Dragiša Stanisavljević was born in Jabučje, near Lajkovac, (May 25, 1921 – August 21, 2012) is an internationally known

Serbia , image_flag = Flag of Serbia.svg , national_motto = , image_coat = Coat of arms of Serbia.svg , national_anthem = () , image_map = , map_caption = Location of Serbia (gree ...

naïve Naivety (also spelled naïvety), naiveness, or naïveté is the state of being naive. It refers to an apparent or actual lack of experience and sophistication, often describing a neglect of pragmatism in favor of moral idealism. A ''naïve'' may ...

and outsider

sculptor Sculpture is the branch of the visual arts that operates in three dimensions. Sculpture is the three-dimensional art work which is physically presented in the dimensions of height, width and depth. It is one of the plastic arts. Durable sc ...

Biography

Dragiša Stanisavljević was born in Jabučje, near Lajkovac, on May 25, 1921. He began doing sculpture in 1958. The life in the village under

patriarchal Patriarchy is a social system in which positions of authority are primarily held by men. The term ''patriarchy'' is used both in anthropology to describe a family or clan controlled by the father or eldest male or group of males, and in fem ...

principles, century-old forests of his homeland certainly encouraged his impulse for freedom and modelling. He is an absolute

self-taught Autodidacticism (also autodidactism) or self-education (also self-learning, self-study and self-teaching) is the practice of education without the guidance of schoolmasters (i.e., teachers, professors, institutions). Overview Autodi ...

, with strong sense for the stylization of form. A farmer by trade, Stanisavljević began to do

sculpture Sculpture is the branch of the visual arts that operates in three dimensions. Sculpture is the three-dimensional art work which is physically presented in the dimensions of height, width and depth. It is one of the plastic arts. Durable sc ...

wood Wood is a structural tissue/material found as xylem in the stems and roots of trees and other woody plants. It is an organic materiala natural composite of cellulosic fibers that are strong in tension and embedded in a matrix of lignin t ...

in 1958. Stanisavljević died in his native Jabučje (

Serbia , image_flag = Flag of Serbia.svg , national_motto = , image_coat = Coat of arms of Serbia.svg , national_anthem = () , image_map = , map_caption = Location of Serbia (gree ...

), on August 21, 2012. He is a world classic.N. Krstić, ''Outsider Art in Serbia''
MNMA
Јагодина, 2014, pp. 132-139

Artistic Style and Work

Frontal aspect,

simplicity Simplicity is the state or quality of being wikt:simple, simple. Something easy to understand or explain seems simple, in contrast to something complicated. Alternatively, as Herbert A. Simon suggests, something is simple or Complexity, complex ...

of expression and archaic approach to form are unconsciously achieved. From black, age-old tree-trunks the artist liberated the form, polished it to brightness, imprisoned it and emphasized its organic essence, thus completing what the nature had begun. Everything is stylized nearly to the bare, basic primordial form, and reduced with the pronounced sense for measure, which was known only to authentic artists of primitive cultures. More than five-decade-long

instinctive Instinct is the inherent inclination of a living organism towards a particular complex behaviour, containing innate (inborn) elements. The simplest example of an instinctive behaviour is a fixed action pattern (FAP), in which a very short to me ...

and

creative work A creative work is a manifestation of creative effort in the world through a ''creative process'' involving one or more individuals. The term includes fine artwork (sculpture, paintings, drawing, sketching, performance art), dance, writing (li ...

of this artist points to the force of his authentic and original forms and the connection between primordial and modern

sensibility Sensibility refers to an acute perception of or responsiveness toward something, such as the emotions of another. This concept emerged in eighteenth-century Britain, and was closely associated with studies of sense perception as the means thro ...

of artistic expression. Age-old

oak An oak is a hardwood tree or shrub in the genus ''Quercus'' of the beech family. They have spirally arranged leaves, often with lobed edges, and a nut called an acorn, borne within a cup. The genus is widely distributed in the Northern Hemisp ...

trunks which he tooled from the bed of the Kolubara River had a secret trace in its very substance, a kind of

patina Patina ( or ) is a thin layer that variously forms on the surface of copper, brass, bronze, and similar metals and metal alloys ( tarnish produced by oxidation or other chemical processes), or certain stones and wooden furniture (sheen prod ...

. With a pronounced sense of

harmony In music, harmony is the concept of combining different sounds in order to create new, distinct musical ideas. Theories of harmony seek to describe or explain the effects created by distinct pitches or tones coinciding with one another; harm ...

, without

gestures A gesture is a form of nonverbal communication or non-vocal communication in which visible bodily actions communicate particular messages, either in place of, or in conjunction with, speech. Gestures include movement of the hands, face, or othe ...

, expressive movements, but with interest in the spiritual background of his figures, Dragiša unconsciously understood the role of form in the achievement of the universal.

Relief Relief is a sculpture, sculptural method in which the sculpted pieces remain attached to a solid background of the same material. The term ''wikt:relief, relief'' is from the Latin verb , to raise (). To create a sculpture in relief is to give ...

-like

concept A concept is an abstract idea that serves as a foundation for more concrete principles, thoughts, and beliefs. Concepts play an important role in all aspects of cognition. As such, concepts are studied within such disciplines as linguistics, ...

of form with pronounced vertical

composition Composition or Compositions may refer to: Arts and literature *Composition (dance), practice and teaching of choreography * Composition (language), in literature and rhetoric, producing a work in spoken tradition and written discourse, to include ...

helped the artist with the simplicity of expression, especially when the selected motif was

philosophical Philosophy ('love of wisdom' in Ancient Greek) is a systematic study of general and fundamental questions concerning topics like existence, reason, knowledge, Value (ethics and social sciences), value, mind, and language. It is a rational an ...

contemplation on

human relationships In social psychology, an interpersonal relation (or interpersonal relationship) describes a social association, connection, or affiliation between two or more people. It overlaps significantly with the concept of social relations, which are ...

, destinies, hidden characteristics, sins or prayers. His works reflect the

mythology Myth is a genre of folklore consisting primarily of narratives that play a fundamental role in a society. For scholars, this is very different from the vernacular usage of the term "myth" that refers to a belief that is not true. Instead, the ...

folklore Folklore is the body of expressive culture shared by a particular group of people, culture or subculture. This includes oral traditions such as Narrative, tales, myths, legends, proverbs, Poetry, poems, jokes, and other oral traditions. This also ...

and

legend A legend is a genre of folklore that consists of a narrative featuring human actions, believed or perceived to have taken place in human history. Narratives in this genre may demonstrate human values, and possess certain qualities that give the ...

s of his native land.

Exhibitions and awards

Significant sculptures of Dragisa Stanisavljević are part of the collections of th
Museum of Naïve and Marginal Art
Jagodina. From 1964, he had independent and group exhibitions in the country and abroad and he participated in nearly all international shows of

art Art is a diverse range of cultural activity centered around ''works'' utilizing creative or imaginative talents, which are expected to evoke a worthwhile experience, generally through an expression of emotional power, conceptual ideas, tec ...

and utsider art(''World Triennials'' in

Bratislava Bratislava (German: ''Pressburg'', Hungarian: ''Pozsony'') is the Capital city, capital and largest city of the Slovakia, Slovak Republic and the fourth largest of all List of cities and towns on the river Danube, cities on the river Danube. ...

from the sixties, thematic exhibitions in Martighi,

Paris Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of France. With an estimated population of 2,048,472 residents in January 2025 in an area of more than , Paris is the List of ci ...

Prague Prague ( ; ) is the capital and List of cities and towns in the Czech Republic, largest city of the Czech Republic and the historical capital of Bohemia. Prague, located on the Vltava River, has a population of about 1.4 million, while its P ...

Budapest Budapest is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns of Hungary, most populous city of Hungary. It is the List of cities in the European Union by population within city limits, tenth-largest city in the European Union by popul ...

etc.). He received many

awards An award, sometimes called a distinction, is given to a recipient as a token of recognition of excellence in a certain field. When the token is a medal, ribbon or other item designed for wearing, it is known as a decoration. An award may be d ...

and recognition for his monumental

sculptures Sculpture is the branch of the visual arts that operates in three dimensions. Sculpture is the three-dimensional art work which is physically presented in the dimensions of height, width and depth. It is one of the plastic arts. Durable sc ...

, among which the ''Award for Entire Artistic Work'' at th
Tenth Biennial of Naïve and Marginal Art
in

Jagodina Jagodina ( sr-cyrl, Јагодина, ) is a List of cities in Serbia, city and the administrative center of the Pomoravlje District in central Serbia. It is situated on the banks of the Belica (river), Belica River, in the geographical region of � ...

, 2011 was the most significant.Н.Крстић, ''Outsiders'', catalogue
MNMA
Јагодина, 2013

Gallery

Stanisavljević Dragiša, Crni panter.jpg, ''Black Panther'', 1975,
wood, 150x50cm
MNMA
Jagodina Stanisavljević Dragiša, Saradnja.jpg, ''Cooperation'', 1979,
wood, height 110 cm
MNMA
Jagodina Stanisavljević Dragiša, Zmija i riba.jpg, ''Snake and Fish'',
wood, height 105 cm
MNMA
Jagodina

References

Literature

* М. Бошковић; М. Маширевић, ''Самоуки ликовни уметници у Србији'', Торино,1977 * Oto Bihalji-Merin; Небојша Бато Томашевић, ''Енциклопедија наивне уметности света'', Београд, 1984 * Марица Врачевић, ''Драгиша Станисављевић'', catalogue
MNMA
Јагодина, 2002 * Н. Крстић, ''Наивна уметност Србије''
SANUMNMA
Jagodina, 2003 * Н.Крстић, ''Наивна и маргинална уметност Србије''
MNMA
Јагодина, 2007 * Н.Крстић, ''Histoire de Voire'', Dragiša Stanisavljević, catalogue
MNMA
Paris, 2012 * Н.Крстић, ''Outsiders'', catalogue
MNMA
Јагодина, 2013 * N. Krstić, ''Outsider Art in Serbia''
MNMA
Јагодина, 2014, pp. 132–139

External links

Dragiša Stanisavljević, Marginal Art in Serbia, Jagodina, Serbia

Dragiša Stanisavljević, Museum of Naïve and Marginal Art, Jagodina, Serbia
{{DEFAULTSORT:Stanisavljevic, Dragisa Outsider artists Naïve art Serbian sculptors 1921 births 2012 deaths