Casual Sensuality of Adult People in the Works of Vasko Lipovac, Part Two

11 januari 2021

Here’s the second part of our article (first part here) on the works of Croatian painter and sculptor Vasko Lipovac, where we pay attention mainly to his sculptural opuses and interviews. Although, while studying, Lipovac shifted his interests from sculpture to painting, he didn’t leave this art form out of sight. The artist produced many sculptures reminding of primitive creations of ancient ethnos and also of Japanese netsuke.

Under the blanket, 2002 (Vasko Lipovac. Erotika (catalogue), 2008, p. 212)

Lying Nude, 2002 (Vasko Lipovac. Erotika (catalogue), 2008, p. 213)

Media

The sculptures of Lipovac are often made of wood, wax, and terra cotta. His ready-made compositions of holey and knotty wood pieces representing genitals are also highly amusing. The sculpture is commonly preceded by a sketch or a drawing, which allows us to compare Lipovac-painter with Lipovac-sculpturer as well as to compare these art forms in general.

Untitled, 1984 (Erotika (catalogue), 2008, p. 188)

Model, 1985 (Erotika (catalogue), 2008, p. 189)

Banana and Apple, 2001 (Erotika (catalogue), 2008, p. 335)

Bullet and Bang, 2001 (Erotika (catalogue), 2008, p. 332)

Directing, 2001 (Erotika (catalogue), 2008, p. 330)

Two Birds, 2001 (Erotika (catalogue), 2008, p. 105)

Sailor’s dream, 1997 (Erotika (catalogue), 2008, p. 103)

Why Wood

Among all media, Lipovac especially liked working with wood: “I’m most attracted to wood because it can be painted without problems. And you can achieve the final result relatively quickly or at least at your own pace. When you work with bronze, when you cast your sculptures, you must wait for the final result. It’s in the hands of another professional, the brass-founder, and goes through a technical and technological process de- pending on size. It can take ten days or two months. When you work in wood, you can make your own corrections, you can end it yourself… actually, it never ends, but at least you can say: I think it’s enough now!” (Interview with Vojo Šiljak)

Willing, 2000 (Vasko Lipovac. Erotika (catalogue), 2008, p. 209)

On the foursquare, 2001 (Vasko Lipovac. Erotika (catalogue), 2008, p. 208)

Female Nude, 1990s (Vasko Lipovac. Erotika (catalogue), 2008, p. 207)

Female Nude, 1990s (Vasko Lipovac. Erotika (catalogue), 2008, p. 207)

Stilita, 1999 (Erotika (catalogue), 2008, p. 203)

Stilita, 1996 (Vasko Lipovac. Erotika (catalogue), 2008, p. 198)

Stilita, 1996 (Vasko Lipovac. Erotika (catalogue), 2008, p. 199)

Stilita, 1996 (Erotika (catalogue), 2008, p. 200)

Adam and Eve, 1997 (Vasko Lipovac. Erotika (catalogue), 2008, p. 227)

Adam and Eve, 1990 (Erotika (catalogue), 2008, p. 128)

Female Nude, 1995 (Erotika (catalogue), 2008, p. 151)

The Painting Sculptor and Sculpting Painter

In the interview with Vojo Šiljak, Lipovac recalled the years of scholarship and his choice between painting and sculpture: “I never wanted to separate the two. I was still a freshman when I enrolled in the sculpture class of Radovani. Only in the third semester – when people have already chosen their path – I asked, requested to switch to painting. It was strange and unusual, but they made an exception and let me move from sculpture to painting. Eventually, I ended up in the Master Class. But I was always interested in both.

Woman with Green Hat (Vasko Lipovac. Erotika (catalogue), 2008, p. 196)

Stilita, 1996 (Erotika (catalogue), 2008, p. 197)

Stilita, 1996 (Erotika (catalogue), 2008, p. 195)

Form Comes First

I was interested in form; it’s very probable that, at a basic level, form comes first, the sculptural form, and then all this painting. I’d never want to separate the two. I keep on developing; when you work for a long time, you start to repeat yourself, you come to a wall and wonder what to do next. When I feel a lack in my paintings, I look for something attractive to turn it into a form. Whether I succeed – that’s another matter. I never like to talk about how good things are. It’s up to the viewers and critics of visual arts who are able to discuss it. I’m supposed to work.”

Tanned, 2002 (Vasko Lipovac. Erotika (catalogue), 2008, p. 85)

Circe, 1987 (Erotika (catalogue), 2008, p. 65)

I Play Seriously

That’s what Lipovac answered to the interviewer when was asked whether he played in his work. “I play seriously. I’m totally serious with everything I do. If it turns into a game, especially for those who see it later, I’m glad. I didn’t want to make anybody sad or happy, I just did what I could at the time. I accept both ways of looking at it. It would be pretentious to say I didn’t care what people think. I do care! In the end, we work for ourselves, first and foremost. We make our own balance of what we did and achieved. When it makes others feel good or happy, as you say, it’s just a bonus to something that fulfills me, to the daily task I set to myself, which I try to achieve alone or with helpers.”

Love potion (Erotika (catalogue), 2008, p. 159)

Message in a bottle, 1998 (Erotika (catalogue), 2008, p. 158)

2nd program, 1994 (Erotika (catalogue), 2008, p. 321)

Adam and Eve, 1984 (Erotika (catalogue), 2008, p. 50)

Lying Nude, 2002 (Erotika (catalogue), 2008, p. 210)

Lying Nude, 2002 (Erotika (catalogue), 2008, p. 211)

Lovers, model, 2008, p. 314

Boing-boing, model, 2008, p. 315

Sources: Vasko Lipovac. Erotika (catalogue), 2008.

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