EARLY PAINTINGS

Mladen Stilinović, A4, text in the catalogue, Podroom, Zagreb, 1978

MATERIAL AS REALITY (MATERIAL REALITY)
ALWAYS ACCESSIBLE – ON WHICH I MAKE SKETCHES FOR OTHER WORKS – WHICH I ANALYSE – ON WHICH I WORK
THIS EXHIBITION DOES NOT ONLY REVEAL WORK BUT ALSO MY MATERIALSTATE
DUALITY OF A4 – IT SHOWS ME MY FREEDOM AND MY NON-FREEDOM – I WORK WITH IT BECAUSE I HAVE NOTHING ELSE – BUT I WORK
AWARENESS OF THE MATERIAL (A PREDEFINED FORMAT, INDUSTRIAL)
ANALYSIS OF THE MATERIAL – ACCEPTING A4 (OR ANY OTHER INDUSTRIAL MATERIAL) FOR THE SAKE OF OPERATIONALITY (IF I DIDN’T ACCEPT IT, I WOULD HAVE TO INVENT MY OWN PENCILS, ETC.)
I FIND IT IMPORTANT TO DECREASE THE SIZE OF THE MATERIAL (WHICH IS WHY I FIND A4 ACCEPTABLE)
THE SIZE = IN ORDER TO DECEIVE WITH THE MATERIAL, WHICH MEANS TO BECOME A CONSUMER OF THE MATERIAL, AND NOT A CONSUMER OF IDEAS – STANDPOINTS

THE EXHIBITED WORKS WERE CREATED IN THE PERIOD 1975-78.

1)      MARKING OF THE SPACE OF A4 AS MY PERSONAL SPACE (SERIES)
2)      ACCEPTING A4 (SERIES)
3)      APPROPRIATION OF PAPER (BOOK)
4)      TRUTHS (SERIES)
5)      TIME (BOOK)
6)      NOW (BOOK)
7)      ELEMENTS OF DRAWINGS (BOOK)
8)      UNTITLED (BOOK)
9)      LIBERATION FROM KNOWLEDGE (BOOK)
10) THE PRESENCE OF CLARITY (BOOK)

Mladen Stilinović, 1978

From the catalogue of the exhibition A4, Podrum, Zagreb, 1978

(Translated by Iva Polak)

Aware of the Art of Painting, 1974

[aware of the art of painting / as an / activity / invented for / glorification of/religion, money / artistry / the wall – / paintnig is a tribute to/ the wall – / as opposet to / an empty wall]