Here I present work I did 2003, where it is very obvious how our biography influences our work, but that not enough, everything we see, read, hear about influences and interferes with our artist work. Still it is originally our creation and authentic and unique just as we are.
Collages I produced are using as starting point one old calender of Zagreb Artist Marija Braut. I am born in Zagreb, I lived there in 1980s, and lisened and sometimes I still listen music from that time. And one my favoritesZagreb Rock Bands was Azra. But we ar now in 2023 and ChatGPT is all overo modern. So parts of this text is created with it (thats why it is so fluent 😉 ). So lets see some explanation.
Zagreb, the capital city of Croatia, in the 1980s was a vibrant and dynamic place, bustling with energy and undergoing significant social and cultural changes. This period marked an important chapter in Zagreb’s history as it transitioned from a socialist city within the former Yugoslavia to a city seeking its own identity.
The music scene in Zagreb during the 1980s was vibrant and diverse. Rock music, in particular, gained immense popularity. Local bands like Prljavo kazalište, Azra, and Haustor emerged as leading figures, pushing boundaries and challenging the social norms of the time. The city’s nightlife flourished with numerous clubs and venues hosting live music performances, attracting a young and enthusiastic crowd.
Marija Braut was great photographer, sited in Zagreb, worked when I was young. I got photo calender with pictures made by her. And 20 years ago, I did those interventions on her pictures, thinking about my birthplace, beeing of course nostalgic, thinkig about my youth.
ChatGPT is an advanced language model developed by OpenAI. It is part of the GPT-3.5 series, based on the GPT-3 architecture. GPT stands for “Generative Pre-trained Transformer,” which refers to the model’s ability to generate human-like text based on the input it receives.
Jednog dana nema me (One day I’m gone)
It is the title of Azra’s song, it is the name of this collage, and it reflects my reality in relation to this place, Rokov perivoj, one of the beautiful parks in Zagreb, a hidden gem near the main shopping street. I used to play there as a child sometimes, and Marija Braut captured the November atmosphere so perfectly here.”
Fantom slobode ( The phantom of freedom )
Again, the name of Azra song, the name of my collage and one of the beautiful old staircases connectig “Stari grad” (old city) with the lower town. Beeing young and exploring the town by your own, making your own traces there.. that was freedom..
Spring attack at “Strosmajerovao setaliste“
This time just me, Marija Braut, no music, no Azra, but memories of autumn, sometimes feeling like a spring, when you are young..Go end explore this green place in Zagreb, once you are there, it is a terrace in a middle of the city.
Filigranski pločnici (Filigree pavements)
Early morning, after the cleaning of the streets, long before I started spending time in the city, at that time. Maybe a picture from the 1960s. Such a poetic Azra title, for me, it exactly captures the particular atmosphere of calmness, cleanliness, and innocence. It’s so precious and tender, and it can and will be disrupted once masses of people start crossing the main square of Zagreb, “Trg Republike”/”Jelačić Plac”.”
Rucola “Štros”
This looks good, this sounss good and I feel good about it. This time withoth poesie from Azra. “Štros” is “Štrosmayerovo šetalište”, in old city of Zagreb. It was nice place to be in the night, nowdays often used by gastronomy, loosing a bit atmosphere of 19th century city. AS you can cee Marija Bruat again did great work capturing night light.
Božič u Zagrebu (Christmass in Zagreb)
It is probably not Christmas picture, but just normal snowy day, bach in1970s in Zagreb, main sqare, but since I am spending almost every Christmas in Zagreb I just made it up. Added some blue, sope peaces of Christmas gifts wrap paper, and here it is, a magic.
Vrata podzemnih voda
Vrata podzemnih voda (Groundwater Gate)
Here you can meet even Paul Klee middle in one of the Zagreb Parks, “Tuškanac”. And this time again Azra poesie,looking souns suprisingly good also in english. Here even link to lyrics.
Skalinska Ulica (Scale street)
This place you will not recognize anymore when you are in Zagreb. And thats pity. And I know it sounds very old , and it sounds like I am consevartive and against cahne, but not all change is for better.
And I asked ChatGPT to paraphrase me, and this change is for better, look:
“You may find it difficult to recognize this place once you’re in Zagreb, and that’s unfortunate. I understand that my viewpoint might sound old-fashioned and conservative, and it might seem like I’m opposed to change. However, it’s important to acknowledge that not all changes are necessarily improvements.”
So I hope you enjoyed my collages and my thinking and cross references I made.
Maja Julijana B 