Aleksandar Aco Prijić 1920-1986
Aleksandar Aco Prijić 1920-1986
Aleksandar Aco Prijić 1920-1986
1920-1986
podgorica 2011
sadraj
5
Jubilej / Jubilee
Olga Perovi:
AleksandarAco Priji
29
Reprodukcije / Reproduction
149
157
Nikola Latkovi:
Aco kao primijenjeni umjetnik /
Aco as an applied artist
164
171
182
184
Ljiljana Zekovi:
Bibliografija / Bibliography
194
Vitka Vujnovi:
Biografija / Biography
IMPRESUM
Izdava/Publisher
ju Muzeji i galerije Podgorice
Za izdavaa/For the Publisher
Niko Martinovi
vanredni lan canu
Tekst/Text
Olga Perovi, lan canu
Redakcija/Redaction
Olga Perovi
Ljiljana Zekovi
Petrica Duleti
Urednik/Editor
Ljiljana Zekovi
Lector/Proofreader
Ana Ivanovi
Prevod na engleski/Translation
Olivera Kusovac
Koordinator/Coordinator
uro Beli Priji
Fotograja/Photo
Jason Gold, Nikola Latkovi
Svetolik uranovi, Momir Matovi,
Stevo Lepeti, Lazar Pejovi, Igor Vasilev
Biograja/Biography
Vitka Vujnovi
Grako oblikovanje/Design
Nikola Latkovi
dtp asistent/dtp assistent
Davor Golubovi
tampa/Press
Publikum, Beograd
Tira/Circulation
1000
CIP
,
ISBN 978-9940-590-08-6
COBISS.CG-ID 19172112
The Modern Gallery of Podgorica was founded in 1961 by the former Municipality of
Titograd. A significant jubilee such as the
50th anniversary of the foundation of the
Gallery is an opportunity to recall the time
and the people who, with their ideas, work
and reputation, contributed to the creati-
u Crnoj Gori.
U vrijeme stvaranja znaajnih institucija
kulture: Umjetnike kole na Cetinju, Umjetnike galerije, takoe na Cetinju, Udruenja
likovnih umjetnika i drugih, mnogi likovni
umjetnici doli su u Crnu Goru. Snagom svoga duha, kroz drutveni rad, mnogobrojne
izlobe i manifestacije koje su se tada poele
organizovati, razvili su jednu neprocjenjivu
i autentinu dimenziju kulture i umjetnosti
u Crnoj Gori.
Generaciji umjetnika, entuzijasta i humanista koja je iskazala elju da radi na kulturnom usponu Crne Gore pripadao je i
Aleksandar - Aco Priji. Njegovi stavovi,
zahvaljujui irokom spektru djelovanja,
esto su presudno uticali na obiljeja nacionalne umjetnosti toga vremena.
Svojim slikarskim djelom, kao i razvijenom svijeu o potrebi stvaranja specifinog
likovnog izraza kojim bi crnogorska umjetnost bila ukljuena u savremene evropske
tokove, Priji je ostavio snaan peat na crnogorski umjetniki ivot druge polovine
20. vijeka.
Sloenost i vieznanost Prijievog djela, jedinstvenog umjetnikog integriteta
kao i rasprostranjenost njegovih radova
Among the generation of artists, enthusiasts and humanists who expressed a wish to
contribute to the cultural growth of Montenegro was also Aleksandar Aco Priji.
Thanks to a wide range of his activities, his
attitudes frequently had a decisive impact
on the features of national art of the day.
With his painting and his acute awareness of the necessity to create a specific
artistic expression which would include
Montenegrin art in the contemporary European trends, Priji left a lasting imprint
on Montenegros artistic life in the second
half of the 20th century.
The complexity and polysemy of Prijis
oeuvre, with its unique artistic integrity,
and dispersal of his works in various mu-
Petrica Duleti
kustos Moderne galerije
Podgorica
Olga Perovi
u kulturno-umjetnikom razvitku.
In fine arts, "a powerful idea of continuity" was felt, since the regions constituting
their art more clearly "deliberately wished
to preserve their natural cultural and social colour", as M. Proti pointed out writing
about Yugoslav art in the 1950s. In these
tim uslovima Crnoj Gori je bio potreban svestrani i slobodni kreativni razmah. Potrebni su joj bili talentovani i matoviti stvaraoci
i ona ih je pozvala da se okupe i pomognu stvaranje nove kulture
i organizovanje kulturno-umjetnikog rada. Za likovni ivot bilo
je izuzetno znaajno to su se iz Beograda vratili Petar Lubarda,
Milo Milunovi i Milo Vukovi. Tu je i veina onih koji su prije rata zavrili ili zapoeli umjetniko kolovanje, a pristigli su iz
ratnih brigada. Pridruuju im se mlai, daroviti i poletni, eljni
znanja i aktivnosti. Okupljaju se najprije oko Umjetnikog ateljea
pri Ministarstvu prosvjete, a neto kasnije u Udruenju likovnih
umjetnika Crne Gore, koje je osnovano 1946. godine. Od njih se
trai da aktivno participiraju u ukupnom kulturnom ivotu, ali im
se i prua najvie to se moglo u tim oskudnim, potrebama prenapregnutim uslovima. Bez likovnih umjetnika nita nije moglo
da se uradi u to vrijeme: ni da se osnuje kulturna insitucija, ni da
se organizuje proslava, ni da se izda knjiga a sa svim se tim tada
poinjalo. Njihov uticaj je veliki, ali i njihova omiljenost.
Osniva se Udruenje likovnih umjetnika Crne Gore. Organizuju se prve izlobe na kojima uestvuju svi crnogorski stvaraoci, bilo gdje da su tada ivjeli i radili. Tako se na njima esto izlau i djela koja u razvijenijim sredinama nijesu, zbog svog stila i sadrine, nailazila na odobravanje, jer je to bilo vrijeme kad je, pod uticajem dogmatizma, bilo mogue i da se netalentovani i pasivni ne samo izjednae sa talentovanim i aktivnim, nego i da
zauzmu stav sudije. Likovni ivot u Crnoj Gori pun je euforinog dinamizma, nezasite radoznalosti, neumorne
enje za saznanjem i obrazovanjem, za stvaranjem. Sve to se zbiva u Crnoj Gori inspirativno je za stvaraoce:
nesputani ponos na herojsku prolost, sagledavanje patnji i rtava naroda kosturi spaljenih kua i sakupljanje
kostiju poginulih. Graditeljski poduhvati osobito izgradnja pruge NikiTitograd otkrivaju i bukvalno neke
nove vidike i boje i oblike crnogorskog tla. Nadahnuti tom atmosferom i tim novim vienjima, najugledniji
crnogorski likovni stvaraoci, Lubarda, Milunovi, Vukovi i drugi, slikaju svoja najbolja djela. Lubarda poinje
da slika svoje uvene pejzae i bitke, Milunovi nostalgine kompozicije na temu zavretka rata i pejzae, Vukovi pejzae i likove iz naroda.
U to vrijeme osnovane su Srednja umjetnika kola i Umjetnika galerija na Cetinju. Na tome su se nesebino
i svestrano angaovali Milunovi, Lubarda, Vukovi i svi drugi. Sa iskustvom svog mukotrpnog probijanja do
saznanja i priznanja, svesrdno su prihvatili grupu mladih, oduevljenih i darovitih ljudi, spremnih da se uhvate
u kotac sa obnovom zemlje i optom oskudicom, da naue i pokrenu druge.
U toj grupi jedan od zamajaca svake aktivnosti bio je Aleksandar-Aco Priji, koji je na Cetinje dospio iz zarobljenitva ve avgusta 1945. godine. Omladinski rukovodilac, kulturni aktivista, nije htio da zna da se neto
nema i ne moe. Radio je vie nego to je mogao jedan ovjek i uio bre nego se kroz kolu moglo. Priji se ne
upisuje ni u jednu kolu i ako je to vrijeme kada ratni kadrovi nijesu tretirani kao prerasli godinama. On je
ve od prije rata imao izvjesno likovno obrazovanje, a i u radu u Ateljeu i u neposrednom kontaktu sa Milunoviem i Lubardom on je intenzivno uio, svestrano dopunjavao svoje obrazovanje (i nastavio to tokom cijelog
svog ivota i rada) i oslobaao svoj talenat poinjui sve intenzivnije da slika.
Ta rana faza je kod njega, kao i kod veine crnogorskih slikara srednje generacije, bila pod snanim uticajem
njihovih uitelja Lubarde i Milunovia. Objektivna suenost likovne komunikacije i sugestivnost ova dva velika
slikara uinili su da se kreativnost mladih umjetnika neto sporije originalno ispoljavala. Prijievi prvi radovi
pripadaju izvjesnom ekspresivnom realizmu. Njegov kolorit je snaan, jasan, izvoran. Zeleno, sivo, crveno, ine
8
okosnicu hromatskog sklada. Slika pejzae iz okoline Cetinja, masline, sela u brdima, s
avetinjskim, naputenim zgaritima.
Na prvim poratnim izlobama, kada je veliina slike takorei bila uslovljena veliinom
pareta platna koje se teko nabavljalo, a kolorit podosta zavisio od boja do kojih se moglo doi, Priji ispoljava svoje trajno motivsko opredjeljenje izlae prve pejzae. O njemu ve 1948. godine Milutin Plamenac pie da pokazuje dosta samonikle snage i talenta, ima jaku slikarsku viziju i koloristike dispozicije.
Ta prva slikarska faza Prijieva ostaje u okvirima traganja za sopstvenim izrazom, koji se
neto intenzivnije osjea u pastelu. Odlazak uitelja, Milunovia i Lubarde i preseljenje
Umjetnike kole sa Cetinja, jo vie goni Prijia na samoobrazovanje. iri se krug motiva koje obrauje tu su mrtve prirode, figure, veliki pejzai.
abljak Crnojevia, 1946
abljak Crnojevia
ulje na platnu / oil on canvas
36 x 47 cm
Bjelopavlii, 1950
Bjelopavlii
ulje na platnu / oil on
canvas, 50 x 35 cm
10
Kako mogunosti za rad postaju bolje i njegova su platna vea i sadrajno bogatija.
Privlae ga panorame koje pucaju sa nebrojenih vidikovaca oko Cetinja, Skadarskog
jezera, iznad Primorja i Boke. Prihvata se sloenih zadataka da Kotor, Bar, vijugave trase crnogorskih puteva, (koji su ni na nebu ni na zemlji) smjesti u okvire svojih slika. Antejski trajno vezan za zemlju, za Crnu
Goru koju je pregorio i pregledao, bukvalno i uzdu i poprijeko, gdje mu je svaki kutak znan i ima za
njega posebno znaenje, on tu nalazi trajnu inspiraciju, ui od prirode i kompoziciju i kolorit, stie sigurnost i izvorno iskustvo. Povodom njegove izlobe 1954. Ratko urovi pie: Priji je prionuo za svoj isti,
prisni, od djetinjstva noeni, doivljaj naih rijetko pitoresknih i dinaminih gorskih i primorskih predjela,
znajui da tu sebe jedino moe nai.
From Niki
pastel na papiru / pastel on paper, 40 x 56 cm
U zapaenije radove iz toga perioda spada Stari Bar po mnogo emu karakteristian. Naturalistiki koncipiran sa svojim nagomilanim, upeatljivim, zubatim zidovima ve tada svojim
bojama, priguenim zvukom i atmosferom nostalgine trajnosti, nose crte kasnijeg naglaenog
Prijievog ekspresionizma.
Rad na mrtvim prirodama (Jastog, Kostur ribe) i obrada likova, prisiljavaju Prijia da savlada neke nove likovne odnose krupne planove, izrazitiji potez, sloeniju kompoziciju. Hitro, napregnuto, sa snanom stvaralakom koncentracijom on to i uspijeva bez velikih studijskih predradnji. Prva Prijieva stvaralaka faza obuhvatala je desetogodinji period, negdje do 1958.godine. On se osamostalio, definisao svoja motivska traganja
i izraajne principe.
Nekoliko studijskih putovanja u Grku (1953), Italiju (1954), Francusku (1957) i opet Italiju (1960), veoma su uticali na proirivanje njegovih vidika, na zadovoljavanje njegove umjetnike radoznalosti, bila su podsticaj slobodnijem prilazu i motivima i slikanju. Osobito ga je uznemirio boravak u Francuskoj. On tamo i po povratku
slika figure, ulice, mrtve prirode. Karakteristina je slika Bistro sa autoportretom, i to dobrim u prvom planu.
Ali, to je samo jedna od neminovnih Prijievih stvaralakih proba. On se opet vraa izrazito crnogorskim motivima. Za te studijske boravke, ipak, moe se vezati poetak druge, dvadesetogodinje stvaralake faze Prijieve. To je i vrijeme kada se on seli u Titograd (1959), gdje ivi i radi ba tih dvadeset godina.
Fishbone
ulje na platnu / oil on canvas, 42 x 28 cm
vlasnik / owner Narodni muzej
Crne Gore, Cetinje
12
Kao direktor Muzeja NOB-a na Cetinju, Bavei se istorijom narodno-oslobodilake borbe u Crnoj Gori, on kao da rezimira inspiracije i saznanja do kojih je i kroz taj rad doao. Radi nekoliko,
Bistro, 1958
Bistro
ulje na platnu /
oil on canvas
vlasnik / owner
Vila Gorica,Podgorica
Work on still lifes ("Lobster", "Fish Skeleton") and characters compelled Priji to master some new artistic means: close-ups, a more distinct stroke, more complex composition. Swiftly, intently, with intense creative concentration he managed that without great preparations. Prijis first creative phase covered a ten-year period,
approximately until 1958. He became independent, defining his explorations of motifs and expressive principles.
A few study visits to Greece (1953), Italy (1954), France (1957) and then Italy again (1960) helped Priji to broaden his views and satisfy his artistic curiosity, acting as an impetus to a freer approach both to the motifs and to
painting itself. He was particularly moved by his stay in France. In France, and back home, he painted figures,
streets, still lifes. A characteristic painting is "The Bistro" with a self-portrait, a good one, in the forefront. But,
it was just one of Prijis unavoidable creative trials. He returned again to the recognizable Montenegrin motifs. Nevertheless, these study visits can be linked to the beginning of Prijis second, twenty-year long creative
phase. That was a time when he moved to Titograd (1959), where he lived and worked for these twenty years.
Dealing with the history of the peoples liberation struggle in Montenegro as the director of the NOB Museum
in Cetinje, Priji seems to have summarized the inspirations and insights he gained through this work. As a
result, he created several exceptionally interesting paintings, both thematically and artistically. "Burnt Brajii"
is an artistic summary of his previous work; content-wise, however, it is also a prologue to a new phase paintings from the peoples liberation struggle and more robust landscapes with stone which, like a facture and
symbol, emphasizes a new artistic approach. In this painting, on the gray, stone surfaces the skeletons of burnt
houses are arranged in a soft rhythm, light brown from the fire and the sun, somehow defiant, in conspiracy
with the sky. A historical dimension is unobtrusively present, too. The overall atmosphere sparks off associations of the indestructibility of life in this area, of proud resistance, continuity of struggle. "Brajii" is just one in
13
Skadarsko jezero, svoju neiscrpnu inspiraciju, slikao je u jednom periodu varijacijama mahovinastog zelenila. Tako jezerska voda postaje prozrana, tajnovita, obale neuhvatljive u
mijenama pod zracima sunca u svitanju ili zalasku. Sve je premreeno arabesknim granicama, s ponekim zvunim akordom karmina, orana ili okera. Ovea platna s dubokim perspektivama, sigurnim,
asocijativnim. Boje nanesene u tankom sloju, gotovo prozrane.
Crmnika pitomina preteno je temperom raena. Snana, izrazita faktura, jarke boje i naglaena struktura izvedeni
su iz prirodne konstrukcije tla i opinjavajue panorame njiva ispresijecanih meama. Vrtae briljivo obraene tamnozelenom bojom, ili oaze zvune smee boje tek uzoranih djelova njiva, u poretku potenciranom do grafinosti.
14
Vranjina, 1961
Vranjina
ulje na lesonitu /
oil on masonite
Lake Skadar, an inexhaustible source of his inspiration, in one period Priji clad in immeasurable variations of
mossy greenery. Lake water, translucent, mysterious, elusive banks changing under the rays of the sun at dawn
or at sunset; all this covered in arabesque twigs, with a few acoustic chords of carmine, orange or ochre. Quite
large canvases with deep perspectives, confident, associative. Colours spread in thin layers, almost transparent.
Then there were the tame landscapes of Crmnica, mostly painted in tempera. Striking, powerful facture. Vivid colours. Marked structure modelled on the natural structure of the ground and enchanting panoramas of
fields intersected by stone borders, carefully depicted sinkholes in dark green, or oases of sonorous brown
colour of the just ploughed parts of the fields, in an order stressed to the level of the graphic representation.
Liaj, 1963
Lichen
ulje na lesonitu / oil on masonite
Na ove slike nadovezuju se izvanredni Prijievi pasteli. Iako ih je oduvijek radio, nekoliko godina su ga opinjavali. U jednom
zamahu izvukao je iz sebe nesvakidanju
orkestraciju boja koja je standardnim proporcijama njegovih pastela dala neke monumentalne prizvuke. U tom periodu uradio je i neke enterijere, aktove i mrtve prirode i seriju pejzaa, ponajvie jezera. Jedni jedri, puni boje, lirski intonirani, potmulom snagom uzbuuju snane izvorne inspiracije i jee
priguenim zvucima sonog karmina, kadifnog zelenila, ploha blagog okera, sa ublaenim obrisima predmeta
(Oluja na jezeru, Jutro); drugi ustreptali, modre, jasno plave boje, razne nijanse smeih i tamnosivih, ispresijecane su grafiki otrim potezima koje konturiraju motiv (koljka,ipci).
Prisno poimajui Prijieve pejzae, godine 1964. edo Vukovi pie: Sama priroda kao da je u Prijievim platnima dobila blizance, roene znatno poslije nje, liene mnogih sitnih ukrasa, ne sasvim nalik na prirodu samu,
ali toliko vjerne njenoj sutini, njenom najdubljem obliju i dahu, njenom smislu postojanja i ljepoti odoljevanja pred vremenom i olujama, da ovjek spontano pone vjerovati u samostalno ivljenje, u trajanje ovih slika
uporedo sa prirodom koja ih je nadahnula. A Priji, kao da nikad nije naisto sa tim to trai i to nalazi u prirodi, ona mu diktira neprekidne mijene. Svoj slikarski postupak prilagoava njenom udesnom kaleidoskopu
koji ga neprekidno iznenauje.
Kaluerice, 1960
The Nuns
ulje na lesonitu / oil on masonite
110 x 47,5 cm
Knowledgeably and with intimate understanding of Prijis landscapes, in 1964 edo Vukovi noted down, "Nature itself seems
to have received twin siblings in Prijis canvases, born much later,
deprived of many tiny decorations, not quite like nature itself, but
so true to its essence, its deepest form and breath, the sense of its
existence and the beauty of its resistance against time and storms,
that man spontaneously starts to believe in independent living,
in the existence of these paintings concurrent with nature which
inspired them". And Priji seemed never to be certain about what
he was looking for and what he found in nature, as it dictated continuous changes. He adjusted his painting procedure to its magic
kaleidoscope which never stopped surprising him.
In the second half of 1960s, maintaining his interest in the motifs
from Lake Skadar and its environs, Priji devoted greater attention to specific details in nature lichen, wood,
stone. He was fascinated by stone, by its entwining with man. It appeared manlike to him. This is best illustrated
by the several versions of The Nuns (from 1961 to 1964), differing in colouring and facture. The artist himself
said to Jefto Milovi that he had come across this motif, like a complete composition, on the Cetinje-Titograd
road. He was told, "They are nuns. You see, a group of nuns, as if going to the church". So, he depicted a set of
stone figures resembling women moving in a dramatic rhythm as an unreal vision in real scenery. The dense
grayness of multi-layered paint distinguishes these figures in a plastic manner, while the landscape disappears
in hazy perspective. He was now enchanted by stone, which suddenly captured his attention with its structural nature, appealing associativeness of details and relationship with the environment. He developed a suitable manuscript. Relief layers of paint in a plastic manner shape the dominant stone boulders in the paintings
with symbolic titles: "Stone erosion", "Stone She-Wolf". In this phase, colour lost the beauty of nuances, while
the width of the landscape was reduced to the diminished features of the soil, background of the stone figures
and clear, colourful sky. Abandoning thin layers of paint in favour of plasticity, with an inborn, confident feeling Priji changed the character of the colour, too. It was now clean, strong, differentiated by shadows created
by relief layers. Gray, red, ochre, brown, green in Gauguin-like intonations.
In this period a characteristic and unusual painting was also created - "Suffering". Responding to a request by
an excellent cultural worker Don Nikola Lukovi that he should make a painting for his gallery in a church in
Pranj, Priji painted Christ, a man crucified on stone. The large canvas (3 x 1.5,m) depicts a two-meter figure of
a man grown into a rock from which, at the bottom, as a symbol of life, an indestructible sprout of wild pomegranate crops up; above it is a Montenegrin woman with a child in her lap, and next to them a portrait figure
of Don Niko Lukovi. The composition, one of the largest that Priji created, is impressive both in its idea and
its treatment. It is more directly symbolic than usual, as Priji was rather prone to discreet symbolism. It is also
more illustrative, but it nevertheless fits into his style and his engagement.
Restless, curious, excited, impatient, Aleksandar Priji desired to
try everything out: he frequently changed colours, facture, composition, continuously interested in all novelties in the area of fine
arts, but inherently cautious in experimenting with the meaning.
Priji never worked in a particular manner for too long. He incessantly improved his expression, modernized it, clothing Montenegrin nature in colourful dresses of his rich imagination. He sought and found the attractive, underlining the meaning of colour
17
Crnogorka s djetetom u krilu, dok je sa strane predstavljen portretska figura don Nika Lukovia. Kompozicija, jedna od najveih
koje je Priji radio, impresivna je i po ideji i po obradi. Nesumnjivo
u skladu sa njegovim stilom i angaovanou, ova kompozicija je
direktnije simbolina nego to je ovaj umjetnik, sklon diskretnoj
simbolici, imao obiaj da radi.
Nemiran, radoznao, uzbuen, nestrpljiv, Aleksandar Priji je htio
sve da isproba: esto mijenja boje, fakturu, kompoziciju, ostaje zainteresovan za sve novosti u likovnom domenu, uroeno oprezan u
eksperimentisanju sa znaenjem. Priji nije nikada predugo radio
u jednom maniru. Neprekidno je usavravao svoj izraz, modernizovao ga, presvlaei crnogorsku prirodu u koloritne odede svoje
bogate imaginacije. Trai i nalazi atraktivno, podvlaei znaenje
boje i odnose kompozicionih elemenata odgovarajuom fakturom. Ima uroeni smisao da osjeti boju i njenu mo, da je donese
i nametne gledaocu punoom, sjajem, zvunou, istu i otru, ili
iznijansiranu i njenu, nikad sladunjavu, nikad surovu. U najboljim svojim radovima, zanesen traenjem, pokazuje se kao slikar
od nerva, kome je boja u krvi, sav svijet u likovnim determinantama. On ne bjei od najljepih crnogorskih pejzaa jer su oni poznati, slikani od drugih, on gledaocu prua svoje vienje, ukazuje
na njihovu vieobraznost. Nekad ih slika kao obavijene romantinom nostalgijom ljubiasto-sivih predveerja i blijedozelenih
svitanja, ali i napadne, u simfoninoj zvunosti ljetne podnevne
ege kad sunanim sjajem jei i crveno, i zeleno, i uto, i izrazito
plavo, i svijetlosmee. Uvijek iznova otkriva njihovu snagu, surovost i ljepotu, podvlai postojanost sutinskih komponenti. Potuje strukturalnu izraajnost kompozicije koju priroda nudi, pa ak i
boje, kojoj daje dramatini tretman bez sentimentalnosti. Njegov
hromatizam nije ni previe svijetao, ni previe taman. Do pravog
tona dolazi s lakoom.
Raspee, 1967
Crucifix
ulje na platnu / oil on canvas, 126 x 275 cm
vlasnik / owner Samostan Sv. Nikole, Pranj
and relations of compositional elements with a suitable facture. He had an innate ability
to feel the colour and its power, to impose it on the viewer with its fullness, shine, sonority a pure and sharp colour, or tinted and delicate, never sweetish, never harsh. In his
best works, enthralled and carried away with his search, forced to say it all, Priji proved
to be a sensitive painter, with colour in his blood, whose whole world is determined by
the visual. He did not flee from the most stunning Montenegrin landscapes because they
were familiar, already painted by others; instead, he provided the viewer with his own vision, pointing to their multifaceted nature. Sometimes he painted them as imbued with a
romantic nostalgia of early, purple-gray evenings and pale green dawns, but also as striking, in the symphonic sonority of midday summer heat, when red, green, yellow, bright
blue, and light brown all groan with the sunshine. Over and over again he revealed their
strength, harshness and unadulterated beauty, underlining the lastingness of essential
components. He respected the structural expressiveness of the composition offered by
nature, and even colours, to which he gave a dramatic treatment without sentimentality.
His colouring is neither too light, nor too dark. He found the right tone with ease.
Priji was bold in composing, but not always patient enough to persevere. This is best illustrated by his larger
and decorative paintings. "The Fight of Eagles and Falcons" exhibited in the foyer of the Montenegrin National Theatre was created together with Branko Filipovi. This is one of the rare paintings in the function of a
fresco. There is some rigidness in the composition characteristic of Filipovis mosaic, but there is also a lively
atmosphere, broadness and true decorativeness typical of Priji. Other large-format paintings also reveal some
insufficiently used possibilities. "abljak Rhapsody" shows an intriguing blend of a real and imaginary landscape and motives from the national history. It is painted in green and gray-blue intonations, with soft outlines of
figures and objects, in skilfully mixed layers. Priji says, "When one looks at Montenegro, one appears to see
eight layers. It is like coulisses, like a magical theatre performance in nature. Beech, oak, blackberries, vine, fig,
pomegranate, lemon, oranges they all grow there. All is intertwined and all luxuriant in spring, the harsh and
incredibly tame landscape, rocky boulders, a flower sprouting from a stone". All this was felt in a certain way
whenever Priji painted Montenegro. He often emphasized a detail which attracted him and which he could not
give up, and then there started a mesmerizing conflict between water and the hills, different at different times
of the day, or a necklace of hills, roads, houses, panoramically united and very real.
None of Prijis creative stages commenced ad hoc. By rule, elements which were later to become dominant were
noticed in a painting much earlier. A creative problem was spotted, which tormented the painter smouldering
19
nar, limun, pomoranda. Sve se splelo i sve je bujno s proljea, pejza je surov i nevjerovatno pitom, stjenovite gromade, iz kamena nie cvijet. Sve se to na neki nain osjea kad Priji slika Crnu Goru. Kod njega je esto
u prvom planu neki od tih detalja koji ga je privukao i koga ne moe da se odrekne, a onda poinje opinjavajui sukob vode i brda, razliit u mijenama dana, ili erdan gora, puteva, kua, realan i panoramski ujedinjen.
Nijedna Prijieva stvaralaka faza ne poinje na preac. Uvijek se u nekoj slici, ak i znatno ranije, naziru elementi koji e kasnije postati dominantni. Nazire se kreativni problem koji mui slikara, tinja u podsvijesti i on
ga s vremena na vrijeme poinje rjeavati, pa ga opet potisne, da uz tekui rad sazrijeva dok ne kresne varnica
koja e osvijetliti novu mogunost izraza. Kako je nastajala njegova poslednja slikarska faza vidljivo je kroz nekoliko slika sa omiljenim mu motivom pijetla. Priji sam u jednom intervjuu kae da mu je moda najdraa slika Crveni pijetao, koju je naslikao i izlagao u aku 1966. godine. Na ovoj slici doao sam do jednog rezultata
koji mi je otvorio novi put. To je slika raena u pastelu, ali reljefno, to sam kasnije primijenio u tehnici ulja...
Koji je to novi put vidi se na slikama Kokot iz 1968. godine i drugim doraenijim varijantama iz 1972. godine. Slikajui ovaj neobini likovni motiv, ivotinju koja i u prirodi posjeduje izvesnu pitoresknost i izraajnost,
on slojevitim nanosima jarke boje izvlai viestruko znaenje ovog simbolikog fenomena. U drugoj varijanti
veu panju posvjeuje kompoziciji te se tu posebno istie snaga oblika i sklad pokreta. Istoriarka umjetnosti Tatjana Pejovi s pravom naglaava da Kokot blista svjeinom iste boje, tako da podsjea na neke sasvim
druge tehnike gleosanu keramiku i emajl. Pastozni namazi, duhovit i matovit crte, ine da ovo platno plijeni spontanou i ubjedljivou...
Doavi kroz viegodinju obradu ovog motiva do stabilnog saznanja o novim mogunostima likovnog izraavanja kroz praktinu modifikaciju rukopisa (mogunosti koje osobito odgovaraju Prijievoj vjeitoj enji da
kamen uini ivim sagovornikom gledaocu), slikar smjelo i sve ee slika na novi nain neke, ve ranije klasino obraene motive, osobito pejzae, te novi nain slikanja postepeno nadvladava prethodni i Priji ulazi u
svoju burnu, posljednju, kreativnu fazu. O pojedinim slikama nastalim krajem sedme decenije, a povodom Prijieve izlobe u Novom Sadu 1970. godine, likovni kritiar Slobodan Sanader zabiljeio je: Priji, na lazurnoj
povrini odreenog tonaliteta, dobija u konstrukciji crtea, velikim nanosom paste, plastinost slike. Na taj nain pejza poinje da ivi, otkrivajui neposrednost doivljaja umjetnika. Plastinost slike ima neki udan unutranji ritam koji vrlo efektno djeluje. Ako u slikama Sive kaluerice, areva kopita, Crveni pejza, osjeamo
prisustvo dramskih akcenata, u Staroj maslini nadrealnu viziju, u slikama Bijela seka i Crna seka osjeamo intimnu lirsko-poetsku notu
Kokot, 1968
The Rooster
ulje na platnu /
oil on canvas
73 x 76 cm
Jednom sam tragao za motivima i naiao sam na jedan vei kamen u kome
sam vidio dva udubljenja kao konjska kopita. obani, na koje sam naiao, rekli su
mi da su to kopita arca Marka Kraljevia. Zato sam ja sliku nazvao areva
kopita. [priji]
areva kopita, 1975
Pinto Horses Hooves
ulje na platnu /
oil on canvas
Sliku "Kokot sam napravio igrajui se. Skicirao sam jaje, dodao
mu glavu i napravio kokota. Napravio sam mu raireno krilo
kao vezeni crnogorski koret. Gotovo sam mu stavio kljun na
rep kao da ga upa. U Crnoj Gori postoji izreka: Ako je kokot
nemoan, sam sebi upa rep.
Iz knjige Susreti sa umjetnicima, 1977, Jevto Milovi
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Liaj, 1969
Autumn on Lake
ulje na platnu / oil on canvas
Lichen
ulje na platnu / oil on canvas, 50 x 40 cm
vlasnik / owner Narodni muzej Crne Gore, Cetinje
in his subconsciousness and which he started to solve from time to time, only to suppress it again, leaving it
to mature until a spark was ignited to illuminate a new possibility of expression. How his last creative stage
emerged can best be seen through a few paintings with the rooster as his favourite motif. In an interview, Priji
himself said that possibly his favourite painting was "Red Rooster", painted and displayed in aak in 1966. In
this painting I achieved a result which opened a new road to me. It is a pastel painting, but a relief one, which
I later applied in oil technique The new road is seen in The Rooster from 1968 and other more completed
variants from 1972. Painting this unusual artistic motif, this temperamental animal, equally impressive in life
itself with its picturesque and expressive nature, he created multiple meanings of this symbolical phenomenon
by layers of bright colours. In another variant, he devoted greater attention to the composition itself, so particularly prominent here are the strength of the clouds and the harmony of movements. Tatjana Pejovi rightfully
points out that "The Rooster" beams with the freshness of clean colour, thus reminding us of totally different
techniques glazed ceramics and enamel. Thick layers of paint, humorous and imaginative drawing, make this
painting enchant the viewer with its spontaneity and persuasiveness
Working on this motif for several years, Priji gained a stable insight into the new possibilities of artistic expression through a practical modification of a manuscript, possibilities which suited well the artists eternal desire to make a stone become a live collocutor of the viewer. Thus, more and more often, he boldly painted some
earlier, more classically presented motifs, particularly landscapes, in a new way, and this new manner of painting gradually took over, thus opening the turbulent last creative stage of Prijis art. Speaking of some of these paintings created in Titograd, or actually its environs, towards the end of 1060s, on the occasion of Priji's
exhibition in Novi Sad in 1970, Slobodan Sanader points out nicely:
"On a lightly painted surface of a certain tonality, with large additions of paint, in the construction of a drawing
Priji achieves plasticity of the image. In this way a landscape begins to live, revealing the direct experience of
the artist. The plasticity of the image has an odd inner rhythm which appears very effective. While in the paintings "Gray Nuns", "Pinto Horses Hooves" or "Red Landscape", we feel the presence of dramatic accents, in the
"Old Olive" a surreal vision, in the "White Rock" and "Black Rock" we feel an intimate lyrical and poetic note ..."
The last decade of his life Priji spent in Herceg-Novi. The profound impact of nature on his painting now became especially prominent. The mysterious, predominantly ultramarine colouring the sky and the sea, in contrast with the stone and mountains on the coast, prompted him to develop a highly individual painting style.
21
Prevlaka, 1981
Prevlaka
ulje na platnu / oil on canvas
Vra, 1981
Fishing trap
ulje na platnu /
oil on canvas
Posljednju deceniju ivota Priji provodi u Herceg Novom. Duboki uticaj prirode na njegovo slikarstvo sada
dolazi do posebnog izraaja. Tajnoviti, preteno ultramarinski kolorit neba i mora, kontrast koji sa njima ini
kamenjar i planine na obalama, podstiu ga da izgradi osoben slikarski rukopis. Bira izrazite boje, ali ih vie ne
nijansira nego nanosi u debelom reljefnom sloju, postiui time specifian izraajni efekat. Mijenja i boju sunca da bi istakao mogunost nadrealnog osvjetljenja izvanredno pitoresknog realnog pejzaa kao motiva. Ovo je
najoriginalnija Prijieva faza koja naglaava trajnu i bujnu vitalnost njegovog dara.
I ova faza zadrava tematsko i koloritno jedinstvo sa ranijim ostvarenjima. Zadravajui intenzivni i bogati
kolorit svojih pastela mrka, karmin crvena, topla uta dopunjava ga primorskim tonalitetom snane plave
boje. Gustim reljefnim nanosima ostvaruje dramatian, uznemirujui efekat. Karakteristike ranijeg slikanja
pejzaa osvjeava delikatnim rezbarenjem u toj slojevitoj masi boje. Pejzai postaju slini sa neobinim gravirama, bolje rei, duborezima. U snanim kontrastima bojenih povrina postie svojevrsni apstraktni izraz
realnog pejzaa. Pod mrkim ili sasvim bijelim suncem drukije izgledaju predjeli i predmeti. Svoja snovienja Priji pretvara u slike.
Rakovi, 1973
Crabs
ulje na platnu / oil on canvas
Vjeita elja da shvati i izrazi mijene kamenog tla pod sunanim crnogorskim nebom, odvela je Prijia u produhovljeno istraivanje odnosa svjetlosti i tla, mijena spektra u dodiru s kamenom. Primorje sa kamenitim zaleem u godinama njegove pune ivotne i umjetnike zrelosti pokazalo se kao najbogatiji poligon za takva
stvaralaka istraivanja. I Priji neumorno slika plave Kamenice u sivom kamenjaru koji blijeti od jare, otre
linije dodira kompaktnih oker povrina reljefno i kompoziciono izrazitih Plaa u dodiru sa stabilnim plavetnilom mora, sa
nebom koje se rasplinjava u svjetlosti. I konano slika svoja raznobojna Sunca koja objedinjavaju ta saznanja u velianstvene panorame Prijievog duhovnog i umjetnikog stapanja sa
crnogorskim pejzaom.
O svojim upornim traganjima za najboljim oslikavanjem kamena
on sam smireno kae: Ja sam uvijek elio da na neki nain razrijeim pitanje crtea kamena. Poslije dugog vremena shvatio sam
da taj crte i ne postoji. Oblik i formu kamena u crnogorskom
pejzau odreuje sunce. Zato i imate u raznim dobima dana, jednom, najobinije kulise brda, a moda, dva sata kasnije, najveliasnije gromade tih istih naoko kulisa. Ugao sunevog zraka
je pao pod drugim uglom i izmijenio sav pejza, a to je kamen...
22
He opted for distinct colours, but instead of tinting them like before, he now applied them in thick, relief-like
layers, thus producing a specific expressive effect. He changed even the colour of the sun to emphasize the possibility of surreal illumination of a magnificently picturesque real landscape as a motif. This is the most original stage in Prijis work emphasizing the lasting and luxuriant vitality of his gift.
This stage also preserved the thematic and colour unity with what had been previously created. Thus, Priji used
his experience and built upon it. Maintaining the intense and rich colouring of his pastels brownish, carmine
red and warm yellow, he extended it with the seaside tonality of the strong blue colour. With the thick, relief-like layers, he achieved a dramatic, disturbing effect. The features of his earlier landscapes he refreshed with delicate carving in the thick layers of paint. Landscapes started to resemble unusual engravings. In striking contrasts of coloured surfaces, he achieved a specific abstract expression of a real landscape. Under the brown or
quite white sun, the sceneries or objects look differently. Priji converted his visions into images.
His ever-lasting desire to understand and express the changes of the stony ground under the sunny Montenegrin sky led Priji to the spiritual exploration of relations between light and the ground, the changes of the
spectrum in contact with stone. In the years of his full personal and artistic maturity, the coast with the stony
hinterland proved to be the most fruitful ground for such creative research. Priji tirelessly painted blue "Water
Holes" in the gray stones blazing in the heat, sharp lines of contact between the compact ochre surfaces and the
compositionally marked Beaches in contact with the stable blue colour of the sea, with the sky melting away
in the light. Finally, he painted his colourful Suns" uniting the insights into magnificent panoramas of Prijis
spiritual and artistic merging with the Montenegrin landscape.
With reference to his persistent explorations of the ways how to best depict stone, Priji calmly said, "Ive always
wanted to somehow resolve the issue of drawing stone. After a long time Ive realized that such drawing doesnt
exist. The shape and the form of stone in the Montenegrin landscape are determined by the sun. This is why at
one moment during the day you see unusual backdrops of hills, and two hours later, perhaps, the most magnificent boulders of the same backdrops. The sun rays fall under a different angle changing the entire landscape,
and this is stone.
Prijis exploration of stone and its meanings led the poet Boko Puonji to state that the painter lived with
stone with the inexhaustible gray, with the fruit pomegranate and its fiery colour, and the Sun which changes everything. In mastering the surging force of stone, the pomegranate magically rises towards the sky. The
straightening, the striving, now straight and now meandering, is a response to the mage hovering over the landscape, the Sun over the stone.
Buldog, 1973
The Sun is the third symbol, an unavoidable detail in Aleksandar Prijis paintings, in the land fruit Sun triangle, that is stone life light. Between the grayness of stone and the fiery sun disc over the scenery, life drama takes place, the bursting of ripe fruits, turbulent seasons. In that gray, ashy,
Bulldog
ulje na platnu /
oil on canvas, 76 x 76 cm
monotonous stone with the Sun watching it; white in one moment, yellow, green
or red in the other. Even black.
Both as a man, and especially as an artist, Aco Priji was an exceptionally communicative person, ready for encounters and talks, for journeys and friendships. Both
as a painter and an office-bearer of the organization of fine artists, he had time for
everything. He displayed his works in almost all places around Montenegro in
factory clubs, newly-opened gallery spaces he advocated, group exhibitions. For
him it was always important to directly promote artistic life and development. He
displayed his works and attended exhibitions in all parts of Yugoslavia: Belgrade,
aak, Ljubljana and Maribor, Zagreb and Split, Skoplje and Ohrid, Novi Sad and
Vrbas, Pritina and Prizren, Sarajevo and Tuzla. He always found time for hobnobbing, discussing and drinking with his colleagues; he was always welcomed warmly, entertained and remembered, just like he welcomed and entertained others
23
Aco Priji je kao ovjek i kao stvaralac bio izuzetno komunikativan. Spreman za susrete
i razgovore, za putovanja i druenja. I kao slikar i kao funkcioner organizacije likovnih
umjetnika stizao je svuda. Izlagao je u bezmalo svakom mjestu Crne Gore u fabrikim
klubovima, novootvorenim galerijskim prostorima za koje se zalagao, na kolektivnim
izlobama. Za njega je uvijek bilo vano neposredno podsticati umjetniki ivot i razvoj.
Izlagao je i odlazio na izlobe u sve krajeve Jugoslavije. U Beograd, aak, Ljubljanu i
Maribor, Zagreb i Split, Skoplje i Ohrid, Novi Sad i Vrbas, Pritinu i Prizren, Sarajevo i
Tuzlu. Svugdje je stizao da druguje, raspravlja i pije s kolegama, svugdje su ga doekivali i pamtili, ba kao to je i on njih doekivao i zabavljao u Titogradu i Herceg Novom.
Za njega s dubokim pijetetom slikar Vojo Stani kae: Aco je bio veliki umjetnik, veliki
radnik i veliki prijatelj. Bio je boem i kavaljer, snano prisutan u ivotu nae generacije.
Lijepo je kad u ovim vremenima surevnjivosti i samohvalisanja to iskreno kae umjetnik
za umjetnika, ali je neophodno i znati da je to zaslueno, jer je Aco imao izuzetno portvovan odnos prema kolegama. Uvijek se zalagao za bolji status mladih, pomagao starijima i
bio je spreman, to se kae, da bukvalno podmetne lea, pa i kad je i sam bio bolestan.
Tako je zasluan za sve velike izlobe Petra Lubarde u Crnoj Gori. Za Vukovieva izlaganja, osjeao se odgovornijim od Luke Tomanovia iako su obojica bili bolesni tokom
organizovanja njegove velike izlobe u Beogradu. Otuda njegova svestrana omiljenost,
razumijevanje kod svih za njegovu plahovitost, emotivnost.
O crnogorskim slikarima malo se pisalo van Crne Gore. Nekako se optimalno priznavalo
da su inspirisani podnebljem, da su individualisti, matoviti i slino, ali se rijetko prilikom izlobi irom Jugoslavije ulazilo u dublju analizu njihovih motiva, slikarskog postupka, u situiranje njihovog djela u iri kreativni milje. Najdue i najee se pisalo ba
o Prijiu. Tako je o njegovom djelu, povodom izlobe u Beogradu 1974. godine, likovni
kritiar Pavle Vasi napisao: U sutini, Priji je ekspresionistiki temperament kome lee
robustni oblici na slian nain kao i intenzivna koloristika nota. Ovo obeleje osobito se
manifestovalo u slikama posljednjih godina, kada je faktura postala gusta i teka, suta
antiteza lakoi i neposrednosti. Dajui prvenstveni znaaj reljefu
fakture Priji nije zaboravio ni ulogu kolorita iji je intenzitet takoe naglasio u svojim predelima, odvajajui otro slikane povrine
jedne od drugih, insistirajui na formi kao vanoj osobini svoga
stila vie nego na valerskim razlikama. U svojim posljednjim slikama Priji se opredelio za jedan masivan i opor izraz inspirisan
crnogorskim predelom i otrim oblicima njegovog kra.
Sam Priji volio je objanjavati svoja interesovanja, svoje slikarstvo, ljubav prema njemu, ali nikad nije bio samohvalisav, nije rangirao svoje djelo, suprostavljao ga drugima. U mnogobrojnim intervjuima objavljenim u mnotvu asopisa i listova bio je izuzetno
zanimljiv sagovornik mnogima: Jeftu Miloviu, Ziri Adamoviu,
24
in Titograd and Herceg-Novi. With deep respect, Vojo Stani says, "Aco was a great artist,
a hard worker and a great friend. He was a bohemian and a proper gentleman, strongly
present in the life of our generation". In these times of invidiousness and self-praise, it is
nice to hear such words uttered sincerely by an artist about an artist, but it is necessary to
know that this was entirely deserved, since Aco was an exceptionally unselfish and devoted
colleague. He always advocated for improved status of the young. He helped older colleagues and was literally ready to "put his shoulder to the wheel", even when he himself was
ill or under pressure. Thus, he was responsible for all great exhibitions of Petar Lubardas
works in Montenegro. For Vukovis displays, he considered himself more responsible
than Luka Tomanovi, although they were both ill during his large exhibition in Belgrade. Hence his widespread popularity, and understanding for his impetuosity, emotiveness.
Outside Montenegro not much was written about Montenegrin painters. Optimally, it
was recognized that they were inspired by their land, that they had their individuality,
imaginativeness and the like, but during their exhibitions around Yugoslavia rarely were
their motifs or painting procedures thoroughly analysed or their work placed in a broader creative context. However, Priji was the one they wrote about more often and more
extensively. Thus, in 1974, in his very concise style, Pavle Vasi noted down the following
about Prijis work: "Essentially, Priji is an expressionist temperament comfortable with
robust forms just like with an intense colourist note. This characteristic is particularly
visible in paintings created over the past few years, when the facture became thick and
heavy, an exact antithesis of lightness and directness. Despite giving precedence to the
relief of the facture, Priji did not forget the role of colouring, whose intensity is also
emphasized in his landscapes, separating the painted surfaces sharply one from the other,
insisting on the form as an important characteristic of his style more than on differences
in value. In his latest paintings, Priji opted for a massive and bitter expression inspired
by the Montenegrin scenery and sharp forms of its stone".
Priji himself liked to explain his own interests, his painting and his love of it, but he was
never prone to self-praise, never ranked his work or confronted it with the others. In a
multitude of interviews published in various magazines and papers, he was an exceptionally interesting interviewee to many: Jefto Milovi, Zira Adamovi, Slobodan Markovi,
Vasko Ivanovi, Boko Puonji, Petar etkovi... He did not try to evade any questions,
either of social life, or the position of art and artists, or painting. As the winner of the
AVNOJ award in 1973, he talked to Vasko Ivanovi. Here are some answers typical of his
approach: "Youve showed suns in the exhibition: yellow, red, green, blue, black. One sun
seems to be not enough for you? A folk song speaks of two suns: yellow and white. They
are the sun and the moon at dawn. And I wished to find out what the scenery, the soil,
plants and people would look like under the differently-coloured sun. And what did you
learn? Certainly the most interesting and the most dramatic is what we see under the
black sun. Under its rays everything petty and banal disappears: only the peaks remain,
mighty riverbeds and huge trees. But a man cant stand it. A man cant live without his
daily routine, without rest, without banality, without small joys, without postcards, finally.
And he is right. Let it be as it is. I withdraw my black sun. Borders? No! Painting has
no borders, except the ones found in the painter himself. For example, the greatest thing
in Montenegrin painting is what is inspired by Montenegro and what at the same time
has far surpassed it. Only art can forget about the national borders, neglect the national
considerations, without being offensive to the people and the nation. It can be in honour
of the people and the nation whose artist has surpassed their borders".
Portreti, 1974 (kadrovi)
Because of his openness and explicitness, because of his sharp perception, he was much
"asked" and frequently "quoted".
Portraits (frames)
autor / author: Milan Topolovaki
proizvodnja / production: RT Beograd
25
Slobodanu Markoviu, Vasku Ivanoviu, Boku Puonjiu, Petru etkoviu... Nije bjeao
ni od jednog pitanja ni o drutvenom ivotu, ni o poloaju umjetnosti i umjetnika, ni o
slikarstvu. Kao dobitnik nagrade AVNOJ-a 1973. razgovarao je sa Vaskom Ivanoviem.
Evo nekih odgovora karakteristinih za njegov pristup: Na izlobi ste pokazali sunca:
uta, crvena, zelena, plava, crna. Vama kao da je malo jedno sunce? U jednoj narodnoj pjesmi se govori o dva sunca: utom i bijelom. Radi se o suncu i mjesecu u zoru. A ja
sam elio da doznam, kako bi predio, zemlje, biljke i ljudi izgledali pod suncem koje ne
bi bilo uvijek iste boje.I ta ste doznali? Najzanimljivije, najdramatinije je svakako, ono to se vidi pod crnim suncem. Pod njegovim zracima nestane sve sitno, banalno: ostaju samo vrhovi, korita monih rijeka i ogromno drvee. Ali, ovjek to ne moe da
podnese. ovjek ne moe da ivi bez svoje svakidanjice, bez odmora, bez banalnosti,
bez sitnih srea i radosti, bez razglednica, konano. I ima pravo. Neka, dakle, ostane kako jeste. Povlaim svoje crno sunce. Granice? Ne! Slikarstvo nema granica, osim onih
u slikaru. Najvee, na primjer, u crnogorskom slikarstvu je ono to je inspirisano Crnom
Gorom pa je daleko prevazilo. Jedino umjetnost moe da prenebregne nacionalne granice, zanemari nacionalne obzire a da to ne bude uvredljivo za narod i naciju. Da bude u
slavu naroda i nacije iji je umjetnik prevaziao te granice.
Zbog takve njegove otvorenosti i doreenosti, zbog otrine zapaanja, bio je i mnogo zapitkivan i esto citiran.
Aleksandar Priji je bio izuzetno angaovani kulturni i drutveno-politiki radnik od najranije mladosti do kraja ivota. Uvijek je bio spreman da pokrene i pomogne neku akciju,
da podri osnivanje novog salona, galerije, odravanje neke likovne manifestacije, otvaranje ateljea, da kae svoju rije o aktuelnom dogaaju, drutvenoj pojavi. Eruptivan pri
tom, ali i drutveno odgovoran, on ulogu umjetnika u drutvu vidi i u odgovornosti i dugu prema kulturnom i optem razvitku naroda. Njegova angaovanost je u tom smislu
bila i jeste obimna i zapaena. Za Prijia je to znailo da prihvati likovnu obradu knjige,
i to krajnje savjesno i inventivno (Crna Gora 19411945,Njego u slici i rijei i druge); da se zaloi u organizaciji raznih kulturnih i istorijskih proslava i doprinese to boljoj i kulturnijoj, prije svega, likovnoj opremljenosti prostora. Znailo je da progovori na
Sa dodjele trinaestojulske nagrade don Niku
strunim i politikim skupovima o problemima likovne umjetnosti i kulture uopte, proLukoviu (lijevo) sa Veljkom Milatoviem (u sredini)
govori otvoreno, neposredno, strasno, predlaui rjeenja i prihvatajui dio posla. Tako
With Veljko Milatovi (middle) at The Ceremony of
The 13th July Award given to Don Niko Lukovi (left)
se teko bolestan i iscrpljen, posljednjih godina ivota u Herceg Novom, borio za bru i
adekvatniju obnovu spomenika kulture stradalih u zemljotresu 1979. godine. Prihvatao
se svakog konkretnog posla, beskompromisno insistirao na kvalitetnom i odgovornom radu.
Na ruku sa Josipom Brozom Titom, Igalo, 1975
At the lunch with Josip Broz Tito, Igalo, 1975
Uvijek zainteresovan za novo, za dinaminiji kulturni ivot u cjelini, Priji je neprekidno bio angaovan i u radu ULUCG-a na organizovanju raznih izlobi i kulturnih akcija. Meu prvima se opredjeljuje i za ukljuivanje
u kreativne grupe. Bio je lan grupe Samostalni u Beogradu, a kasnije jedan od trojice u grupi Trojica sa
Berkuljanom i Filipoviem. Njihove izlobe su bile znaajan doprinos modernizovanju likovnih manifestacija
u Crnoj Gori.
Dananji likovni ivot u Crnoj Gori ne bi se mogao zamisliti bez organizatorske, pokretake aktivnosti neumornog, izuzetno vitalnog i pronicljivog, kreativnog, radoznalog, boemski razbaruenog, no upornog, radnog i
irokogrudog Aleksandra Prijia.
Slikarstvo Aca Prijia je, moe se to rei na kraju njegovog stvaralakog vijeka, zaokrugljena cjelina, dosljedno
u inspiraciji Crnom Gorom, dosljedno i u neprekidnom kreativnom kompariranju sa strujanjima u svijetu, stabilno u odnosu prema modernom, od ega je prihvatio samo ono to je odgovaralo njegovom likovnom temperamentu i duhu njegovog dara. Njegovo djelo zanatski je vrlo raznovrsno ulja, tempere, pasteli, akvareli; motivski raznorodno ponajvie pejzai, panorame i manje cjeline, ali i figuralne kompozicije, vizije ratnih uasa,
26
Aleksandar Priji was an exceptionally engaged cultural, social and political worker from the earliest youth to
the end of his life. He was always ready to initiate and support action, to help the foundation of a new salon,
gallery, atelier, art event, to express his views on a current event or a social phenomenon. Explosive, but at the
same time socially responsible, he saw the role of artists in society in their responsibility and their duty towards the cultural and general development of the people. His engagement in this sense was and is extensive and
noted. For Priji, this meant accepting to make a design for a book, extremely conscientiously and inventively
("Montenegro 1941-1945", "Njego in words and pictures" and others); actively supporting organization of various cultural and historical events and contributing to the overall cultural, primarily artistic design of the space. It meant bringing up issues of fine art and culture in professional and political gatherings, voicing his opinions openly, directly and passionately, proposing solutions and taking on part of the responsibilities. Thus,
towards the end of his life in Herceg-Novi, severely ill and exhausted, with the last strength Priji fought for a
faster and more suitable reconstruction of cultural monuments affected in the 1979 earthquake. He took on all
concrete responsibilities, uncompromisingly insisting on high-quality and conscientious work.
Always interested in the new, in a generally more dynamic cultural life, Priji was continuously involved in the
work of the Association of Fine Artists of Montenegro and their organization of various exhibitions and cultural
actions. He was also among the first to get involved in the work of creative groups. He was a member of "The
Independent" group in Belgrade, and later one of the three members of "The Three" group with Berkuljan and
Filipovi. Their exhibitions made a significant contribution to the modernization of fine art events in Montenegro. More exhibitions meant steadier and more qualified audience.
Todays art life in Montenegro could not be imagined without the initiative and the driving force of the tireless, exceptionally vital, intellectually penetrating, creative, curious, dishevelled in a bohemian manner, but also
persistent, hard-working and broad-minded Aleksandar Priji.
At the end of Aco Prijis creative life, we may say that his painting makes a unified whole, consistent in its inspiration derived from Montenegro, consistent in its incessant creative comparisons with the trends in the world,
stable in relation to the modern, from which the artist accepted only what really suited his artistic temperament
and the spirit of his gift. His work shows variety in craft oil, tempera, pastel, water colours, as well as in motifs mostly landscapes, panoramas and smaller units, but also figural compositions, visions of the horrors of
war, portraits, interiors, studies of the ground, lichen, fruit, baskets, roots, arabesques, details converted into abstract compositions. The facture varies from strictly classical to the jjagged,
gg
thick ones in the Informel style.
y
Then there is a wide range of colours, differently tinted and combined,
ed, arranged harmoniously or
in contrast. Prijis rich artistic environment is joined by a luxuriant artistic temperament, explosive, impatient, often carried away with vibrant impressions,
sions,
briskly observant. Priji was always eager to try out a newly-spotted
d
possibility, never fully discarding cautiousness preventing creation
from slipping into pure experimenting. A large number of Prijis
contemporaries in Montenegro adopted the same approach to painting; in this context, Priji pointed out, "Some would claim that we
arent avant-garde enough. That might be good, as we must skip no
o
stage. The middle generation of Montenegrin painters had to make
up for what was missing in our painting. However, the new generation catches up with everything and fully fits in with the latest
modern trends in fine arts". Still, it is worth stressing that, strictly
speaking, Prijis work also fits in well with the modern trends by
the very nature of his gift and his essential preoccupations, by the
sincerity of his inspiration and his enquiring mind
portreti, enterijeri, studije tla, liajevi, plodovi, vre, korijeni, arabeske, detalji prerasli u apstraktne kompozicije. Faktura njegovih
slika je promjenljiva od strogo klasine do enformelski razuene,
reljefno guste. Takoe, iroki spektar boja, razliito iznijansiranih
i kombinovanih, sloenih u harmoninom ili, pak, kontrastnom odnosu, jedna je od sutinskih karakteristika njegovog slikarstva. Taj
bogati likovni ambijent Prijiev, objedinjen je bujnim slikarskim
temperamentom, eruptivnim, nestrpljivim, esto ponesen vibrantnim impresijama, ustro opservativnim. Priji je uvijek oran da
isproba uoenu likovnu mogunost, ne potiskujui nikada sasvim
opreznost koja brani kreaciju od golog eksperimentisanja. Slino
su slikarstvu u Crnoj Gori prilazili i mnogi Prijievi savremenici, zato on u vezi s tim istie: Nekima se ini da nijesmo dovoljno
avangardni. Moda je to i dobro, jer se ne smije preskoiti nijedna
faza. Srednja generacija crnogorskih slikara morala je da nadoknadi ono ega u naem slikarstvu nije bilo. Meutim, generacija
koja dolazi stie sve i sasvim se uklapa u najmodernija strujanja
u likovnoj umjetnosti. Ipak, vano jenaglasiti da se u strogom izboru i Prijievo djelo sasvim uklapa u moderna strujanja, prema
prirodi njegovog dara i sutinskim preokupacijama, iskrenou
inspiracije i tragalakim duhom
28
Reprodukcije
reproductions
30
31
32
inon, 1952
inon
ulje na platnu / oil on canvas, 80 x 74 cm
vlasnik / owner Hotel Crna Gora, Podgorica
Masline, 1949
Olive trees
ulje na kartonu /
oil on cardboard
33
34
35
36
37
Titograd, 1949
Titograd
pastel na papiru / pastel on paper, 71 x 46 cm
vlasnik / owner Narodni muzej Crne Gore, Cetinje
39
Kotor, 1951
Kotor
pastel na kartonu / pastel on cardboard
40 25 cm
vlasnik / owner Narodni muzej
Crne Gore, Cetinje
40
Masline, 1951
Olive Trees
ulje na platnu / oil on canvas
169 109 cm
vlasnik / owner Narodni muzej
Crne Gore, Cetinje
41
Cetinje, 1953
Cetinje
ulje na kartonu / oil on cardboard
100 70 cm
vlasnik / owner Narodni muzej Crne Gore, Cetinje
42
Pejza
Landscape
ulje na lesonitu / oil on masonite
45,5 64 cm
vlasnik / owner Narodni muzej Crne Gore, Cetinje
Cetinje, 1953
Cetinje
ulje na platnu / oil on canvas
168 88,5 cm
vlasnik / owner Vila Gorica, Podgorica
43
44
45
46
47
Tikve, 1960
Gourd
pastel / pastel
Make, 1954
Dead chicken
ulje / oil
Cats
ulje na platnu / oil on canvas
Rode
Storcks
Idila, 1957
Idyll
ulje / oil
K io durmitorac, 1946
Kio from Durmitor mountain
ulje / oil
Hobotnica, 1960
Octopus
ulje / oil
Sava, 1960
Sava
ulje na platnu / oil on canvas
Autoportret, 1954
Smokva, 1958
Ribari, 1946
Trenje, 1956
Selfportrait
pastel / pastel
Fig
ulje / oil
Fishermen
ulje / oil
Cherries
ulje / oil
48
Akt, 1954
Nude
pastel na papiru / pastel on paper
40 x 58 cm
Akt, 1953
Nude
pastel na platnu / pastel on canvas
50 x 40 cm
49
Autoportret, 1954
Selfportrait
pastel na papiru / pastel on paper
40 x 50 cm
50
51
52
Nena, 1954
Nena
pastel na papiru / pastel on paper
29 x 39 cm
Nena, 1956
Nena
ulje na lesonitu / oil on masonite
30 x 69 cm
53
Jastog, 1954
Lobster
ulje na kartonu / oil on cardboard, 94,4 x 39,8 cm
vlasnik / owner Narodni muzej Crne Gore, Cetinje
54
55
56
Crmnica, 1966
Crmnica
pastel na papiru / pastel on paper, 55 x 65 cm
vlasnik / owner Nacionalna galerija Makedonije, Skoplje
57
Maslina, 1954
Olive tree
ulje na platnu / oil on canvas, 64,5 x 82,5 cm
vlasnik Narodni muzej Crne Gore, Cetinje
58
Titograd, 1956
Titograd
ulje na platnu / oil on canvas, 147 x 67 cm
vlasnik / owner Muzej istorije Jugoslavije, Beograd
Predio, 1956
Landscape
ulje na lesonitu / oil on masonite, 90 x 75,5 cm
vlasnik / owner Narodni muzej Crne Gore, Cetinje
59
60
61
Kamenica, 1958
Water hole
ulje na platnu / oil on canvas
69 x 69 cm
Brda, 1958
Hills
ulje na lesonitu / oil on masonite
98 x 52 cm
62
Masline, 1958
Olive trees
ulje na lesonitu / oil on masonite
84 x 47 cm
vlasnik / owner Narodni muzej
Crne Gore, Cetinje
63
Titograd, 1958
Titograd
ulje na lesonitu / oil on masonite
85 x 85 cm
vlasnik / owner Crnogorsko
narodno pozorite, Podgorica
64
65
66
Cvijee, 1960
Flowers
ulje na platnu /
oil on canvas
30 x 73 cm
67
68
69
70
Kaluerice, 1960
Nuns
ulje na lesonitu / oil on masonite
110 x 47,5 cm
Crmnica, 1962
Crmnica
ulje na lesonitu / oil on masonite
vlasnik / owner Galerija Josip Bepo
Benkovi, Herceg Novi
Virpazar, 1960
Virpazar
ulje na lesonitu / oil on masonite
149 x 67 cm
vlasnik / owner Narodni
muzej Crne Gore, Cetinje
71
Medun, 1961
Medun
ulje na lesonitu / oil on masonite, 90 x 90 cm
vlasnik / owner Muzej Marka Miljanova, Medun
72
73
Karu, 1960
Karu
ulje na lesonitu / oil on masonite, 130 x 108 cm
vlasnik / owner Skuptina Crne Gore, Podgorica
74
75
76
77
78
Vra, 1963
Fishing Trap
ulje na platnu / oil on canvas
100 x 70 cm
79
80
81
Pejza, 1961
Landscape
ulje na kartonu / oil on cardboard
30 x 43 cm
Pejza, 1963
Landscape
ulje na platnu / oil on canvas
82
Liaj, 1963
Lichen
ulje na platnu / oil on canvas
47 x 43 cm
83
Brda, 1961
Hills
tempera / tempera
Stara maslina, 1961
Old olive tree
tempera / tempera
Crmnica, 1963
Crmnica
ulje / oil
Plaa, 1964
Beach
pastel / pastel
Liaj
Lichen
ulje na platnu / oil on canvas
Liaj, 1960
Lichen
ulje / oil
Brda i izmaglice sam radio sa Bukovice koja se nalazi na putu Cetinje Njegui. Godinama sam elio da obradim taj
motiv. Bilo je jesenje doba. Putovao sam za Kotor. U svakoj kotlini izmeu brda bila je izmaglica, koja se zadrava sve
dok sunce ne ovlada. I to udnovato izgleda: u onom plavetnilu jesenjem vidi se gotovo jedna olovna boja brda. Pojavi
se ova bjelina. Javljaju se i kontrasti sasuenog lia duba i one rujevine. Vidite u prvom planu bogatstvo boja, a s druge strane olovna teka brda, siva sa bijelim trakama. Tu sam sliku radio i u ulju.
[Iz knjige Susreti sa umjetnicima, 1977, Jevto Milovi]
Liaj, 1963
Lichen
ulje / oil
Liaj, 196
Lichen
ulje / oil
Koele, 1961
Koele
ulje na lesonitu / oil on masonite
Sva, 1963
Sva
ulje na platnu / oil on canvas
84
Liaj, 1965
Lichen
pastel na lesonitu / pastel on masonite
39,5 x 35,5 cm
85
86
87
88
Sutomore, 1964
Sutomore
pastel na papiru / pastel on paper
89
ipci, 1964
Pomegranates
pastel na platnu / pastel on canvas
40 x 25 cm
90
ipci, 1965
Pomegranates
pastel na platnu / pastel on canvas
90 x 37 cm
ipci, 1964
Pomegranates
pastel na lesonitu / pastel on masonite
40 x 25 cm
91
92
93
94
95
96
Na poziv Doma armije da obradim neku temu iz NOB-a, dugo sam mislio to
da naslikam. Smatrao sam da revolucija i borba ne moraju uvijek da donose
krv i pokolj. Mislio sam da tu ima motiva koji se mogu obraditi i malo lirski,
da budu malo i radosni... Znao sam kako je radio agitator. On je letke bacao,
jer nije imao vremena ni da ih lijepi, ni da ih dijeli....Vjetar je nosio baene
letke. Ljudi su ih nalazili, stavljali u depove i nosili.... uzeo sam originalni
letak iz Muzeja NOB-a. Bio je to poziv Partije na ustanak.....
Iz knjige Susreti sa umjetnicima, 1977, Jevto Milovi
97
98
99
Radio sam abljak. Kad sam prvi put u nj doao, vidio sam da na jednoj
kui pie: 13. juli 1941. Kad sam bacio pogled na tvravu u abljaku, koju
su Crnogorci dva puta osvajali, nikako nijesam mogao shvatiti kako su se
crnogorski junaci popeli u abljak i kako su ga mogli osvojiti. To je uasna
zidina. Da ide ovjek u goste, pa da mu se prue ljestve ozdo, teko bi iziao na
tvravu, a kamoli na ma. Obradio sam tu temu uglobio sam u taj abljaki
pejza, kao sjenke, stare konjanike koji su tuda prolazili i ratovali. Odsjeene
turske glave sam ukomponovao u kamen. Blago sam naznaio na jednoj kui: 13.
juli 1941. To je sjeanje. Kad sam prvi put posjetio abljak zamislio sam ta je
sve prolo kroz taj nesretni grad, kroz njegove kapije, kroz njegove tamnice, kroz
one ruevine. Kad sam se popeo na tvravu, odmah sam zamislio stare atore,
vojske pod abljakom, lake amce na jedrima koji su mogli prii tvravi. Tada
sam doao na ideju da stvorim jednu kompoziciju i stvorio sam je. Uklopio sam
sve gore spomenute elemente u sadanji ambijent i u sadanji pejza.
Iz knjige Susreti sa umjetnicima, 1977, Jevto Milovi
100
101
Mulje, 1966
Shells
ulje na platnu / oil on canvas
46 x 38 cm
Liaji na kamenu,1966
Lichen on Stone
ulje na lesonitu / oil on masonite
78 x 57 cm
102
Korali, 1967
Corals
ulje na platnu / oil on canvas
30 x 60 cm
103
Seka, 1966
Rock
ulje na platnu / oil on canvas
44 x 34 cm
Kaluerice, 1967
Nuns
ulje na platnu / oil on canvas
66 x 22 cm
Brda, 1967
Hills
ulje na platnu / oil on canvas
12,5 x 64,5 cm
104
Oseka, 1969
Ebb Tide
ulje na platnu / oil on canvas
90 x 80 cm
105
Liaj, 1968
Lichen
ulje na lesonitu / oil on masonite
40 x 30 cm
Liajevi, 1968
Lichens
ulje na lesonitu / oil on masonite
32 x 58 cm
Liaj, 1968
Lichen
ulje na lesonitu / oil on masonite
61 x 36 cm
106
107
eljust, 1967
Jaws
ulje na platnu / oil on canvas
52 x 37 cm
Liaj, 1967
Lichen
ulje na lesonitu / oil on masonite
40,5 x 31,5 cm
vlasnik / owner Vojska Crne Gore
108
Seke, 1968
Rocks
ulje na platnu / oil on canvas
75 x 72 cm
109
110
Suton, 1969
Dusk
ulje na platnu / oil on canvas
80 x 80 cm
111
112
Kamenica, 1968
Water Hole
ulje na lesonitu / oil on masonite
80 x 60 cm
113
114
Kaluerice, 1969
Nuns
ulje na platnu / oil on canvas
vlasnik / owner Narodni muzej Crne Gore, Cetinje
115
116
117
Bik, 1975
Bull
ulje na platnu / oil on canvas
100 x 74 cm
Zlatoruni, 1975
Goldenfleesed
ulje na platnu / oil on canvas
91 x 76 cm
vlasnik / owner Gradska galerija, Sombor
118
Bik, 1967
Bull
ulje na platnu / oil on canvas
65 x 45 cm
119
120
Mjeseina, 1971
Moonlight
ulje na platnu / oil on canvas, 105 x 91 cm
vlasnik / owner Galerija Josip Bepo
Benkovi, Herceg Novi
121
Kotobilj, 1974
Kotobilj
ulje na platnu /
oil on canvas
122
123
Liaj, 1973
Lichen
ulje na platnu / oil on canvas
21 x 22 cm
Liaj, 1973
Lichen
ulje na lesonitu / oil on masonite
23 x 17 cm
124
Liaj, 1973
Lichen
ulje na platnu / oil on canvas
20 x 22 cm
125
Usamljenik, 1972
Solitary
ulje na platnu /
oil on canvas
126
Galeb, 1977
Seagull
ulje na platnu / oil on canvas
72 x 87 cm
127
128
Maslina, 1978
Olive Tree
ulje na platnu / oil on canvas
50 x 75 cm
Maslina, 1976
Olive Tree
ulje na platnu / oil on canvas
vlasnik / owner Narodni muzej Crne Gore, Cetinje
129
Kokot, 1975
Rooster
ulje na platnu / oil on canvas
65 x 85 cm
130
Kokot, 1972
Rooster
ulje na platnu / oil on canvas
131
132
Pasovi, 1978
Stripes
ulje na platnu / oil on canvas
72 x 75 cm
vlasnik / owner Narodni
muzej Crne Gore,Cetinje
133
Tratovi, 1978
Tratovi
ulje na platnu / oil on canvas
49 x 72 cm
134
135
Kokot, 1976
Rooster
ulje na platnu / oil on canvas
72 x 77 cm
136
137
Mamula, 1976
Mamula
ulje na platnu / oil on canvas, 143,5 x 98 cm
vlasnik / owner Komercijalna banka, Herceg Novi
138
Suton,1981
Dusk
ulje na platnu / oil on canvas
33 x 23 cm
139
140
141
142
143
Virpazar, 1984
Virpazar
ulje na platnu / oil on canvas
169 x 70 cm
144
145
146
147
Autoportret, 1981
Selfportrait
ulje na platnu / oil on canvas
110 x 85,5 cm
148
Izvodi iz kritika
excerpts from
critical reviews
Priji pokazuje dosta samonikle snage i talenta. Ima jaku slikarsku viziju
i koloristike dispozicije.
Priji shows a great deal of intrinsic strength and talent. He has a powerful painting vision and a colourist disposition.
Poslije rata Priji je kao samorastan talenat, izuzetno ne samo za Crnu Go- after the war, Priji as a home-grown talent, came to the top of artistic creru ve moda i ire, izbio na povrinu umjetnikog stvaranja. Njegov razvoj
bio je bez usiljenosti, preskakanja i vjetakih uspjeha. Preko dvanaest poslijeratnih to grupnih to izlobi sa Udruenjem, on je bio stalno u usponu.
Takav razvoj svojstven je onima koji vjeruju u sebe i zato ne kucaju snobovski na vrata ekstravagantnog, jer im nije potrebna sumnjiva slava izuzetka
po svaku cijenu.//
On je ostao daleko od mutnih strujanja koja pretenduju na naziv modernog i novog, to najee nijesu bila i nee moi da budu jer se iza njih skoro po pravilu krije nedarovitost i neoriginalnost, a Priji je ostao svoj, tanan,
na terenu svojih motiva, u nastojanju da bude, ne prividno nego stvarno
nov i originalan.//
Prva njegova samostalna izloba govori o njegovoj dobroj umjetnikoj
orijentaciji i o priblino ve naenoj mjeri od koje on moda ne bi morao
da se udaljava. Idui putem realizma umjesto bjeanja u pariske umjetnike
komisione, korijenom u svome tlu na bogatim poljima nae epike, istorije,
folklora, u dinamici ivota gdje se sliva najbolje iz prolog i sadanjeg. Priji
e se najprije likovno stabilizirati.
ation in a way exceptional not only for Montenegro. His development was
devoid of constraint, devoid of skipping and articial success. In over twelve
post-war exhibitions, whether group or those with the Association, he experienced a steady growth. Such developmental line is typical of those who believe
in themselves and who, therefore, do not snobbishly knock on the door of the
extravagant, since they do not need dubious fame of exception at any price.
Priji remained far from the shady trends which aspired to be referred to
as modern and new, and which they most often were not and could not be,
since, almost by rule, they concealed a lack of talent and lack of originality;
he preserved his individuality and subtlety in his motifs, striving to be new
and original, not apparently but truly.
His rst solo exhibition shows his good art orientation and generally already found measure from which he might not have to move away. Treading
the road of realism without falling under Parisian artistic inuences, with his
roots in his soil on the rich elds of our epic, history, folklore, in the dynamic of life where the best of the past and the present ows into, Priji will
rst achieve artistic stability.
edo Vukovi, uvodni tekst samostalne izlobe/text from a solo exhibition, Titograd, 1961.
Slikar Priji, armisan kao prevashodni pejzaist
Priji, primarily recognized as a landscape
zaviajnog krevitog reljefa, u kojem se, za aku
painter of his native, rocky land in which the
zemlje, krvavo bori korijen trna, nara ili koeroots of blackthorn, pomegranate or nettle
le, zakoraio je naglo u svijet guralne kompotree ght bitterly for a handful of soil, abruptly
zicije, sa izrazitim nastojanjem da se uglavnom
stepped into the world of gural composition,
okrene temama nae oslobodilake borbe. Tu je
striving to treat the themes of our liberation
lik Save Kovaevia, shvaen u dinaminom, akstruggle: this includes the image of Sava Kotivnom stavu predvodnika koji ne priznaje smrt;
vaevi, depicted in the dynamic and active
Jasikovac strijeljani mladi ljudi u predustaniattitude of the leader who doesnt recognize
kom julskom danu 1941. godine, vezani za kolje,
death; Jasikovac young people executed on
ostali su nepomini da bi potresniji bio ritam i
the pre-insurrectional day in July 1941, tied to
stakes, remain motionless, with the rhythm and
govor njihovih mrtvih ruku, koje su rasle da bi
se prihvatile slobodarske puke; Motanica tri
speech of their dead hands becoming even mopo tri taoca izlaze pred cijevi okupatora, nebo
re soul-stirring hands which have grown to
se nad njima cijepa u naponu srdbe, a narod
get hold of the gun to ght for freedom; Moje prisutan kao nijemi svjedok i izvorite novih
tanica three hostages at a time are held at
ustalaca; ginjenik je ostao na nekom dalekom
gunpoint by the occupier, the sky above them
bojitu na odru je samo njegova odjea, a esplitting in wrath, while people stand as silent
ne, kao da su izronile iz nekog klasinog miwitnesses and a source of new rebels; the dead
ta, oplakuju nevieno mrtvo elo; i nebu stre
soldier remains in a distant battleeld only
spaljene zidine sela Brajia, visoko slobodar- Naslovna strana kataloga sa izlobe
his clothes are on the bier, while women, as if
sko gnijezdo nad morskom puinom, taj prizor u Umjetnikom paviljonu, Titograd, 1961.
emerging from a classical myth, mourn over
Front cover of exhibition catalogue at The Pavilion of Arts,
podsjea na ruevine Starog Bara, samo jedno Titograd, 1961
the unseen dead forehead; the burnt walls of
je mjesto opustoeno vrijeme, a drugo tuinci.
the village of Brajii, the nest of freedom high
Ove teme i njihov jasan i grevit izraz otvaraju novu fazu u Prijievu
up above the offing, the sight reminding of the ruins of Old Bar, only that
slikarstvu. To ne iznenauje poznavaoce njegovog ivotnog puta, jer on
one place was ravaged by time, the other by foreign troops.
je te motive dugo nosio u sebi kao potresan ivotni i umjetniki doivljaj
These themes and their clear and convulsive expression open a new stage
koji nije mogao likovno zaobii i preutati. Ako se na ovim platnima i nain Prijis painting. This doesnt surprise the conosseurs of his life path, since
he carried these motifs in him for a long time as a moving life and artistic expezre slikarev tek zapoeti stvaralaki susret sa gurama boraca i stradalnirience which he could not leave unrecorded and unexpressed in his art. If in
ka, sa njihovim zamasima, izrazom na licu, sa koloritom koji treba i mrtve
these paintings one percieves the artists newly started creative meeting with
da ih oivi, mora se istaknuti da je autor ve pri prvim koracima dosegao
the gures of soldiers and sufferers, with their movements, expressions on their
iste pobjede. Time bi se i moglo rei da je otvoreno novo poglavlje u slifaces, with colouring which needs the dead to revive them, it must be pointed
karstvu Aleksandra Prijia.
out that the author ensured clear victories at the very rst steps. This is why
we can say that a new chapter has been opened in Aleksandar Prijis painting.
Kr je svuda prisutan, reklo bi se da jedino on postoji. Ovu osobinu Stone is everywhere: one would say that it is the only thing that exists. Priji
Priji i kasnije zadrava, ali tretman postaje neto smireniji, dok boje
postaju jae, estije, nestaje sivila. Boje postaju: jake zelene, jake plave,
ponekad iste crvene. Crte, da kaemo, postaje ravniji, donekle gubi
nagle otrine. U stvari, ranije ovo nije bio crte-linija; ovo je bio kontrast
dvaju oblika, od kojih je jedan svijetao, drugi taman. Vremenom slike
postaju vie tamne bez izrazitih svjetlo-tamnih prelaza. Zato se povremeno javlja linija koja odvaja predmete, jer Prijiu je uvijek predmet
sadraj glavni cilj.
preserves this characteristic later, too, but the treatment becomes somewhat
calmer, while colours become more intense and vivid, and the greyness disappears. Colours become: bright green, bright blue, sometimes pure red. Drawing,
we may say, becomes atter, losing sudden sharpnesses to a certain extent. In
fact, at an earlier stage it wasnt a line drawing; it was a contrast between two
forms, one light and the other dark. In time pictures have become darker without prominent light-dark hues. This is why occasionally a line appears which
separates objects, since object is always the goal of the artist, the content.
Milan Topolovaki, predgovor kataloga/preface to the exhibition catalogue, Plavi dvorac, Cetinje, 1969.
Prijieva slikarska paleta, kao u kaleidoskopu, pokree u krug udesni Just like in the kaleidoscope, Prijis palette of painting moves a magic
svet sanja i svet zbilja i u tom folklornom, nacionalnom, crnogorskom kolu
kamenog pejzaa kao da ne stari i kao da ne prolazi nijedna ideja, nijedan
motiv, nijedna imaginacija, nijedna skica, nijedna jedina slikarska misao.
Tragino i dostojanstveno reaju se simboli i epistole tamne i svetle boje,
otre senke i pitome arabeske od neba do mora, od kontineta do puine,
od poetske visine do prkosno-haotinog ponora, od lirskog (plastinog) tona do naturalnog (tamnog) fona. Ima tu i antikog mita i folklornog reminisciranja; ima tu romantiarsko povienih zanosa i realistike objektivne,
adekvatne, analitike.//
Ako je mogue odeliti jednu slikarsku imaginaciju i preokupaciju prisustvom stalnih motiva Prijiu bi se moralo kao kompliment dodati da svakodnevno uiva naklonost muza i da se njegovo slikarsko oko, u ulnom vidokrugu, istee na eksterijer i interijer na duu i zis ktivnog bia koji u
lozofskoj konstelaciji uiva sveobuhvatnost zikog i intelektualnog opserviranja i mogueg asociranja. Sa izvora ovakvih inspiracija Aleksandar Priji
odabira one boje koje su postojane, potencijalne, opteljudske, sinonimine,
alegorine i simboline; on svoj slikarski izraz istee sa mrtve prirode u stravian nebeski mulj, sa staklastoga obraza Skadarskog jezera u arobni svet i
tajne Jadranskog mora sa alegorinim pozivom na borbu zaljuenih kokota
do smiraja kaluerica u zaboravljenom samostanu, sa ojaenih santi meseevih do iskonske patetike kamenica, u nijansiranju koralnih boja do zelenih
maslina, razdraganih igara mora do sunovratnih morskih dubina da bi svoj
ciklus ili svoje slikarske naslee zavrio, u jednom periodu svoga stvaralatva, u jednom umetnikom magnovenju autoportretom, slikarskom vizijom
sopstvenog roenja i sopstvenog pokopa sopstvene tubalice i naricaljke,
sopstvenog opela misli i emocije satkane u tri osnovne boje.
world of dreams and reality in a circle, and in this Montenegrin, national, folk
dance of stone scenery it appears that no idea, no motif, no imagination, no
sketch, not a single painting thought gets old or passes. In a tragic and dignied manner symbols and epistles take turns dark and light colours, sharp
shadows and gentle arabesques from the sky to the sea, from the land to the
offing, from poetic heights to the deantly chaotic abyss, from the lyric (plastic) tone to the natural (dark) tone. Here there are ancient myths and folklore
reminiscences; Romantic exaltations and realistic, objective, suitable analysis
If it is possible to distinguish a painting imagination and preoccupation
with the presence of permanent motifs, we could add to Priji as a compliment that he enjoys the favour of the Muses on a daily basis and that his eye,
in the sensory perspective, extends to the exterior and the interior to the soul and the physis of a ctitious being which in a philosophical constellation
enjoys the comprehensiveness of the physical and intellectual observation
and possible association. From the source of such inspirations, Aleksandar
Priji selects those colours which are steady, potential, universally human,
synonymic, allegorical and symbolic. He extends his artistic expression from
still life to fearful celestial sludge, from the glass-like surface of Lake Skadar
to the magical world and mysteries of the Adriatic Sea, from an allegorical
call to ght by angry roosters to the tranquillity of nuns in a forgotten convent, from the sorrowful craters of the moon to the primordial pathos of water
holes, from the shading of coral colours to green olives, from cheerful plays
of the sea to its abyssal depths nishing his cycle or his painting heritage,
in one period of his artistic creation, by a self-portrait, the painters vision
of his own birth and his own burial his own dirges and laments his own
requiem of thoughts and emotions painted in three basic colours
Milan Marovi, povodom otvaranja izlobe A. Prijia/opening of A. Prijis exhibition, Cetinje, 1969.
To je slikarstvo harmoninog kolorita, posebnog osjeanja ritma i kom- It is painting of harmonious colouring, a special sense of rhythm and compozicije, atmosfere realizovane plastinim masama slikarske forme i suzdrane grake strukture.
To je slikarstvo autentinog likovnog govora, izraenog prirodno i nepo- It is painting of authentic visual language, expressed naturally and disredno harmonijom i snagom.
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Anton Zadrima, povodom 12. samostalne izlobe/on the occasion of the 12th solo exhibition, Cetinje, 1969.
Put koji je poao od Petra Dobrovia, Bijelia, Konjovia, preko Lubarde The road which started from Petar Dobrovi, Bijeli, Konjovi, through Ludolazi do granica savrenoga u uljima Aleksandra Prijia. Ona predstavljaju
na, jugoslovenski izraz ekspresionizma, nadovezan na evropski (sreu se iste
pojedinosti kao kod Emila Noldea, zaputeni pejzai sa uskovitlanim masama
jarkih boja). Ovaj ciklus predstavlja iseak iz celokupnog autorovog stvaralatva. Motivi su primorski: masline, more, vetar, zatim planinsko cvee i peine.
Sve je dato na jedan osoben nain. Dominira oseanje za prirodu, u kome su
valoriteti kolorita dovedeni do punog intenziteta i uravnoteeni na fovistiki
nain. Slika se pretvara u likovnu viziju sveta u kojoj se gube sve vrednosti i
elementi objekta i forme. Gama platna je eklestina, tonaliteti prigueni, forma svedena na osnovne konture oblika, ne istie se jasna granica sfumata. U
aspektu nepravilnih tekih linija i ritmikih povrina vidi se poneki ostatak
realnog sveta, prema kome se nasluuje i odreuje smisao ostalih iskljuivo
plastinih formi. Stara legenda o arevom kopitu dobila je vitalnost i reljefnost kamena, tako da se moe osetiti snaga i suptilnost dela.
barda reaches the borders of perfection in the oil paintings by Aleksandar Priji.
They represent our own, Yugoslav variant of expressionism, which is connected
to the European (the same details are found like in the work of Emil Nolde, uncared-for landscapes with swirling masses of bright colours). This cycle represents an excerpt from the authors entire creative work. Motifs are coastal: olives,
the sea, wind, then mountainous owers and caves. Everything is presented in
a specic manner. A sense of nature dominates, in which the values of the colours are brought to full intensity and balanced in a fauvist manner. The painting turns into an artistic vision of the world in which all values and elements
of the object and form are lost. The gamma of the painting is ecclectic, tonality
muted, form reduced to the basic contours of the shape, without a clear border
of the sfumato. In the aspect of irregular, heavy lines and rhythmic surfaces, a
remnant of the real world is spotted at times, in relation to which the sense of
the remaining, exclusively plastic forms is discerned and determined. The old
legend of the pinto horses hoof gained the vitality and relief quality of stone,
and one can feel the strength and subtlety of the work.
Milo Arsi, iz kataloga za izlobu/from the catalogue to A. Prijis exhibition A. Prijia,Vrbas, 1970.
Osnovno likovno interesovanje Aleksandra Prijia je problem forme Aleksandar Prijis main artistic interest is the problem of form and mai materijala kojima podreuje sve ostale elemente pa nam se ini kao da
je jezero raeno jezerom i kamen kamenom. Snano i nadasve instruktivno, vrsto u fakturi i veoma izraajno u strukturalnom tretmanu, pikturalnost ovih slika izlazi iz domena svakidanjih likovnih opusa stvarajui
nove posebne emocionalne utiske. Boja, podreena fakturi strukturalna
po shvatanju samo prividno nosi u sebi elemente iluzionizma, naprotiv,
podreena materijalu dobija svoju iskonsku vrednost vrednost materijala. Sa druge strane linija, pikturalnog karaktera po izgledu iskljuivo je
konstruktivna po funkciji.
terial to which he subordinates all other elements, making us feel that a lake
is painted with lake and stone with stone. Powerfully and above all instructively, hard in facture and very expressively in the structural treatment, the
picuresqueness of these paintings leaves the domain of everyday artistic
works creating new and special emotional impressions. Colour, subordinate to facture and seen as structural, just seemingly carries the elements of
illusionism, while, subordinate to the material, it gains its primordial value
the value of the material. On the other hand, the line, pictorial in appearance, is exclusively constructive in its function.
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U tom savlaivanju kamene stihije, u nadiranju i prekrivanju kamena, nar In mastering the surging force of stone, the pomegranate magically rises
udesno stremi u nebo. To ispravljanje, stremljenje, as pravo, as krivudavo,
odziv je tom magu to lebdi nad pejzaom, tom Suncu nad kamenom.
Ono, Sunce, je taj trei simbol, taj neizbeni detalj na ovim slikama Aleksandra Prijia, u tom trouglu zemlja plod Sunce, odnosno kamen ivot
svetlost. Izmeu kamene sivoe i tog uarenog Sunevog diska nad predelom, traje ta drama ivota, to rasprskavanje zrelih plodova, traju burna godinja doba. Na tom suvom, pepeljastom, monotonom kamenu nad kojim bdi
Sunce. as belo, as uto, zeleno, crveno. ak i crno.
Moda to Sunce u zenitu znai i zrelo doba slikarstva, zlatno leto stvaralatva, vreme bogate berbe.
towards the sky. The straightening, the striving, now straight and now meandering, is a response to the mage hovering over the landscape, the Sun over
the stone.
The Sun is the third symbol, an unavoidable detail in Aleksandar Prijis
paintings, in the land fruit Sun triangle, that is stone life light. Between the grayness of stone and the ery sun disc over the scenery, life drama
takes place, the bursting of ripe fruits, turbulent seasons. In that gray, ashy,
monotonous stone with the Sun watching it; white in one moment, yellow,
green or red in the other. Even black.
Maybe the Sun in the zenith means a mature stage of painting, the golden age of creation, time of rich harvest.
Sreten Asanovi, na otvaranju retrospektivne izlobe/at the opening of the Retrospective Exhibition, Titograd, 1974.
Dosljedan sredini i tlu iz kojeg je izrastao, slikarstvu kome pripada i ideja- Consistent to the region and soil he grew up in, painting he belongs to
ma ovog vremena i drutva Priji stalno gradi uzlaznom linijom traei nove
mogunosti slika, ali to stalno traganje i istraivanje njegovo istovremeno je
dio jedinstvenog djela bilo da je u pitanju ulje, tempera, pastel ili akvarel,
bilo da su pejzai, ljudi i kamenje, masline i koljevi, ipkovi i mahovina; dio
je onog jedinstva koje kazuje i iskazuje njegovo vrijeme, njegovu angaovanost, slobodu i humanost, njegovu Crnu Goru, njegove ljude, njegovu boju
neba i zemlje. A mi prepoznajemo sebe i nau sliku svijeta
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and the ideas of his time and society, Priji keeps going up the ladder with
his work continually looking for new possibilities in painting. However, his
continuous search and explorations are at the same time part of a unied
work: whether it is oil, tempera, pastel or water colours, whether it is landscapes, people and stones, olives and ridges, pomegranates and moss, they are
part of the unity expressing his time, his active engagement, freedom and
humanity, his Montenegro, his people, his colour of the sky and soil. And we
recognize ourselves and our picture of the world...
U sutini, Priji je ekspresionistiki temperament kome lee robustni Essentially, Priji is an expressionist temperament comfortable with rooblici na slian nain kao i intenzivna koloristika nota. Ovo obeleje osobito se manifestovalo u slikama poslednjih godina, kada je faktura postala
gusta i teka, suta antiteza lakoi i neposrednosti. Dajui prvenstveni znaaj reljefu fakture, Priji nije zaboravio ni ulogu kolorita iji je intenzitet takoe naglasio u svojim predelima, odvajajui otro slikane povrine jedne
od drugih, insistirajui na formi kao vanoj osobini svoga stila vie nego na
valerskim razlikama. U svojim poslednjim slikama Priji se opredelio za jedan masivan i opor izraz inspirisan crnogorskim predelom i otrim oblicima
njegovog kra.
bust forms just like with an intense colourist note. This characteristic is particularly visible in paintings created over the past few years, when the facture became thick and heavy, an exact antithesis of lightness and directness.
Despite giving precedence to the relief of the facture, Priji did not forget
the role of colouring, whose intensity is also emphasized in his landscapes,
separating the painted surfaces sharply one from the other, insisting on the
form as an important characteristic of his style more than on differences in
value. In his latest paintings, Priji opted for a massive and bitter expression inspired by the Montenegrin scenery and sharp forms of its stone.
A neke rei da li tumaiti samo kao nazive slika ili kao deo letopisa o And some words should they be interpreted merely as names of painslikaru? Evo nekih: Crveno brdo, Crvena stijena, Rujevina, ipci. Zatim: Kamenica, Kameni konj, Kamena ptica, Kamena vuica, Kamena
kaluerica. Pa Liaj krasa, Liaj uti, Liaj bijeli, crveni, zeleni. Bijela
stijena, crna, crvena
I Sunce crveno, uto, belo. I Crno sunce.
To govori o neprekidnom dijalogu sa svetlou, govori o aroliji boja, neiscrpnom bogatstvu jednog podneblja, o velikim unutranjim emocijama
slikarevim.//
Priji je slikar koji lako nae motiv svuda oko sebe kud god krene, gde
god oko baci. Ko bi se jo setio da ona udubljenja po kamenim ploama, za
koja dokoni obani izmiljaju prie kako su to tragovi kopita arca Marka
Kraljevia da i to moe biti slikarski motiv? Najnovija ovogodinja slika
Aleksandra Prijia upravo nosi naziv: areva kopita. Ko bi rekao da slikara mogu da izazovu i one brazgotine po kamenjaru koje je kia vekovima
stvarala? Prijiu se uinilo da to ima neeg zajednikog sa onim narodnim
vezom na crnogorskoj nonji. Na tom suvom, surovom kamenu slikar je naao rukopis vremena i preneo ga na slike.
tings or as part of the chronicle of the painter? Some of them are: Red Hill,
Red Rock, Wig Tree, Pomegranates. Then: Water Hole, Stone Horse,
Stone Bird, Stone She-Wolf, Stone Nun. And then Lichen of the Karst,
Yellow Lichen, White, Red, Green Lichen, White, Black, Red Rock...
And The Sun red, yellow, white. And Black Sun.
This speaks of a continuous dialogue with light, of the magic of the colours, inexhaustible wealth of a region, intense inner emotions of the painter
Priji is a painter who easily nds a motif, all around himself wherever he
goes, wherever he looks. Who else would remember that the dents on stone
surfaces, which inspire idle shepherds to make up stories representing them
as traces of the hooves of Marko Kraljevis pinto horse that they, too, could
be a motif for a painter? Prijis latest painting, created this year, bears exactly
this name: Pinto Horses Hooves. Who would tell that a painter might also
be inspired by furrows on the stone created by rain for centuries? Priji felt
that this had something in common with the embroidery on the Montenegrin
national costume. In this dry, harsh stone the painter found the manuscript
of the time and he transferred it onto the paintings.
Prijiev ivot, anegdotski, boemski, imuplsivan, no isto toliko ozbiljan, Prijis life, anecdotal, bohemian, impulsive, but at the same time equally
angaovan pa i surov, satkan i od visokih priznanja i intimnih razoarenja,
imao je svojstva i drai sve one ljudske nesavrenosti, zanosa, ali i nesumnjivih uspona. Nikad nije nastojao stvarati famu o svom slikarstvu, nije navlaio
masku svemonog slikarskog maga kome su sve tajne poznate i dostupne:
bio je ovjek koji je nudio oku publike, bez kompleksa i kalkulacija, svoju
ogoljenu duu slikarsku s njenim vrijednostima i povremenim posrtajima.
serious, engaged and even harsh, composed both of exceptional social recognitions and personal disappointments, had the qualities and charms of
human imperfection and enthusiasm, but also undoubtable rise. He never
tried to create myths about his painting, he never put on a mask of an omnipotent painting mage to whom all the secrets are familiar and accessible:
he was a man who, without any complexes or calculations, offered to the audience his naked soul with its values and occasional faux pas.
Saobrazno karakteristikama epohe kojoj je pripadao, Priji je njegovao sli- In line with the characteristics of the epoch he belonged to, Priji cheriskarstvo intimistike orijentacije iza ije se ledene kore mira i spokojstva krilo
osjeanje nespokoja, strepnje i slutnje, tako da realno i irealno predstavljaju
konstante iz kojih se formiralo osnovno jezgro Prijievog svijeta slike. Kao
mitski lari, on je strpljivo bdio nad toplinom rodnog ognjita dajui mu jednu novu dimenziju oplodnje i sazrijevanja.//
Skadarsko jezero u raznim godinjim dobima i pod uticajem vremenskih nepogoda za Prijia je predstavljalo sudbinsko energetsko jezgro, kao
vizuelno osjetilno izvorite, koje je u njegovom biu podsticalo oivljavanje
lirskog raspoloenja i poetske topline, ali i uticalo na likovno-jeziki karakter njegovog stvaralakog ina. Tada omiljeni rad u pastelu zasnivao se na
valerskim odnosima koji kao na koprena prekrivaju povrinu slike i daju
prostoru sanjarsku i irealnu atmosferu, dok je modelovanje svjetlo-tamnim,
toplim i hladnim tonovima stvaralo skladne cjeline monohromnih sazvuja
(Jesen na jezeru, 1964; Oluja nad jezerom, 1964).//
Slikarstvo Aleksandra Aca Prijia u sebi je kondenzovalo dva svijeta: spoljanji, zasnovan na znanju i iskustvu slikarskog umijea, i unutranji koji se
sluti iza spoljnog privida, iza vidljivih formalnih oblika, znakova, simbola i
metafora koji ponekad egzistiraju kao samostalni motivi (masline, ipak, liaj, kokot...). Vizuelno mimetiko saobraeno intelektualnoj koncepciji slike,
hed intimist painting whose icy crust of peace and tranquillity hid the feeling of anxiety, trepidation and apprehension, so the real and the unreal are
the constants which formed the basic core of Prijis world of painting. Like
mythical Lari, he patiently watched over the warmth of the native land giving it a new dimension of fertilization and maturation
In various seasons and under the inclement weather conditions, to Priji Lake Skadar was a fateful lake of energy, as a visual source of emotions
which stimulated in him the revival of the lyrical mood and poetic warmth,
but which also inuenced the expressive character of his creative act. At that
time his favourite work in pastel was based upon the relations of the value
which, like a ne veil, cover the surface of the painting and give the space a
dreamy and unreal atmosphere, while the modelling in light and dark, warm
and cool tones, created harmonious wholes of monochrome chords (Autumn
at the Lake, 1964; Storm at the Lake, 1964)
The painting of Aleksandar Aco Priji encompassed two worlds in it: the
outer world based upon the knowledge and experience of painting skills
and the inner world anticipated behind the external semblance, behind the
visible formal shapes, signs, symbols and metaphors which sometimes exist
as individual motifs (olives, pomegranate, lichen, rooster...) The visual and
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disciplina i racionalnost u rjeavanju likovnih problema predstavljaju osnovne karakteristike Prijievog stvaralakog senzibiliteta.//
Tenja ka redu, linearni strogo kontrolisani ritmovi, vrstina predmeta,
tradicionalni faktori modelovanja, bogatstvo materije, rasutost u organizaciji
svjetlosti kao na srednjovjekovnim freskama, ukazuju na slikara koji je njegovao formalne elemente modernog klasicizma, ali i umjetnika koji je kroz
raspon koloristike skale od akvarelske prozranosti, preko priguenih tonskih vibracija do sonornog kolorita, zapravo od tonskog do koloristikog slikarstva, atmosferom kontemplativnog mira i recidiva metazikog prostora,
stvorio kompozicije bajkovite snohvatice koja provejava kroz realnost njegovog vizuelnog doivljaja, prije svega kroz pejzae koji predstavljaju okosnicu
njegovog likovnog opusa.
the mimetic harmonized with the intellectual concept of painting, discipline and rationality in the solution of artistic problems represent the main
characteristics of Prijis creative sensibility
A tendency to create order, a linear and strictly controlled rhythm, hard
objects, traditional factors of modelling, richness of the matter, diffusion of light like in mediaeval frescoes they all indicate a painter who cherished formal
elements of modern classicism, but also an artist who, through the range of a
colourist scale from the watercolour translucence through muted tone vibrations
to sonorous colouring, or from tone to colourist painting, with an atmosphere
of contemplative peace and the residue of metaphysical space, created compositions of dreamy fairytale which pervades the reality of his visual experience,
primarily through landscapes which are the skeleton of his artistic oeuvre
Dragutin Vukoti, povodom izlobe u galeriji Most/on the occasion of exhibition in the Most gallery, Podgorica, 1999.
He was curious, sociable and creative and lived an intense but a relatively short life, since he burnt on his own creative ame. He managed to leave behind a capital oeuvre which his family can be proud of and which does
honour to the culture he came from and the art profession he practised
156
was born too late to lear something directly from Aco Priji.
Nowdays, when I was given an honor to design this book, his
work has broadened the meaning od terms I use on daily basis in
design-process. Moreover, since I got pixel-deap insight into Aco's
work, travelling over southern motorways of Montenegro are not
the same for me anymore. It became an exciting voyage through
Aco's palette. These overwhealming landscapes are even dangerous in some parts of the road. However, the thing that has spelled
me the most as a graphic designer is Aco's opus in applied arts,
which strongly contrasts with contemporary computer based sterility and anonimity of design. Rather large collection of posters,
illustrations, book and magazine covers, plaques, diplomas, ensigns, typographic inscriptions and similar artefacts leads to the
conclusion that Aco was a fruitful prop graphic artist (as if his
proffession was called in his time).
The fact that Aco worked in the field of applied arts should not surprise a careful reader of his biography. Namely, Aco has dedicated
157
Plakat, 1949
Poster
sitotampa / silkscreen
158
Political posters
sitotampa / silkscreen
Drutveno
angaovani plakat, 1966
Socialy engaged posters
sitotampa / silkscreen
a big part of life and work to society. Before the war in the underground, and after it
freely and openly, his socio-political acti-
Two-coloured posters,
sitotampa / silkscreen
vism engaged people, initiated associations, fueled discussion... and determined the
same thing in the minds of the public by
applied art assets. The age of great changes
and progress costs a boom, supported by all
means, including graphics and advertising.
Specially first postwar posters reflect a particular engagement. As an idealist fully committed to communist ideas, Aco uses the
common vocabulary of social optimism and
faith in progress. These are majestic scenes, with strong figures of workers, women,
youth, athletes, the disabled and so on. Similarly to clichs of lithographic posters of
the industrial revolution, posters backgrounds are complemented by the factories,
machinery, transmission lines and related
sign elements that suggest state building
and social progress. However, according to
the technique of silkscreen printing, posters
have no half-tones so illustations are posterized in several (often as many as six!) separations. Later works were more simplified,
with fewer plans and illustrative material
taht is more abstracted - these are no longer figures in staged situations, but a simplified combination of symbols, printed in
two to three separations. The fact that Aco
works equally well with more separations
speaks of him as a skilled graphic artist.
Golden Diploma
sitotampa / silkscreen
Newspaper illustration occupies a special place in the oeuvre in Aco's applied art.
These are occasional miniature illustrations,
showing the subject topic, whether it comes
to landscape, social action or the person interviewed. They were published in newspapers
Pobjeda, Naa ena, Politika, Danas, Titov
pionir, etc., and were made in technique of
linocut and ink drawing. These newspapers
Aco illustrates with contrasted and simplified linocut and hatched drawings. The fact
that some newspapers in today's digital era
go back to art illustration tells about its superiority over the photography. This is particularly noticeable in the low quality pressed
newspapers, which Aco skillfully humanisies
with artistic illustration.
Plaketa Zajednice
optina Crne Gore
Plaque of the Community
of Montenegrin Municipalities
Prigodne
znake
Occasional ensigns
Logo Moderne
galerije Titograd
Logo of Modern Gallery Titograd
161
Vrui slog
Hot type-setting
linorez / linocut
Acov monogram
Acos monogram
Portreti u listu
Pobjeda 1951-52
Portraits in newspaper
Pobjeda
Izvodi iz intervjua
excerpts from interviews
O svom obrazovanju
On his education
- When Petar Lubarda came to Cetinje, real work began. I was with him
throughout the period when he ran the Art School. Incessantly. With him,
notions got claried, riddles
r
were more easily solved, and mysteries faster
resolved. Milo Milunov
Milunovi was there too, another great master who's left a lasting mark
ma here. To the rst post-war generation Lubarda and
Milunovi were of immense importance. It is immeasuraMil
ble. Their work here was an introduction to their work in
the well-known master workshops in Belgrade. It seemed
th
tto us, who were with them in that period in Cetinje,
that the concept of their schools was different from
today's schools, they were rather like the renowned
aacademies in ancient Greece: during their work masters
ccontinually talked to their students about everything
t
that
cropped up in various stages of creation. The time spent with Lubarda and Milunovi was priceless for
m
us, especially for me. I worked with continual enthusiaus
a I must say that particularly close to my heart was
sm and
Luba
Lubarda's
attitude to nature, to our own landscape.
I was lucky to have been a student of true teachers and true people. For
how teachers accept a small child in early childhood, how they start teaching
him life, is of tremendous importance. A good old teacher from my early days,
piro Vidovi, was the rst to spot my gift for drawing, drawing unusual forms
of wood, stone and its vegetation, lake and the coast the motifs which attract
me the most even today and which I work on with the greatest pleasure!
I always drew landscapes, portraits. But all of my drawings, which I'd left
at home during the war, were stolen by the Italians. In a camp, in Germany, I
made a huge map of Polish, French and Yugoslav inmates, and on my return
from the German camp to Yugoslavia in 1945, I gave this map of portraits to
the youngest inmate who'd been in Germany with me and who loved me so
much... I said to him: Stevan, keep this in memory of me, I have nothing else
to give you... From the rst days of my incarceration, I kept a diary and drew
in it. After a strike, when Germans were transferring me to a coal mine in
Saxony, in fear I threw my diary from the train into the Mulda river.
O svom slikarstvu
On his painting
Prosvjetni rad, 1954.
It's hard to talk about art trends today, especially if we bear in mind that
all fads are viewed as art trends and labelled as ingenious. In my opinion, if
an artist achieves a result through decades-long work, even if it is certain abstraction, this leads to progress. I can't possibly approve of what some younger artists do today, referring to the skilful emulation of something that has
already been experienced in the West as their own originality or invention.
Luckily, we still don't see that in the Association of Fine Artists of Montenegro.
The shape and the form of stone in the Montenegrin landscape are determined by the sun. This is why at one moment during the day you see unusual backdrops of hills, and two hours later, perhaps, the most magnicent
boulders of the same backdrops. The sun rays fell under a different angle
changing the entire landscape, and this is stone.
Wherever you go you see colour! Montenegro is full of light, and for that
reason colours are particularly strong, and even the Durmitor sky is Mediterranean. Hence so many good painters in Montenegro...
O sebi
On himself
Milo Kralj, Borba, 1976.
Kad bih bio u situaciji da poinjem iznova opet bih tako... Bilo je, naravno, i
povremenih kriza i gorkih trenutaka, ali u cjelini sve je bilo kako je jedino i
moglo da bude i nita nije bilo uzalud. I ono to se ne vidi na platnu u djelu,
itekako je u vezi sa mojim djelom i djelom mojih drugova. Jer nije bilo dovoljno samo slikati, valjalo je i stvoriti uslove za to. Raditi, danas, i kiicom i
rjeju, i inicijativom i akcijom.
If I had a chance to start all over again, I'd do the same... I've had, of course,
occasional crises and bitter moments, but all in all, everything was as it only
could've been and nothing was in vain. Even that which can't be seen in the
work on canvas was certainly linked to my work and the work of my friends.
For it wasn't enough just to paint, it was necessary to create conditions for
that. To work, today, with a brush and a word, with an initiative and action.
O umjetnosti,
kulturnoj politici i umjetnicima
savremenicima
On art,
cultural policy and his
contemporaries
Pobjeda, 6. i 1963.
Ne bih se sada sa istom snagom i zanosom bacio u vrtlog borbe kao na poetku svog slikarskog puta, kada sam bio u dilemi: primiti borbu ili se povui. Pobijedilo je prvo, zbog ega sam, poto sam ostao dosljedan, esto bio u
sukobu i sa sobom i sa ivotom, a i sada sam. Kajanju nema mjesta. Ono bi
mi donijelo jo vei duevni nemir, a ja sam, pravo da kaem, eljan popodnevnog slubenikog odmora kojega na mom putu nema.
I wouldn't hurl myself now into the vortex of struggle with the same strength and enthusiasm I had at the beginning of my painting career, when I
was faced with a dilemma: to embrace the struggle or to withdraw. The former won, and this is why, as I remained consistent, I often found myself in
conict with myself and with life, and I still do. There's no room for regret.
It would bring me even greater mental discomfort, and to be honest, I crave
for afternoon rest, which my path doesn't know.
The rst source of inspiration has a decisive role in the entire oeuvre of
an artist. He may allow himself to go astray, but he always returns to the main road, from which he may again take some tours into the unknown. Such
artists are the only ones I believe in. ....... It's better to make ten paintings able
to endure all criticisms than a thousand paintings unable to do so.
Something contemporary can also be an earlier trend created with a contemporary technique, contemporary means of expression and achievements; contemporary is not just what the majority of people don't understand or accept: it
is also something that is quite clear, only that it is given in a new, modern way.
In painting everything is thematic and engaged, there's nothing unthematic or unengaged, even the purest abstraction is very engaged, just like
realism; it is just that some social groups here made use of the moment in
the 1950s when a struggle for the freedom of creation was waged and started to refer to anything thematic as socialist realism, and anything that had
no full thematic expression as contemporary.
ili svojih domaih. Uostalom, to je i normalno. Njihovu radoznalost i tenju za armacijom ne moemo, kako to neki hoe da prikau, da nazovemo neozbiljnou. Sadanja generacija ne moe da eka deset do petnaest godina do svoje prve izlobe, kako se to nekad ekalo. Ona mora da radi i brzo i odgovorno jer je i tempo naeg ivljenja takav. Svako
ko misli obrnuto, nai e se jednog dana van stroja, jer mladi nadolaze. Drugo je nekad vrijeme bilo kad se u naim velikim centrima nalazilo po nekoliko likovnih stvaralaca, a drugo sada kada ih ima na stotine i to talentovanih... Mladi kao to su Jankovi, Pavlovi, Vujoevi,
Ivanovi, urovi, obeavaju dosta, to su pokazale i njihove izlobe.
generally consists of original explorations and the use of models from their
own country or from abroad. Anyway, this is only natural. Their curiosity and
striving for recognition can't be seen as frivolous, as some would like to present them. The new generation can't wait for ten or fteen years for their rst
exhibition, as it was the case in the past. They must work fast and responsibly
since the pace of life today is fast. Whoever thinks this isn't the case will nd
themselves out of the race, for young people ood in. It was a different story
in the past when there were a few artists in each of our large centres, and it's
different now when there're hundreds of them who are gifted as well... Young
artists such as Jankovi, Pavlovi, Vujoevi, Ivanovi, urovi, promise a lot,
which their exhibitions have shown.
P ozive da svrati u bife, na primjer, slikar Aleksandar Priji je dobijao ovih dana. Prijatelje je uputio
da se ubudue, s tim i ostalim predlozima obraaju preko Bakingamske palate. Priji je, naime,
ovih dana dobio kratko pismo princeze Margarete i lorda Snoudena, u kome ga pozdravljaju kao
svog kraljevskog slikara. U poetku nije izgledalo
da e se to sve tako sreno zavriti, ali kraljevska
velikodunost se ne moe mjeriti ni sa im. Osim,
moda, s tvrdoglavou slikara Prijia. O emu se,
zapravo , radi?
Prilikom posjete princeze Margarete i njenog
mua lorda Snoudena Crnoj Gori, u Budvi su kraljevski brani par upoznali sa slikarom Prijiem.
"Veoma nam je drago, gospodine!" rekli su visoki
It's not our fault, but we lagged behind other peoples in all areas. If I've done
at least a tiny little bit in making up for what we missed in the area of culture, then it is a reward for all my activity and all effort invested. Those who
didn't view things in this way couldn't ght for it either.
... Of course, only here can you see the benet of those who just minded
their own business, and who were even the loudest in criticizing engagement or who criticize it today.
Iz diskusije na Simpozijumu o crnogorskoj kulturi/From a discussion in the Symposium on Montenegrin culture, 1972.
... Znai, na bi osnovni sadanji zadatak na likovnom polju bio obezbjeenje
radnih uslova tim mladim talentima, kojih u odnosu na 1946. godinu kada je
Udruenje zbog broja jedva osnovano, sada, i pored odlaska u druge centre
i republike, imamo etrdeset. Pruajui im taj osnovni uslov, omoguiemo
im jedino na taj nain prodor preko crnogorskih odnosno jugoslovenskih
granica u optu kulturnu riznicu, bez zebnje gdje e se stalno nastaniti, ili
kuda e otii, jer oni e opet biti nai, tu meu nama.
... So, our main task at present in the area of ne arts would be ensuring work
conditions for these young talents, who, compared to 1946 when the Association was founded with difficulty due to their small number, are now forty, despite their departure to other centres and republics. By providing them with this
basic condition, we shall enable them to cross the Montenegrin and Yugoslav
borders into the universal cultural treasure, without worrying about where
they will settle down or where they will go, as they will still be ours, among us.
Ja se ne mogu sloiti sa tim da na spisku kandidata nema imena koja mnogo prije zasluuju da se tu
nau od nekih koja tu jesu, pa i od mojeg. Smatram
da se meni morala dati mogunost da to blagovremeno kaem. Na alost, to nije uinjeno, ni meni ni
mnogim drugim. Da se radilo javno kako je to danas jedino pravedno do tako neoprostivih greaka
ne bi moglo doi. A greke su tim vee to potiu
od uprave ULUCG-a strukovne organizacije koja
je najkompetentnija da se bavi pitanjem likovnog
stvaralatva u nas. A radi se o znaajnom pitanju,
tako vanom za budunost, od kojeg tota zavisi,
pa emo kasnije za to svi snositi odgovornost, a ne
grupa ili pojedinac. Ta okolnost uslovljava najozbiljniji pristup.
Nije se smjelo desiti da se na spisku predloenih
ne nau imena (bez obzira da li su lanovi ULUCG-a
ili ne) Stijovia, Lubarde, Boovia, Filipovia-Fila,
uria, Tomanovia, uranovia i dr. Ispred njih
nikako ne mogu biti neki od predloenih, pa ni ja.
O likovnoj kritici
Ko je taj, pitam se koji ova imena moe da zaobie, pogotovo kada to ne ini iroki forum likovnih stvaralaca.
Akademci Stijovi i Lubarda se moraju nai
na spisku predloenih (njima to nije potrebno, ali
nama to nalau dunost i vaspitanje, a to treba da
nam ini i ast). Zar mi mlai moemo zaobii i
Boovia, osnivaa ULUCG-a i njegovog prvog
predsjednika? Zar moe biti zaobien Tomanovi,
koji pored Stijovia ini stub crnogorske savremene skulpture? Zar moe biti zaobien Filipovi-Filo,
na prvi enformelista, koji je toliko doprinio razvoju
crnogorskog savremenog slikarstva? Zar moe biti
zaobien uranovi koji je po americi ubirao zlatne
medalje jo onda kada se neki od nas predloenih ni
rodili bili nijesmo (da bismo u stvaralatvu stupili
na ve utabani likovni put)?
Smatram da ta imena ne mogu biti zaobiena.
Zato ni predlog o mojoj kandidaturi koji je potekao
od ULUCG-a ne mogu
da prihvatim.
Pobjeda 13 IV-1972.
On art criticism
Milo Kralj, Borba, 1976.
No artist is indifferent to what the critics write about him. But I've always
born in mind the words and advice of Petar Lubarda (my friend of many years), who said that after all, the most important thing was whether the artist
himself knew what he wanted, whether he really believed in what he was doing.
If I was convinced that I was on the way to express what I was truly preoccupied with, if I felt that was what I had to paint, then I couldn't be staggered
by any criticism, or led to a different direction.
Skice, crtei,
grafike, portreti i
karikature
sketches, drawings,
prints, portraits and caricatures
171
172
173
174
Udarnik, 1949
Worker
tu / black ink
Pali, 1946
Fallen
olovka / pencil
175
Boka, 1950
Boka Bay
linorez / linocut
Njegui, 1949
Village of Njegui
linorez / linocut
Iz Boke, 1951
Iz Crmnice,1949
From Crmnica
linorez / linocut
176
Kotor, 1951
Kotor
linorez / linocut
Iz Cetinja,1952
From Cetinje
linorez / linocut
Jajce, 1952
Iz Rima, 1951
Jajce
linorez / linocut
From Rome
linorez / linocut
177
Rekonstrukcija Biljarde,1951
Reconstrucion of Biljarda
tu / black ink
Konji
Horses
tu / black ink
Iz Cetinja, 1952
From Cetinje
olovka / pencil
178
Pazar, 1952
Market
olovka / pencil
K r
Dvorite, 1952
Rock
olovka / pencil
Yard
olovka / pencil
179
Iz Cetinja, 1952
From Cetinje
olovka / pencil
180
Autoportret, 1951
Akt, 1950
Selfportrait
linorez / linocut
Nude
linorez / linocut
Karikature
prijatelja
Caricatures of friends
Milutin
Plamenac
Jovan
Miloevi
Savo
Vujovi
Bato
Pravilovi
Radonja
Veovi
Duan
Kosti
Milo
Vukovi
Petar
Lubarda
181
182
Luka Tomanovi
Cvjetko Lainovi
Slobodan Slovini
Vojo
Stani
Anton
Lukateli
Jedan
od valjanih razloga
to sam ostao u Herceg Novom
petnaestak godina jeste i moje prijateljstvo sa slikarom
Aleksandrom Prijiem, estitim ovjekom, darovitim
slikarom i portvovanom drugarinom.
[Zuko Dumhur]
Savo
Vujovi
Iz lista
Pobjeda
Iz lista
Pobjeda
Ilija
epanovi
Ilija
epanovi
Milo
Vukovi
Momo
Markovi
Paul
Simon
Milo
Vukovi
183
Bibliografija
bibliography
MONOGRAF A / MONOGRAPH
***
SAMOSTALNE IZLOBE /
INDIVIDUAL EXHIBITIONS
PREDGOVORI KATALOGA /
FOREWORDS IN CATALOGUES
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edo Vukovi, Aleksandar Pr i, Dom
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Milan Topolovaki, Aleksandar Pr i,
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Milo Arsi, Aleksandar Pri, Novi Sad,
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Milan Marovi, Aleksandar Pri, Plavi dvorac, Cetinje, 18. X 1. XI; Galera
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Bogdan V. Musovi, Aleksandar Pri (retrospektiva), Galera Josip-Bepo Benkovi, Herceg Novi, decembar januar 1988.
Milan Marovi, Aleksandar Pri (retrospektiva), Galera Most, Moderna galera, Podgorica, jul avgust 1999.
Ljiljana Zekovi, Aleksandar Pri, Zaviajni muzej Vr, maj jun 2001.
184
Olga Perovi, Savremena crnogorska likovna umjetnost, Tivat, 1320. VII 1976,
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120. VIII 1976, Niki, 1220. VIII 1976,
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, VII redovn izlob Udruenj likovnih umjetnik Crne Gore, Biljrd, Cetinje, 1727. V 1952.
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TEKSTOVI ALEKSANDRA PR IA /
TEXTS WRITTEN BY ALEKSANDAR
PR I
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Novinska ilustracija
Newspaper illustration
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Milunovi, Dmonje, Stovi... optin
ne hje, Novosti, 29. IV 1966.
Boko Puonji, Grd bez ljubvi z svoje reke, Politik, 23. VI 1967.
RAZGOVORI S ALEKSANDROM
PR IEM / INTERVIEWS WITH
Moderna galera Titograd, 31. oktobar
ALEKSANDAR PR I
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Mozaik za spomenik
Straice, Pljevlja
Mosaic for Straice
Monument, Pljevlja
Korijenje, 1966
Roots
B o k o P u o n j i / B . P/, U r u e n e
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Korijen, 1966
Root
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Michal Babinka, Vladri samotri, Hlas
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Alek sndr Pr iji izle u Vr bsu,
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Miodrg uki, Djeli Crne Gore u Prizu,
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Zgork Berkuljn /Z.B./, Izlob
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Boko Puonji, Kmen, divlji nr i sunce, Aleksndr Pri pred novom izlobom, pred novim obvezm, Politik,
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Olg Perovi, Aleksndr Pri, Ovdje,
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Ttjn Pejovi, Retrospektiv Aleksndr
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Anton Zdrim /A.Zdrim/, Retrospektiv
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slikr. Nikd likovn publik u Crnoj
Gori ne iml prilike d vidi del tolikog
broj slikr od pozntih i njuvenih
do smoukih umetnik, Politik, 3. III
1973, str. 13.
Mara Pui, to dovodi u pitanje kvalitetu izlobe savremen crnogorska likovna umjetnost u beogradskom Muzeju savremene umetnosti (26. studenog),
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VIII 2003.
Ljiljana Zekovi, Na ivici snova, Pobjeda, 08. XI 2003, str. 3637.
Olga Perovi, Pet prethodnika, povodom desetogodisnjice osnivanja Galere Most, Monitor, 30. IV 2004, str. 60.
Nada Popovi, Bogata porodina kolekca, Prosvetni rad, 12. XII 2005.
Mladen Lompar, Otisak lica kamena, Vijesti, 10. III 2007.
Mladen Lompar, Bore lic i kamena, Monitor, 02. XI 2007, str. 47.
Budo Simonovi, Kra pod skutom police, Dan, 22. II 2009, str.17.
Budo Simonovi, Traili su da budem
pun, Dan, Podgorica, 06. I 2010, str.17.
Bogdan V. Musovi, Neprolazno vreme
slike, Novske novine, jnuar februar
2010, str. 3.
Bogdan V. Musovi, Pjesnik zemlje, Pobjeda, 27. VII 1996. str. 12.
Niko Martinovi, Apstrakca naeg identiteta je slika, Pobjeda, 19. XII 2010.
Nikola Vujoevi, Poeci sjajnog puta razvoja, Pobjeda, 29. I 2011, str. 8.
S.Biskup, Presek anra, povodom izlozbe Akt u crnogorskoj umjetnosti, Vesti, 28. XII 1998.
Vitomir Sger /V. Sger/, U znku izlobe, Pobjed, 8. VII 1986, str. 10.
Vitomir Sager /V. Sager/, Prieva retrospektiva, Pobjeda, 15. XII 1987.
Stnko Ppovi /S. P./, Izlob crnogorskog pejz u Celovcu, Politik, 18. II
1980, str. 12.
Miln M. Mrovi, Mnogostrukost likovnih pristup, Uz petnestu izlobu Likovnog slon 13. novembr, Ovdje, 1982,
XIV, 152, str. 21.
Branimir Stanojevi, Pejzai ljudskih snova, etvrti jul, 11. II 1986, str. 15.
Jsn Vukovi, Monogrj o Aleksndru Prijiu, Titogrdsk tribin, 9. XII 1988, str. 8.
Shells
koljke, 1972
***
J. ., etvrta redovna izloba likovnih
umetnika Crne Gore, Knjievne novine,
13. XII 1949.
R. ., Izlob trojice mldih slikr,
Pobjed, 7. XII 1951, str. 2.
V. Perovi, Umjetnik gler n Cetinju, Pobjed, 3. I 1952, str. 2.
R. V., Utisci s izlobe nih likovnih
umjetnik, Pobjed, 29. VI 1952, str. 6.
M. V., VIII izlob Udruenj likovnih
umjetnik Crne Gore - u st VI kongres
Komunistike prte Jugoslve, Stvrnje,
1952, str. 622623.
Novinska ilustracija
Newspaper illustration
Gypsi Woman
P. Jndri, Umro slikr Aleksndr Priji, Primorske novine, 15. II 1986, str. 6.
V. M. ., Aleksndr Pr i, Prosvjetni
rd, 1. XII 1970, str. 4.
Ciganka, 1954
***
, Izlob likovnih umjetnik Crne Gore, Prosvjetni rd, 15. XII 1960, str. 5.
190
GRUPNE IZLOBE /
GROUP EXHIBITIONS
TV EMIS E
Aleksandar Aco Pri o sebi i umjetnosti, TV Titograd, 1986, rea Slavko Kovaevi, urednik Rajko Cerovi
SAMOSTALNE IZLOBE /
INDIVIDUAL EXHIBITIONS
1954. Cetinje, Velika sala Narodnog
univerziteta Jovan Tomaevi
1958. Cetinje, Galera kluba kulturnih
javnih radnika
Iz Budve, 1962
From Budva
Barleta, Castello svevo, Kolektivna izloba gurativne umjetnosti: Umjetnici Herceg Novog
192
NAGRADE/AWARDS
1948. Nagrada za slikarstvo
Predsjednitva vlade NR Crne
Gore
1961. Trinaestojulska nagrada za
slikarstvo SR Crne Gore
1965. Trinaestojulska nagrada za
slikarstvo SR Crne Gore
1967. Nagrada Umjetnike galere,
Cetinje
1968. Decembarska nagrada za
slikarstvo, Titograd
1983. Nagrada AVNOJ-a
ODLIKOVANJA / DECORATIONS
1957. Orden rada sa srebrnim
vencem
1968. Orden rada sa zlatnim vencem
1979. Orden zasluga za narod sa
srebrnim zracima
MURAL
Mart 1972. godine, vojni aerodrom Golubovci kod Titograda, tek to
sam stigao u prekomandu iz garnizona Zadar. Na pilotskoj obuci imamo studente pilote iz Libije i Republike Zambije. Uz kolorit izgleda
lica, vjera i nacija, mladost vrca na svaku stranu. Izgraena je nova
nastavna zgrada sa veoma prostranim ulaznim holom, a u holu hrpa
razliitih etkica, kistova i slikarskih boja, a meu njima slikar Aleksandar Priji. Da nije tako markantna i naoita muka figura, teko
da bi se primijetio iz oblaka dima, neke sarajevske Drine bez filtera,
koje, jednu za drugom, loi li loi. Stalno upaljena cigareta u ustima,
oljica kafe u lijevoj, a desnom rukom, raznolikim arenilom boja, ukraava zidove Hola.
Tema njegove slikarske arolije je veoma kompleksna i prilagoena
je ambijentu: poeci sanjara o letenju i ovjekovom osvajanju vazduha;
tadanjost, skora budunost, daleka budunost; i tako redom...
...Nijesam bio svjestan da svaki put, dok sam Holom prolazio, zastanem i pogledom na slici neto tragam. Primijetio je On, i uvjek je
zapoinjao neki razgovor. Pui li? Ne puim. Pije li kafu? Pijem
dosta. Pije li lozu? Ne pijem. Kako to razdvajati? A zato Vi pijete vinjak, a ne lozu?, primijetih. Ih, ta mi, koji pituramo ove murale
znamo. Nita. , odgovori On eretski. Jednoga dana kada sam, negdje
iza podneva, uao u Hol, On primijeti: e si ti od jutros? Bio sam u
Zadru., odgovorih. U gradu velikih Voinovia., odgovori On i nastavi:
Eto vidi, ti si zaas bio do Zadra i nazad, a ja sam tako trom, pa mi
ni pola mate nee stati na ovaj zid..
Dani prolaze, veliki umjetnik osvaja zidove Hola, kompozicija se
razvija plijenei nae poglede, sve vei broj nas zastajkuje. Fascinantan
je izgled umjetnikovih letjelica u razliitim periodima prolosti, tadanjeg doba, i ne znam koliko sve slojeva budunosti. A kada bi pojedini
zidovi Hola dobijali svoju formu, piloti i pitomci, po prirodi radoznalci,
bi zastajali i svojim pogledima se udubljivali u novu ljepotu, koja je Hol
krasila. A On, veliki umjetnik, bi glasom autoriteta, ali nekako toplo,
svakoga od nas poneto upitao, ta je ko u pojedinim motivima vidio.
Matao sam da postanem pilot, jer mi je to izgledalo nedostino. I eto, postao sam slikar, to mislim da je bolje, jer sam jo iv. Onako ne znam to bi
bilo. Poznajui sada sebe, vjerujem da bih negdje leao duboko u zemlji i od
mene bi ostao samo duboki krater.
... I dreamt of becoming a pilot, since that seemed unattainable. And I became a painter, which is better, I think, as I'm still alive. Because otherwise I
don't know what would've happened. Knowing myself, I believe that now I'd
lie deep in the ground, just a deep crater remaining of me.
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Vitka Vujnovi
BIOGRAFIJA
Kada je, visok i vitak, upeatljiv i likom i stavom, i pogledom i rijeju, poslednji
put preao preko trga Belavista, koraao je teko i umorno. Onda je, kao dotaknut
nekom arolijom, na trenutak zastao... Svi koji su ga poznavali vidjeli su da je
oko njega vazduh tada zatreperio arom vatre kojom je ivio i stvarao.
Izmeu neba i zemlje, kao izmeu ivota i smrti, bili su samo ovjek i slike. One
koje su uvijek potvrivale roenog, rasnog umjetnika koji ni za rije ni za djelo
nije traio posrednika. Nije ga htio niti mu je bio potreban. Na vjetrometini u
ivotu, na vjetrometini u umjetnosti, svoj, u svim vremenima!
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Vitka Vujnovi
BIOGRAPHY
When, slim and tall, with a striking face and attitude, he walked across the Belavista
Square for the last time, he plodded wearily. And then, as if touched by a magic, he
stopped for a moment All those who knew him saw the air around him flash with the
ardency of fire with which he had been living and creating.
Between the Earth and the sky, like between life and death, there were just a man and
his paintings the ones which always pointed to a born, superb artist who never sought
an intermediary either for his word or for his action. He didnt want one nor did he
need one. At the forefront in life, at the forefront in art, his own master at all times!
Sa Miletom Radeviem
kao maturant, Podgorica, 1939
With Mile Radevi, as graduate,
Podgorica, 1393
195
Jedna od prvih slika koje je radio Aco Priji, nastala je upravo u beranskoj Gimnaziji.
Nje se uvijek sjeao. Bila je to slika urevi stupovi raena uljem na platnu. Bitnije od
same slike na koju je sjeanje neminovno bilo zaogrnuto djejim eljama i snovima, bila
je injenica da je od trenutka njenog nastanka Acovoj majci bilo najvanije da mu kupi
boje uprkos tome to porodica nije bila blagonaklona prema njegovoj odluci da se bavi
slikanjem. Otac uro radije ga je poduavao jezicima i prenio mu je dobro poznavanje
njemakog i gotice. Bili su to oigledno oni momenti u kojima je Priji odluivao o ivotnom i umjetnikom putu koga je usjecao slino kristalno istoj, studenoj vodi Lima
ispod Manastira koji je slikao.
Paralelno ili ukrtajui se sa tim magistralnim putem u njegovom ivotu tekli su: sluenje vojske u Mariboru, u koli rezervnih oficira, potom, zbog naprednih ideja i po kazni,
prelazak u puk Milo Veliki u Vranju. Aprilski rat i front na bugarskoj granici 1941. godine. Nakon kapitulacije Jugoslavije pokuao je da se vrati u Crnu Goru, ali je ubrzo zarobljen. etiri godine proveo je u ratnim logorima Dragoman u Bugarskoj, Turn Magurel
u Rumuniji, pa onda u Njemakoj u Altenburgu, Espertetu, Stojdenu, Kenigeradou, ifergrabenu, Biterfeldu...
196
One of Aco Prijis first paintings was created in Berane grammar school. This was a work
he always remembered. It was oil on canvas called The Tracts of St. George (urevi stupovi). What was more important than the painting itself the memory of which was unavoidably imbued with child wishes and dreams, was the fact that from the moment of its creation,
Acos mothers priority was to buy him paint, although his family were not exactly in favour
of his decision to engage in painting. His father uro preferred teaching him languages
and transferred a solid knowledge of German and Gothic to him. Apparently, these were the
moments when Priji was making a decision about his life and career path which he outlined like the cold and crystal-clear water of the Lim river under the Monastery he painted.
Running parallel with or intersecting the highway of his life were: military service in Maribor, in the School for Reserve Officers, and his subsequent transference to the Milo
the Great regiment in Vranje as a punishment for his advanced ideas; the April War and
the front at the Bulgarian border in 1941; an attempt to return to Montenegro after the
capitulation of Yugoslavia; incarceration; four years of life in war camps: Dragoman in
Bulgaria, Turnu Magurele in Romania, and a number of them in Germany such as Altenburg, Esperstet, Steuden, Bitterfeld etc.
It is an understatement to call Priji a restless mind,
which was and still is one of the determining traits of
his character. Such mind was a driving force during
Prijis school days when he came into conflict with
the authorities, to be expelled from the sixth grade of
grammar school due to his distribution of forbidden leaflets, drawing of five-pointed stars and affiliation with
the revolutionary labour movement. In his mature years, his restlessness was particularly strongly articulated. It gave way to the spirit of a free and just man: free
even in the camp in which he arduously looked after
sick and worn out prisoners, organized others and launched strikes, proving to be stronger than the solitary
cell he was frequently sent to. He remained unconstrained despite the camp wires. They seem to have been
the easiest to cut. He drew! He imprinted a huge gallery
of characters in his own memory as well as that of other inmates: Polish, French, Yugoslav...
Through their faces, looks, attitudes, through each wrinkle of theirs, he wrote a novel of life
in a camp, his love of painting always acting as a cure. At the end of war, he gave all of his
portraits to Stevan, his youngest friend from the camp who came from Kamenica, near Ni.
To Priji, the liberation in 1945 meant a return to Cetinje and an opportunity to study.
He began to study in the Art Studio Cetinje, founded by the Ministry of Education of
the Peoples Republic of Montenegro. It was a kind of art school where, among other older and already recognized painters, Milo Milunovi, Petar Lubarda and Svetomir Poek worked. Priji first worked with Milunovi and then with Lubarda (until 1951), thus
fulfilling his dream of painting. He learnt from the first hand, from the masters, strongly
believing, as he said, in the power of creative workshops.
Tokom pedesetih radio je i u Odjeljenju za kinematografiju Ministarstva prosvjete, Agitpropu narodne omladine Crne Gore. Potom je njegov zadatak bio formiranje a onda i
funkcija direktora Muzeja NOB-a i direktora Ansambla narodnih igara na Cetinju. Novi
iskorak Aleksandra Aca Prijia je uee u osnivanju Umjetnikog paviljona u Titogradu,
1959. godine, iz kojeg je 1961. godine nastala Moderna galerija kojom je Aco rukovodio
do penzionisanja i preseljenja u Herceg Novi 1974. godine.
Okviri naih udruenja postali su pretijesni za umjetnost i umjetnike. Preivjeli
i zastareli sadraj rada u njima izaziva
ubjeenje kod sve vie umjetnika da
udruenja ne smiju biti neto vie od
stalekih organizacija radnika na polju
likovnih umjetnosti. Umjetniki ivot i
njegov razvoj treba da pokreu umjetnici i
umjetnike grupe to je najsigurniji nain
u borbi protiv monopolizma, ako vjerujemo
da ne moe i ne smije biti povlaenih
grupa i umjetnika. Dananji sukobi
u udruenju mogu imati jedino takvo
rjeenje. Ubijeeni smo da bi to pribliilo
mnoge umjetnike radu, umjetnosti i jednoj
tekoj ali plemenitoj utakmici, a oslobodilo
ih besplodnih rasprava i traenja rjeenja
tamo gdje se ona ne mogu nai.
198
Na Akropolju, 1953
On Acropolis, 1953
Aleksandar Aco Priji was also (1946) one of the founders, secretary and then president
of the Association of Fine Artists of Montenegro. Together with Boidar Jakac, ore
Andrejevi Kun, Lazar Lienoski, Marijan Detoni and Ismet Mujezinovi, he participated
in the establishment of the Federation of Fine Artists of Yugoslavia.
On 1 March 1985 Priji was appointed associate member of the Montenegrin Academy of
Sciences and Arts. In 1972, however, he had rejected the possibility of membership maintaining that some of his colleagues should be nominated too, such as Lubarda, Milunovi,
Stijovi, Boovi, Dado uri, Branko Filipovi, Luka Tomanovi, artists who, in Prijis
view, were unjustifiably not nominated. In the Academy, he first acted as vice-president
and then president of the Fine Arts Board.
njegove kolege, Lubarda, Milunovi, Stijovi, Boovi, Dado uri, Branko Filipovi, Luka Tomanovi, umjetnici koji, kako je Priji smatrao, neopravdano nisu bili predloeni. U
CANU je bio potpredsjednik pa predsjednik odbora za likovnu umjetnost.
Uporedo sa angaovanjem na formiranju muzejske i galerijske slube i razvoju likovne
umjetnosti u Crnoj Gori, Priji je intenzivno slikao, uvijek za nijansu nadgraujui i oslobaajui svoj talenat. Istoriarka umjetnosti Olga Perovi kae: radio je vie nego to je
mogao jedan ovjek i uio bre nego to se kroz kolu moglo.
Prvu samostalnu izlobu Aleksandar Aco Priji priredio je u maju 1954. na Cetinju. I tada
je govorio: Slikarstvo nema granica osim onih u slikaru.
Supruga Ljubica Priji, roena Perii
Wife Ljubica Priji, born Perii
Vjerujui da je ivot ljepota kojoj se treba diviti, izazov kome treba odgovoriti, borba koju treba voditi stalno, ali i igra kojoj se povremeno treba prepustiti, srea koju treba zasluiti koliko i briga koju treba savladati, Aco Priji 1948. godine zasniva porodicu. Supruga Ljubica Perii, stajala je kroz cio njegov ivot kao karijatida na kapiji tog svijeta
u kojem je kerima Komsi, Vjeri, Neni i sinu uru Belom, bila darivana puna sloboda
odrastanja pod platom majine brige i panje i oevog podsticanja, sasvim usklaenog
sa Heseovom milju: Ako ovjek moe biti dobar, moe to samo onda kada je srean,
kada u sebi ima sklada, kada voli... tada je svejedno jede li se proso ili kolai... svijet zvui zajedno s duom...
Ve time privilegovanu Prijievu djecu dodatno je bogatilo stalno susretanje sa oevim
kolegama, a nije bilo znaajnijeg slikara, knjievnika, javnog radnika da u kui Prijia
nije bio ugoen, a ako je traio da nije dobio pomo, savjet, podrku... Isto je vailo za
prijatelje, komije, rodbinu, posebno za unuad Milicu, Petra, Katarinu, Aleksandru, Tatjanu, Aleksandra. Nerijetko je i slikao drei unuad u toplom, irokom, sigurnom krilu
u kome je bilo mjesta i za etke i za boje i za njegove i djeje snove.
U porodici se jo prepriava kako mu je na otvaranju izlobe u hercegnovskoj Galeriji
Josip-Bepo Benkovi unuka Minja, pokazujui na ruevnu zgradu preko puta, rekla
tu emo mi napraviti nau kuu. Aco je kupio taj objekat, u hercegnovskom Starom gradu, a kuu je gradila cijela porodica. Prva je i obnovljena nakon zemljotresa 1979. godine.
Concurrent with his engagement in the formation of the museum and gallery department and the development of fine arts in
Montenegro, which required substantial commitment and energy,
Priji painted intensively, always slightly improving his skill and
releasing his talent. Olga Perovi wrote that he worked harder
than a man could and learnt faster than it was possible in school.
Aleksandar Aco Prijis first solo exhibition was held in May 1954
in Cetinje. And he used to say that (p)ainting has no borders
except the ones found in the painter himself.
Believing that life is beauty to admire, a challenge to respond to, a
continual struggle to deal with but also a play to indulge in occasionally, happiness to deserve and concern to cope with, in 1948 Aco
Priji started a family. Throughout his life, his wife Ljubica Perii
stood like a caryatid at the gate of the world in which his daughters
Komsa, Vjera, Nena and son uro Beli were given full freedom
of growing up under their mothers care and attention and fathers
encouragement, quite in harmony with Hesses words, If a man
can be good, he can be so only when he is happy, when there is harmony within him, when he loves... then it is all the same whether
he eats millet or cakes... the world rings together with the soul...
Privileged in this way, Prijis children were additionally enriched
by frequent visits paid by their fathers colleagues: there was practically no significant painter, writer or public worker who was not
entertained in Prijis home, or who did not receive help, advice
or support from him, if they asked for it... The same was true of
his friends, neighbours, relatives, particularly his grandchildren
Milica, Petar, Katarina, Aleksandra, Tatjana, Aleksandar. He often
painted with his grandchildren in his warm, broad and safe lap in
which there was enough room both for brushes and paint and for
his and childrens dreams.
In Aco's family they still remember the opening night of the exhibition in Josip Bepo Benkovi Gallery in Herceg Novi, when his
granddaughter Minja pointed to the ruins of a building across the
street and said, We will make our own house there.
Aco bought the building in the Old Town of Herceg Novi, and the
house was built by entire family. It was the first one to be reconstructed after the 1979 earthquake. Today its ground floor houses
an art workshop, a gallery bearing Acos name. His descendants
live his dream of family gatherings, at least once a year...
201
Ja sam uvijek elio da na neki nain razrijeim pitanje crtea kamena. Poslije dugog
vremena shvatio sam da taj crte i ne postoji. Oblik i formu kamena u crnogorskom
pejzau odreuje Sunce...
I kada se gospodstveno, u tiini snjenog, sjenovitog Brezovika oprostio od ivota, 5. februara 1986. godine, ostala su sva njegova Sunca. Crveno, bijelo, uto, zeleno... i posebno crno!
S punim pravom zato, etvrt vijeka nakon njegove smrti, moemo rei bio je, ne samo
po svom posebnom shvatanju ivota i slikarstva, po karakteru i ivotnom i radnom stilu, drugaiji. Ono to je
mogao uiniti kao uticajan, Aco je radije inio kroz razgovor i dogovor, ak i kada je trebalo rei caru carevo a Bogu boije. Znao je da uvaava ljude, da uspostavi dobru komunikaciju, ponekad mudrou i majstorski,
mnogo ee rtvujui sebe cijelim biem, a ponajvie srcem.
Je li bilo teko cijelog ivota biti jai nego to je u stvari bio njeni Aco Priji? Sigurno da jeste, ali samo takav ivot i takvo djelo
posmatrano u protoku vremena koje je najstroi sudija, ostavlja
trag. Samo tako i u najstroim izborima ostaje Prijievo djelo u
vrhu nae likovne umjetnosti 20. vijeka!
people, how to establish good communication, at times through wisdom and superb skill, but much more often
sacrificing himself with his entire being, his heart in particular.
Was it hard throughout his life to be stronger than tender Aco Priji actually was? It certainly was, but it is only
such life and such work, viewed in time as the strictest judge, that leave a trace. Only in this way will Prijis
work, even in the most competitive selections, remain on top of Montenegros 20th-century fine arts!
Aco Priji lived history, lived life, and created art This is why he lasts. Especially visible right under the Black
Sun, under which, as he said, only the peaks remained!
He was buried on 7 February 1986 in Cetinje
203