

vsaj nekatere njene avtorje uvrstila v Akademijo, pa je dosegla že umetnost
naših ekspresionistov v času po prvi svetovni vojni.

Prvi od grafikov je po drugi svetovni vojni postal akademik Božidar Jakac,
vsestranski umetnik, ki je že v mladosti dosegel svoj prvi ustvarjalni vrh.
Med vojno je skupaj s Francetom Miheličem izstopal s partizansko grafiko,
po vojni pa je bil prvi rektor novoustanovljene ljubljanske Akademije za
upodabljajočo umetnost, na katero je že spočetka vpeljal temeljit obvezen
študij klasičnih grafičnih tehnik. Povojna dela iz akademijske zbirke ga pred-
stavljajo v času ponovnega grafičnega razcveta, ko je z motiviko izrazno zve-
riženih dreves ali elegičnih spominov na drugo svetovno vojno simboliziral
minevanje vsega živega, a tudi krčevito upiranje smrti, razvidno iz plesne
dinamike izvotljenih debel ali nemega vztrajanja suhih rož.

Iz Jakčeve generacije se je v poznejših letih uvrstil med dopisne člane Aka-
demije tudi Avgust Černigoj, ki je v grafični tehniki lesoreza izoblikoval
svoje konstruktivistične poglede že v avantgardistični reviji Tank, po vojni
pa nam je s svojim življenjskim vitalizmom in igrivostjo približal še razno-
like izrazne možnosti drugih modernejših oblik. V tridesetih letih je prese-
netil z grafičnim delom, temelječim na pretehtani risbi s pridihom
življenjske trpkosti, a tudi poetičnosti in fantastike, France Mihelič, ki se je
po vojni razvil v osrednjega mojstra naše fantastične umetnosti. Na razstavi
ga vidimo kot mojstra barvnega lesoreza, ki se je prepuščal melanholiji, kot
simbolnega kronista, strmečega v življenjsko grozo, in kot umetnika, ki ga
kot najzvestejši obiskovalci obdajajo sršeči kurenti.

Med dopisnimi člani SAZU izhajata iz iste predvojne generacije tudi Zoran
Mušič in Lojze Spacal. Spacal je s svojim likovnim smislom za konstruk-
cijo in arhitektoniko zaobjel bistvo domače kraške pokrajine ter v lesore-
zne matrice zajel tudi bogastvo struktur, ki žive lastno življenje ter
materijo napolnjujejo s poezijo. Zoran Mušič pa je v zbirki predstavljen z
deli iz cikla, v katerem je višinski pogled mediteransko zemljo spremenil
v abstraktno prizorišče samotno očarljivega likovnega življenja, razgrnjeno
v samostojno poetično bogastvo slikovitih oblik, svetlobnih lis, tonskih
razmerij in odtenkov.

Mlajši od akademikov, ki so se posvetili grafiki, študijsko že izhajajo iz lju-
bljanske likovne akademije in izpričujejo bogastvo svojih modernih likovnih

34

Grafična umetnost Prešernovih nagrajencev, članov SAZU

iskanj, skozi katera so znali izoblikovati svoja duhovna zrenja in obsesije.
Med njimi najprej izstopata Janez Bernik in Andrej Jemec. Bernik je na raz-
stavi zastopan z enovitimi grafikami, v katerih je z značilno priostrenimi
abstraktnimi formami, abstraktno iluzionističnimi učinki likovnih površin
in mračnimi tonskimi razmerji izoblikoval znamenja pojmov, pojavov ali
stanj, značilno dopolnjena z besedami (Iluzija, Pena), in pričel odslikavati
sence na svoji duši. (Pozneje se je v dramatičnem svetlobnem kontrastu gra-
fik prepustil ekspresivnim arhetipskim figuram in se začel izražati z besedo
tudi kot pesnik.)

Andrej Jemec prav tako z govorico svojih nosilnih likov kot pomenljivih
znamenj in z bogastvom tehnično zahtevnih tonskih prelivov upodablja no-
tranja stanja in vzdušja, tako kot v mračni Noči demonov, ob tem pa se z gra-
fičnimi očmi zazira tudi v skrivnostni zvezdni kozmos in se naseljuje v
svetovih zunaj zemeljskih omejitev. Z grafiko, v kateri je svoje značilne sil-
huete človeških množic izoblikoval v impulzivni kontrastni risbi, se na raz-
stavi predstavlja kipar Drago Tršar, grafiki pa se posveča tudi dopisni član
Valentin Oman, ki v svoje figure in toteme vtiskuje spomeniške sledove časa
in človeškega trpljenja.

Grafike Emerika Bernarda so v sitotiske prevedene njegove tipične likovne
zamisli, temelječe na razkrojenih in na novo preoblikovanih in oživljenih, v
naravi odkritih konstrukcijskih oblikah. Dela Metke Krašovec iz akademijske
zbirke pa so prav tako izpeljana v tehniki sitotiska in s precizno razčle-
njenimi geometrijskimi znamenji pričajo o njenem novodobno obarvanem
prisluškovanju duhovnemu svetu starih kultur ter z intenzivno barvitostjo
in s krasilnostjo ornamentirajo življenjsko razigranost, prebujeno ob misli
na eksotične pokrajine s palmami in z nakodranimi morskimi valovi.

Vsi ti umetniki sodijo v vrh naše grafike in zato je bil v utemeljitvah za Pre-
šernovo nagrado upoštevan in poudarjan tudi njihov grafični pomen, pose-
bno pri Jakcu, Miheliču in Spacalu, ki so dominantni prav kot grafiki;
nekateri so enako veljavni na slikarskem in grafičnem področju, spet drugim
pa pomeni grafika bolj priložnostno, a umetniško enakovredno likovno
spremljavo. Številni od njih so prav za grafiko, ki jo je laže kot slikarstvo
mogoče predstavljati po vsem svetu, dosegli tudi najvišja mednarodna pri-
znanja na grafičnih bienalih. Miheliču je bila soglasno prisojena 1. nagrada
že na prvem ljubljanskem grafičnem bienalu, pa se ji je moral na zahtevo

35

Grafična umetnost Prešernovih nagrajencev, članov SAZU

nesamozavestnih prirediteljev odreči, češ da bi bilo neprimerno, če bi jo pre-
jel Slovenec, pozneje pa je bil nagrajen tudi v Benetkah.
Kot grafik je po svetu zaslovel ničkolikokrat nagrajeni Janez Bernik, prav tako
pogosto nagrajevani Andrej Jemec je bil za svet odkrit na bienalu v Tokiu. Na
Japonskem so občutili posebno afiniteto že do naših grafikov Jakca in Mihe-
liča, pozneje pa so se japonski študentje odločali celo za študij grafike v Lju-
bljani pri profesorju Jemcu in dolgo uspešno sodelovali na ljubljanskem
grafičnem bienalu. Največjo zgodovinsko vlogo za razmah slovenske grafike
pa je odigral Božidar Jakac, ki je ljubljanski grafični bienale s svojim vztrajnim
prizadevanjem pobudil in zasnoval in s tem slovenskim ustvarjalcem v do-
movini omogočil širši razgled po grafični umetnosti; sam bienale pa je opo-
zoril na slovensko grafiko tudi najvidnejše tuje kritiške poznavalce po vsem
svetu. S pedagoškim delovanjem in z intenzivnimi stiki z jugoslovanskimi
ustvarjalci je Jakac po drugi svetovni vojni razširjal naklonjen odnos do gra-
fike po vsej Jugoslaviji, ne le v Makedoniji, ampak posebno tudi v Srbiji, ter
umetnike opozarjal, da izvirna umetniška grafika ni že kar vsak tisk.
Razstavljalci v Galeriji Prešernovih nagrajencev se predstavljajo z deli, od-
tisnjenimi v vrsti grafičnih tehnik, od primarnega lesoreza prek rafiniranih
zvrsti globokega tiska do novejšega sitotiska. Na najboljše izročilo klasične
oziroma avtorske originalne grafike pa se danes, ko se pogledi na grafiko
spričo razraščajočih se novih elektronskih medijev ponovno spreminjajo, z
zavzeto kljubovalnostjo sklicujejo tudi njeni današnji nasledniki, dediči in
varuhi tega dragocenega izročila na ljubljanski Akademiji za likovno umet-
nost in oblikovanje, med katerimi kot monumentalen grafik izstopa tudi iz-
redni član Slovenske akademije znanosti in umetnosti profesor Jožef
Muhovič.

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Graphic Art by Prešeren Award Winners, Members
of the Slovenian Academy of Sciences and Arts

Since nearly all artists Academy members have won the Prešeren Award,
the retrospective exhibition of their paintings and statues at the Ljubljana
National Gallery in honour of the 80th anniversary of the Slovenian Academy
of Sciences and Arts in the jubilee year of 2018, a special exhibition of their
prints is displayed in the Kranj Prešeren Award Winners of Fine Arts
Gallery.

The exhibition of prints by Prešeren Award Winners, members of the
Slovenian Academy of Sciences and Arts relies on the pieces assembled in
the Academy graphic art collection, first presented in Slovenija in entirety
in the 2008 catalogue Treasures of Slovene Graphic Art 1955–2005, to accom-
pany the exhibition at the Ljubljana Castle. The beginnings of the collection
were completely unexpected and spontaneous, to which I can attest perso-
nally. During his 2004 visit to the Academy, Kostanjevica na Krki, more specifi-
cally, the former President of the Macedonian Academy of Sciences and Arts,
art historian Cvetan Grozdanov, exclaimed magniloquently, on viewing Boži-
dar Jakac’s self-portrait print, he was in presence of the father of Macedonian
graphic art, and that it would be marvellous to have his graphic art opus or
rather the Slovenian Graphic Art exhibited at the MASA. Resulting from
his idea was the 2006 Skopje exhibition of Slovenian post-war graphic art.
Individual works for the collection were selected by Dr. Lojze Gostiša, the
present Academy Art History Adviser, and under the patronage of the Novo
Mesto pharmaceutical KRKA, the collection became the property of the
Slovenian Academy of Sciences and Arts. For the present Kranj exhibition,
the collection had been further complemented with works by Academy
Members Avgust Černigoj, Drago Tršar and Emerik Bernard; the latter trans-
ferred his works to screen printing for a joint fine art and poetry book with
poet Andrej Medved, Labirinti (Labirynths).

The graphic art collection which serves as the fundament of the exhibition
only encompasses masterpieces, created from the mid 20th century on-
wards, to ensure its unity. It gave rise to the term of the so called “Ljubljana
school”, which, for the collection catalogue, Gostiša expanded to the more

37

Graphic Art by Prešeren Award Winners, Members of the SASA

convenient “Slovenian School of Graphic Art”. At the Ljubljana Graphic Arts
Biennale, and other international biannual exhibitions, Slovenian graphic
art was initially characterised certain specific traits, particularly in its sup-
pressed colour schemes and exceptional technical perfection. Naturally,
Slovenian graphic art is rooted in the 16th century and thereon. In conne-
ction with drawings, it found new expression in the art of the so called
“Vesnani”, and already reached its mastery peak, which earned at least cer-
tain of its authors Academy membership, with Slovenian expressionist
artists after World War I.

Božidar Jakac was the first graphic artist after World War II, to be elected
Academy Member. As a versatile artist, he reached his first creative zenith
in his youth. Together with France Mihelič, he gained prominence with par-
tisan graphic art and served as the first Rector of the Ljubljana Academy of
Fine Arts, established after World War II. In its very beginnings, Jakac in-
troduced obligatory and thorough studies of classical graphic art techniques.
His post-war opus from the Academy collection shows him in the period of
renewed graphic art flourishing, depicting symbolically, in the form of ex-
pressively distorted trees or elegiac World War II memories, the passing of
all living things, as well as desperate attempts to escape death, evident in
the dancing dynamics of hollow tree trunks or silent persistence of dried
flowers.

Avgust Černigoj was Jakac’s contemporary, who later became Corresponding
Member of the Academy. In his graphic woodcut technique, he shaped his
constructivist views in the avant-garde journal Tank, while his post-war work
expresses, in its vitalism and playfulness, a myriad of versatile expressive
possibilities of other, modern forms. In the 1930s, he surprised the audiences
with his graphic work, founded on carefully weighed drawings with a tint
of existential pungency, but also poeticism and the fantastical. France
Mihelič evolved to become the central master of Slovenian fantastical art
after the War. At this exhibition, he presents himself as the master of colour
woodcuts, indulging in melancholy, a symbolic chronicler staring in the face
of life’s horrors, and as an artist, encircled with his most faithful visitors,
the bristly Kurenti.

Zoran Mušič and Lojze Spacal also belong to the same pre-war generation
of SASA corresponding members. With his artistic sense for construction

38

Graphic Art by Prešeren Award Winners, Members of the SASA

and architectonics, Spacal encompassed the core of his native karst land-
scape and transferred it through wood cutting matrixes, together with a
plethora of structures, living an independent life and filling the matter with
poetry. In the collection, Zoran Mušič is represented with works from one
of his cycles in which a bird-eye view of the Mediterranean soil is trans-
formed into an abstract scene of an isolated and charming art existence,
spread into independent poetic abundance of style forms, light flashes,
tonality ratios and colour tones

Younger graphic artists Academy members have already been educated at
the Ljubljana Academy of Fine Arts, and display the opulence of their mod-
ern artistic explorations, through which they were able to formulate their
philosophic stances and obsessions. Janez Bernik and Andrej Jemec best
stand out among them. At the exhibition, Bernik is presented with his uni-
form prints, characterised by sharp abstract shapes, abstract illusionist ef-
fects of art surfaces and macabre tonal ratios, shaping a variety of ideas,
phenomena or states, typically topped by words (Iluzija, Pena), and com-
menced reflecting the shadows of his soul. (In his later, dramatic contrasts
of prints, he surrendered himself to expressive archetypal figures and
started expressing himself in words as a poet would).

Through the expressiveness of his central figures as meaningful symbols
and an abundance of technically challenging colour tone merges, Andrej
Jemec depicts internal states and moods, as is the case in the sinister Noč
demonov, all the while directing his graphic eyes to the mysterious starry
cosmos and inhabits worlds outside earthly boundaries. Sculptor Drago
Tršar introduces himself at the exhibition with prints of his typical silhou-
ettes of human masses, defined with his impulsive contrasting drawings,
while Corresponding Member Valentin Oman also centres his attention on
prints. He impresses memorial-like time traces and human suffering onto
his figures and totems.

Graphic art by Emerik Bernard features his characteristic fine art ideas, con-
ceptualised upon disintegrated and reshaped and reanimated nature occur-
ring construction shapes, translated to serigraphies. The works signed by
Metka Krašovec from the Academy collection are also serigraphies. With
meticulously dissected geometrical symbols, they testify of her modernity
oriented probing of the spiritual world of ancient cultures, while ornament-

39

Graphic Art by Prešeren Award Winners, Members of the SASA

ing, through intense colour brilliance and gracefulness, joie de vivre, awake-
ned on the thought of exotic landscapes complete with palm trees and un-
dulating sea waves.

All these are the finest Slovenian graphic artists, and in the proposals for
the Prešeren Award, their exceptional importance for Slovenian graphic art
had been emphasised, particularly with Jakac, Mihelič and Spacal, who dom-
inate, especially as graphic artists. Some of them were equally relevant as
painters as well, while for others, graphic art served more as an occasional,
but artistically equally valuable fine art accompaniment. Several of them
have achieved international acclaim of the highest sort for their prints at
graphic biennales, since prints are more easily presentable than paintings.
Mihelič was unanimously awarded the 1st Award at the very first Ljubljana
Biennale of Graphic Arts, which he had given up at the organisers’ request,
since they considered awarding it to a Slovenian inappropriate, and was
later also awarded in Venice.

As a graphic artist, Janez Bernik enjoyed impressive international reputation
and received numerous international awards, while the likewise frequently
awarded Andrej Jemec was revealed to the World at the Tokyo Biennale. The
Japanese had expressed particular affinity for Slovenian graphic artists Jakac
and Mihelič, and later Japanese students even decided to study graphic arts
in Ljubljana with Professor Jemec, and participated for a long time and suc-
cessfully at the Biennale of Graphic Arts.

Božidar Jakac played a pivotal part in the popularisation of Slovenian
graphic art with his persistent endeavours regarding the conceptualisation
and organisation of the Ljubljana Biennale of Graphic Arts thus offering
international insight into graphic art to Slovenian artists in their native
country while simultaneously presenting Slovenian graphic art to the most
reputable and knowledgeable foreign art critics. Through teaching and
maintaining close contacts with Yugoslavian artists after World War II,
Jakac popularised graphic art throughout the former Yugoslavia, not only
in Macedonia, but also and most particularly in Serbia, and raised aware-
ness among artists about the fact that not every print qualifies as original
artistic graphic art.

40

Graphic Art by Prešeren Award Winners, Members of the SASA

The artists, exhibited at the Kranj Prešeren Award Winners of Fine Arts
Gallery, present their creations, printed in several graphic techniques, from
primary woodcut through refined types of relief printing to the more recent
serigraphy. Nowadays, in the time when opinions about graphic arts are
shifting yet again, prompted by the spread of new electronic media, the most
obstinate and persistent guardians and successors of the legacy of the clas-
sical and original graphic art school from the Ljubljana Academy of Fine
Arts still derive from it, with Associate Member of the Slovenian Academy
of Sciences and Arts, Jožef Muhovič as a monumental graphic artist.

41

Mile Klopčič

1905–1984

42

MILE KLOPČIČ

Hodim med oljke

V Kotoru, ob prvi obletnici smrti Srečka Kosovela

Hodim med oljke v ograde zvečer,
da čujem, kako ciprese pojo.
Kakor kapljalo bi v sveti mir,
mi nocoj njegovo pesem pojo:

– Glej, zdaj je maj in opojni večeri; tam –
(senca je padla preko morja in neba)
še borovec na gmajni ves sam
razmahnil je veje na vse strani,
mesečino dekletu in fantu drobi –

jaz pa od same pomladi sem trpek,
zmerom sem zdoma, vse kraške poti sem prehodil,
vse trate prešteval, globeli preblodil,
Petra iskal, da bi roko mu podal,
pa nisem našel, nisem preštel,
ne morem najti, ne morem prešteti.

Pa se bom vrnil, vrnil do majke
in ne pojdem nikamor, nikamor več:
»Glej, preveč ubog sem preveč dajal,
jaz od nikogar, vsakdo od mene jemal.

In zdaj sem bolan.
Legel bom, mati, legel na kraško razpotje,
naj vse steze gredo preko me
kot senca po gmajni, sonce po trati.
Sam tvojo lučko na oknu z dlanmi bom zastiral,
na vse strani bom borovcem ceste odpiral,
naj se temno razrasto ko srebotje –
če ne, ne bom,
ne bom mogel spati, o mati!« –

43

MILE KLOPČIČ

Kdo je šel kot on v tujino,
pa da ni se vračal pet
našo žalost, v tmo zajet
razodevat mesečino?

44

MILE KLOPČIČ

Jesen

Nenadno je prišla. Vihar vrtinči listje,
in dan je pozen, zgoden je večer.
Postale sobe bodo spet nam sobe,
zapiral okna boš, zapiral dver.
Spet starčki bodo romali za soncem
in sami s sabo bodo se pomenkovali,
hodili preko trat po parkih in se bali,
da ne bi bledega podleska poteptali.

45

MILE KLOPČIČ

Deževna pomlad 1933

Tѐmna je noč in vsako noč temnejša,
in siv je dan in z vsakim dnem bolj siv.
Divja vihar in lije dež na dež,
ko da se je nekdo nocoj ubil.

V teh sivih dneh in temnih teh nočeh
gre v cvetje zlo, v navado gre zločin,
v obup gre hči, očetje v smrt,
od matere v verige in zapore sin.

Ljudje so psi, ljudje so plen,
so rablji, žrtve in so še vlačuge.
Poti poplavljene, livade so mlakuže,
in zrak je poln moreče kuge.

Zdaj marsikomu in pogosto se zgodi,
da išče, kje bi čelo si hladil,
kam bi se dal, da bi ubežal
in da bi svoj obup in žalost skril.

Tu ne pomagajo ne kletve ne molitve.
Postavljeni smo v take dni in čas.
Ko smeh je jok, in glasen jok zatrt,
in ko spreminja zemlja svoj obraz.

Tѐmna je noč in vsako noč temnejša,
in siv je dan in z vsakim dnem bolj siv.
In lije dež, da jarek stežka golta,
preveč je blata in presilen je naliv.

Iz/From: Mile Klopčič: Preproste pesmi.
Ljubljana: Cankarjeva založba, 1951.

46

MILE KLOPČIČ

Rainy Spring 1933

Grey is the day, every day more grey,
dark is the night, every night less bright,
a storm is raging, rain pours down on rain,
as if somebody killed himself this night.

In these grey days and in these gloomy nights
evil enters flowers, misdeeds become the norm,
mothers’ sons go off to jail in chains,
daughters go to fear, and fathers to their doom.

People are the dogs, people are the prey,
the executioners, the victims - - - and the whores:
the paths are under water and the meadows turned to lakes,
the air is full of pestilential spores.

Now many people oftentimes may find
they need a place to cool their heads somewhere,
somewhere to go in order to escape
and hide their sadness and despair.

But neither prayers nor curses can help here.
In such a time, in such days are we placed
when laughter is a cry, a loud cry choked,
and when the earth transforms its face.

Dark is the night, every night less bright,
grey is the day, every day more grey.
The rain pours down, it will not drain away,
there’s too much mud, torrential rain holds sway.

From: Slovene poets and writers of the Slovene Academy.
Ljubljana: Slovene Academy of Science and Arts, 2007.

Translation to English by Tom Priestly.

47

Avgust Černigoj

1898–1985

48