Gorgona

Croatia 1959–1966

Gorgona was a Zagreb-based group of artists, architects, critics, and art historians. It existed from 1959 to 1966, and its driving force was the painter Josip Vaništa. It was not a tightly-bound group with a defined program and goals, but more an association of creative individuals who were, and still are, highly original and unconventional in their work. Basing their work in absurdity, anti-aestheticism, and confrontation with official and established art forms, Gorgona members’ activities included exhibitions, meetings, group walks, and other events. An essential part of their activity was the “antimagazine” Gorgona, which was not a proper magazine but rather a series of artists’ contributions. A strong tendency in the group was replacing visual and material art objects with proposals, descriptions, and concepts, several of which, from today’s perspective, seem quite visionary. In 1964, for example, Vaništa created a painting which existed only in its verbal description. Also deserving of mention are Ivan Kožarić’s proposals (for example to cast in plaster the interior spaces of buildings, cars, public spaces, or even the heads of all the group members) and the contributions of Dimitrije Mangelos and Julije Knifer.

Anti-magazine Gorgona, 1961–66

Josip Vaništa, No. 1, 1961

Julije Knifer, No. 2, 1961

Marijan Jevšovar, No. 3, 1962

Victor Vasarely, No. 4, 1961

Ivan Kožarić, No. 5, 1961

Josip Vaništa, No. 6, 1961

Miljenko Horvat, No. 7, 1965

Harold Pinter, No. 8, 1965

Dieter Rot, No. 9, 1966

Josip Vaništa, No. 10, 1966

Josip Vaništa, No. 11, 1966

screenprint, offset, photographs on paper

Print: Josip Vaništa

Number of copies: 100–300

Painting (Silver Line on White Background), 1964

typescript on paper

Thoughts for the Month, 1964

Thoughts for February (Abstract painting…), 1964

Thoughts for February (The world around us…), c. 1964

Thoughts for March (I did not care about…), 1964

Thoughts for May (Gedanken für Mai), 1962 (1977)

Thoughts for June (Buddhist monks…)

There is a path, but no travellers on it, . 1961–1964

typescript on paper, 6 x (29,5 x 20,8 cm)

Placing the Painting, 1986

Vaništa’s painting Black Line on Silver Ground (1964) left in the snow in Jelenovac, b/w photographs, 8 x (24 x 24 cm)

Members and friends of Gorgona, 1961

b/w photographs, 17,7 x 24,2 cm,

photo: Branko Balić