How to draw a parallel between jazz music and my photographs, without getting involved in sophistic phrases? It is possible only if there is a true, essential congeniality between them.
The Pythagoreans contemplated cosmic music, which reflects harmonic perfection, but we cannot hear it; John Cage sought widening the media and disciplinary boundaries of music; Gauguin’s claim that each colour has its frequency was later proven by physicists.
It is often said that jazz is all woven from improvisation – and it is the improvisation that sets jazz apart from classical music. The beginnings of jazz music, improvisation included, lies in the fact that the first jazz musicians were often without formal musical education, but very talented, which gave jazz an additional tone, a tone of warmth, of an intimate story and its experience in a moment, the very moment when the music is performed. Jazz musicians have never lacked creativity; daringly and courageously, artfully and creatively, they have known how to turn a common moment into a moment to remember.
Observing from one of the Venetian bridges the water that had just been disturbed by a passing gondola, I noticed that, as the water was regaining its previous calm, that images were forming, quite fluctuant, constantly shifting the shape. Nature was improvising, leading eventually to a perfection – combining the waves, which were gradually calming down, and the reflection of the Venetian buildings across the street on the water’s surface. I started taking photos, but the first shots captured the ‘ruined’ images of the reflection. The next time I went to the Venice Biennial I came primarily to photograph. I realised that if I wanted to ‘capture’ the ‘ideal’ image made spontaneously by nature, I must click the camera button a split second before nature finished its pattern on the water. With a camera which was not exactly professional and not very large photographic experience, I managed to catch plenty.
In these two short and distinct stories, I suppose the audience will find a few essential and common threads.
Lazar Marković
Lazar Marković
After completing his education at the Educational Centre ‘Bogdan Šuput’ in Novi Sad, Lazar Marković (1960) went on to study at the Academy of Arts in Novi Sad, Fine Arts Department, Section of Fine Art and Pedagogy, graduating in 1991 with a title of academic print artist – fine art pedagogue. He got his Master Degree from the same Academy – Section of Printmaking. He obtained a Master Degree from the Protestant Theological Faculty in 2012, and from the Faculty of Management in Sremski Karlovci defending the thesis entitled ‘The Role of Strategic Management in the Fine Art Gallery Gift Collection of Rajko Mamuzić (2013). This year, 2014, he received the title of Master of Art from the Faculty of Fine Art in Belgrade. He is preparing his PhD at the Faculty of Management in Sremski Karlovci with the thesis Models of Project Management in Institutions of Culture founded by AP Vojvodina.
He was an organiser in the Radio Novi Sad’s Drama Department in 1982. The same year saw him working as a journalist – associate for the RNS Novi Sad Chronicle following culture until 1984. He worked, with interruptions, as a teacher in high and elementary schools in the period 1991–2001.
After that, he got a status of a freelance artist. From 2011 to 2013 he ran media centre in the High School of Traffic ’Pinki’. He served as an organisational secretary of the Associations of Fine Artists of Vojvodina. For the last nine years, he has been working as the Manager of the Gallery of Fine Art Gift Collection of Rajko Mamuzić.
As a painter and printmaker, he has had 55 solo exhibitions and about 300 collective ones in our country and abroad.
Major solo exhibitions:
2013, Belgrade, FLU, Centre for Printmaking and Visual Research Akademija; 2012, Belgrade, Gallery ‘Grafički kolektiv’; 2010, Subotica, Modern Gallery ‘Likovni susret’; 2010, Budapest, ‘Arkad’ Gallery; 2009, Belgrade, Sales Gallery ‘Belgrade’, Novi Sad, Small Art Salon; 2008, Novi Sad, Gallery Bel Art, Novi Sad, Gallery Podrum, Novi Sad, Gallery Most; 2006, Novi Sad, Cultural Centre of Novi Sad, Small Art Salon; 2005, Novi Sad, Gallery ’Zlatno oko’; 2005, Šabac, Cultural Centre Šabac; 2003, Novi Sad, Cultural Centre of Novi Sad, Small Art Salon; 1999, Novi Sad, SULUV Gallery; 1997, Bečej, Gallery ‘Krug’; 1996, Sombor, Gallery of Cultural Centre ‘Laza Kostić’; 1996, Novi Sad, Cultural Centre of Novi Sad, Art Salon of ‘Tribina mladih’; 1995, Novi Sad, SULUV Gallery; 1992, La Paz, Bolivia.
He has taken part in about 50 art colonies, personally organizing some of them.
He has displayed his photographs in seven international shows (The Zagreb Salon, Niš, Novi Sad,…); He has written radio dramas, some of which have been produced by Drama Programme of Radio Novi Sad, in Serbian, Hungarian, Slovakian and Romanian.
He has written art critiques and art reviews for the magazine ‘Likovni život’ and ‘Nova misao.’
He has written the introduction for Todor Manojlović’ book ‘Likovne kritike’ prepared by Jasna Jovanov, Zrenjanin, 2007.
Marković has taken part in a number of public discussions on culture.
His memberships and posts include: president of the Selection Committee for projects in the field of high professional contemporary art in AP Vojvodina (2006); Selection Committee for projects in the field of high professional contemporary art in AP Vojvodina (2007); Committee for co-financing programmes and projects in the field of contemporary art of Provincial significance (2010); Council for Culture of AP Vojvodina; Committee for Marina Olenjina Award in the field of ballet art (2007); Association of Journalists of Serbia; Association of Fine Artists of Vojvodina; Association of Fine Artists of Serbia; Association Internationale des Arts Plastiques, auprés de Organisatio des Nations Unies pour èducation, la science et la culture. UNESCO; Museum Society of Serbia; ICOM (International Council of Museums); Artistic Council of the Association of Fine Artists of Vojvodina; Presidency of the Association of Fine Artists of Vojvodina; President of Coordination Council of Art Associations of Vojvodina; President of the Association of Fine Artists of Vojvodina; Lecturer at the Academy of Arts in Belgrade 2009-2011; Committee for co-financing programmes and projects in the field of contemporary art of Provincial significance (2010); President of the Jury of the 54th October Salon in Šabac; Committee for co-financing programmes and projects in the field of contemporary art of Provincial significance ( 2011); Jury for the ‘Sava Šumanović’ Award (2014); Jury of the International Competition 24th Kadar organized by the Photo Club of Vojvodina from Novi Sad.