aleksandar aco priji1920-1986

podgorica 2011

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3Jubilej / Jubilee

Olga Perovi:AleksandarAco Priji

Reprodukcije / Reproduction

Izvodi iz kritika / Excerpts from critical reviews

Nikola Latkovi:Aco kao primijenjeni umjetnik /Aco as an applied artist

Izvodi iz intervjua / Excerpts from interviews

Skice, crtei, grafike, portreti i karikature /Sketches, drawings, prints, portraits and caricatures

Priji u oku savremenika /Priji in the eye of contemporaries

Ljiljana Zekovi:Bibliografija / Bibliography

Vitka Vujnovi:Biografija / Biography

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sadraj

IMPRESUM

Izdava/Publisherju Muzeji i galerije Podgorice

Za izdavaa/For the PublisherNiko Martinovivanredni lan canu

Tekst/TextOlga Perovi, lan canu

Redakcija/RedactionOlga PeroviLjiljana ZekoviPetrica Duleti

Urednik/EditorLjiljana Zekovi

Lector/ProofreaderAna Ivanovi

Prevod na engleski/TranslationOlivera Kusovac

Koordinator/Coordinatoruro Beli Priji

Fotogra ja/PhotoJason Gold, Nikola LatkoviSvetolik uranovi, Momir Matovi,Stevo Lepeti, Lazar Pejovi, Igor Vasilev

Biogra ja/BiographyVitka Vujnovi

Gra ko oblikovanje/DesignNikola Latkovi

dtp asistent/dtp assistentDavor Golubovi

tampa/PressPublikum, Beograd

Tira/Circulation1000

CIP ,

ISBN 978-9940-590-08-6COBISS.CG-ID 19172112

5Moderna galerija Podgorice osnovana je 1961. Godine od strane tadanje Optine Titograd. Znaajan jubilej, kao to je pede-set godina od formiranja Galerije, prilika je za podsjeanje na vrijeme i linosti koje su svojim idejama, ugledom i radom do-prinijeli stvaranju nove umjetnike klime u Crnoj Gori. U vrijeme stvaranja znaajnih institucija kulture: Umjetnike kole na Cetinju, Umjet-nike galerije, takoe na Cetinju, Udruenja likovnih umjetnika i drugih, mnogi likovni umjetnici doli su u Crnu Goru. Snagom svo-ga duha, kroz drutveni rad, mnogobrojne izlobe i manifestacije koje su se tada poele organizovati, razvili su jednu neprocjenjivu i autentinu dimenziju kulture i umjetnosti u Crnoj Gori.

The Modern Gallery of Podgorica was foun-ded in 1961 by the former Municipality of Titograd. A significant jubilee such as the 50th anniversary of the foundation of the Gallery is an opportunity to recall the time and the people who, with their ideas, work and reputation, contributed to the creati-on of a new artistic climate in Montenegro. At the time when significant cultural in-stitutions were established, such as: School of Art, Cetinje, Art Gallery, Cetinje, Association of Fine Artists and others, a large number of fine artists arrived in Montenegro. With the power of their spirit, through social work and numerous exhibitions and events which had only started to be organized, they deve-loped an invaluable and authentic dimensi-on of art and culture in Montenegro.

Monografija Aleksandar AcoPriji, prireena je povodom

obiljeavanja jubileja pedesetgodina od osnivanja Moderne galerije

Podgorice, a kao svojevrstan omaovom velikom umjetniku, njenom

osnivau i dugogodinjem direktoru.

The monograph on Aleksandar Aco Priji has been prepared

on the occasion of the jubilee 50th anniversary of the Modern Galleryof Podgorica, as a homage to this

great artist, its founder anddirector of many years.

6Generaciji umjetnika, entuzijasta i huma-nista koja je iskazala elju da radi na kul-turnom usponu Crne Gore pripadao je i Aleksandar - Aco Priji. Njegovi stavovi, zahvaljujui irokom spektru djelovanja, esto su presudno uticali na obiljeja naci-onalne umjetnosti toga vremena. Svojim slikarskim djelom, kao i razvije-nom svijeu o potrebi stvaranja specifinog likovnog izraza kojim bi crnogorska umjet-nost bila ukljuena u savremene evropske tokove, Priji je ostavio snaan peat na cr-nogorski umjetniki ivot druge polovine 20. vijeka. Sloenost i vieznanost Prijievog dje-la, jedinstvenog umjetnikog integriteta kao i rasprostranjenost njegovih radova po muzejima, galerijama i privatnim ko-lekcijama, razlog su to je od posljednje velike retrospektive prolo vie od deset godina. Projektom izrade monografije i or-ganizovanja reprezentativne retrospektivne izlobe, nastoji se pruiti uvid u stvarala-tvo ovog umjetnika iji je opus od nepro-cjenjivog znaaja za kulturno-umjetniki razvoj Crne Gore.

Petrica Duletikustos Moderne galerije

Podgorica

Among the generation of artists, enthusia-sts and humanists who expressed a wish to contribute to the cultural growth of Mon-tenegro was also Aleksandar Aco Priji. Thanks to a wide range of his activities, his attitudes frequently had a decisive impact on the features of national art of the day. With his painting and his acute aware-ness of the necessity to create a specific artistic expression which would include Montenegrin art in the contemporary Eu-ropean trends, Priji left a lasting imprint on Montenegros artistic life in the second half of the 20th century. The complexity and polysemy of Prijis oeuvre, with its unique artistic integrity, and dispersal of his works in various mu-seums, galleries and private collections are the reasons why more than ten years have elapsed since his last major retrospective exhibition. With the project including the publication of this monograph and orga-nization of a representative retrospective exhibition, we wish to offer an insight into the works of this artist whose oeuvre is of outstanding importance for the development of Montenegrin art and culture.

Curator at the Modern GalleryPodgorica

7U godinama neposredno po zavretku rata, u Crnoj Gori vlada specifina kulturna atmos-fera. Osjea se velika potreba da se razvije i osmisli kulturni ivot nerazvijene i poruene Crne Gore, koja je sada ravnopravna repu-blika u jugoslovenskoj federaciji. Svijest da crnogorski narod ima mogunosti da ivi u punoj slobodi, daje veliki podsticaj razma-hu kreativnih snaga. Potreba i elja da se umjetniki izrazi nova nacionalna situacija podstie na stvaranje uslova za slobodno i intenzivno umjetniko stvaranje, za peda-goki rad, okupljanje poznatih umjetnika i darovitih mladih ljudi, i maksimalni napor da se nadoknadi dugogodinje zaostajanje u kulturno-umjetnikom razvitku.

U likovnim djelima osjea se snana ideja kontinuiteta, jer sredine koje tek tada jasni-je konstituiu svoju umjetnost svjesno ele da sauvaju svoju prirodnu kulturnu i soci-jalnu boju, kako to istie M. Proti piui o jugoslovenskom slikarstvu este decenije. U

In the aftermath of the war, Montenegro saw a specific cultural atmosphere. There was a great need to design and develop the cul-tural life in undeveloped and demolished Montenegro, now an equal republic in the Yugoslav federation. The awareness that the Montenegrin people had an opportunity to enjoy full freedom added strong impetus to the creative forces. The need and desire "to artistically express the new national situa-tion" prompted the creation of conditions for a free and accelerated artistic creation, pedagogical work, for bringing together well-known artists and young talents, and an enormous effort to make up for the long lag in the cultural and artistic development.

In fine arts, "a powerful idea of continu-ity" was felt, since the regions constituting their art more clearly "deliberately wished to preserve their natural cultural and soci-al colour", as M. Proti pointed out writing about Yugoslav art in the 1950s. In these

Aleksandar - Aco PrijiOlga Perovi

lanska karta Udruenja likovnih umjetnika Crne Gore, 1946Member card of Association of Fine Artists of Montenegro

8tim uslovima Crnoj Gori je bio potreban svestrani i slobodni krea-tivni razmah. Potrebni su joj bili talentovani i matoviti stvaraoci i ona ih je pozvala da se okupe i pomognu stvaranje nove kulture i organizovanje kulturno-umjetnikog rada. Za likovni ivot bilo je izuzetno znaajno to su se iz Beograda vratili Petar Lubarda, Milo Milunovi i Milo Vukovi. Tu je i veina onih koji su pri-je rata zavrili ili zapoeli umjetniko kolovanje, a pristigli su iz ratnih brigada. Pridruuju im se mlai, daroviti i poletni, eljni znanja i aktivnosti. Okupljaju se najprije oko Umjetnikog ateljea pri Ministarstvu prosvjete, a neto kasnije u Udruenju likovnih umjetnika Crne Gore, koje je osnovano 1946. godine. Od njih se trai da aktivno participiraju u ukupnom kulturnom ivotu, ali im se i prua najvie to se moglo u tim oskudnim, potrebama pre-napregnutim uslovima. Bez likovnih umjetnika nita nije moglo da se uradi u to vrijeme: ni da se osnuje kulturna insitucija, ni da se organizuje proslava, ni da se izda knjiga a sa svim se tim tada poinjalo. Njihov uticaj je veliki, ali i njihova omiljenost.

Osniva se Udruenje likovnih umjetnika Crne Gore. Organizuju se prve izlobe na kojima uestvuju svi crno-gorski stvaraoci, bilo gdje da su tada ivjeli i radili. Tako se na njima esto izlau i djela koja u razvijenijim sre-dinama nijesu, zbog svog stila i sadrine, nailazila na odobravanje, jer je to bilo vrijeme kad je, pod uticajem do-gmatizma, bilo mogue i da se netalentovani i pasivni ne samo izjednae sa talentovanim i aktivnim, nego i da zauzmu stav sudije. Likovni ivot u Crnoj Gori pun je euforinog dinamizma, nezasite radoznalosti, neumorne enje za saznanjem i obrazovanjem, za stvaranjem. Sve to se zbiva u Crnoj Gori inspirativno je za stvaraoce: nesputani ponos na herojsku prolost, sagledavanje patnji i rtava naroda kosturi spaljenih kua i sakupljanje kostiju poginulih. Graditeljski poduhvati osobito izgradnja pruge NikiTitograd otkrivaju i bukvalno neke nove vidike i boje i oblike crnogorskog tla. Nadahnuti tom atmosferom i tim novim vienjima, najugledniji crnogorski likovni stvaraoci, Lubarda, Milunovi, Vukovi i drugi, slikaju svoja najbolja djela. Lubarda poinje da slika svoje uvene pejzae i bitke, Milunovi nostalgine kompozicije na temu zavretka rata i pejzae, Vu-kovi pejzae i likove iz naroda.

U to vrijeme osnovane su Srednja umjetnika kola i Umjetnika galerija na Cetinju. Na tome su se nesebino i svestrano angaovali Milunovi, Lubarda, Vukovi i svi drugi. Sa iskustvom svog mukotrpnog probijanja do saznanja i priznanja, svesrdno su prihvatili grupu mladih, oduevljenih i darovitih ljudi, spremnih da se uhvate u kotac sa obnovom zemlje i optom oskudicom, da naue i pokrenu druge.

U toj grupi jedan od zamajaca svake aktivnosti bio je Aleksandar-Aco Priji, koji je na Cetinje dospio iz zaro-bljenitva ve avgusta 1945. godine. Omladinski rukovodilac, kulturni aktivista, nije htio da zna da se neto nema i ne moe. Radio je vie nego to je mogao jedan ovjek i uio bre nego se kroz kolu moglo. Priji se ne upisuje ni u jednu kolu i ako je to vrijeme kada ratni kadrovi nijesu tretirani kao prerasli godinama. On je ve od prije rata imao izvjesno likovno obrazovanje, a i u radu u Ateljeu i u neposrednom kontaktu sa Miluno-viem i Lubardom on je intenzivno uio, svestrano dopunjavao svoje obrazovanje (i nastavio to tokom cijelog svog ivota i rada) i oslobaao svoj talenat poinjui sve intenzivnije da slika.

Ta rana faza je kod njega, kao i kod veine crnogorskih slikara srednje generacije, bila pod snanim uticajem njihovih uitelja Lubarde i Milunovia. Objektivna suenost likovne komunikacije i sugestivnost ova dva velika slikara uinili su da se kreativnost mladih umjetnika neto sporije originalno ispoljavala. Prijievi prvi radovi pripadaju izvjesnom ekspresivnom realizmu. Njegov kolorit je snaan, jasan, izvoran. Zeleno, sivo, crveno, ine

Brigada za ienje krovova, Cetinje, 1953Brigade-work on roof cleaning

9conditions Montenegro was in need of a comprehensive and free creative momentum. The country needed gifted and imaginative artists and it invited them to gather together and help the creation of a new culture and organiza-tion of cultural and artistic work. Of tremendous importance for fine arts was the fact that Petar Lubarda, Milo Milunovi and Milo Vukovi had returned from Belgrade. Also, there were a large number of those who had completed or started their art education prior to the war, and who had now arrived from war brigades. They were joined by younger people, with talent and enthusiasm, eager for knowledge and ac-tivity. They were first brought together by the Art Studio within the Ministry of Education, and somewhat la-ter by the Association of Fine Artists of Montenegro, founded in 1946. They were urged to participate in the overall cultural life, but they were also given as much as possible in the poor conditions strained by needs. At that time nothing could be done without fine artists: founding a cultural institution, organizing a celebration, publishing a book and all these activities were gearing up. The influence of these artists was great, and they were also very popular.

The Association of Fine Artists was founded. The first exhibitions were organized with the participation of all Montenegrin artists, wherever they lived and worked at that moment. Thus, these exhibitions frequently dis-played works which, due to their style and content, did not meet with approval in more developed places, as this was a time when, under the influence of dogmatism, it was possible for the "untalented and passive not only to be equalized with the talented and active but also to assume the role of a judge". Art life in Montenegro was full of euphoric dynamism, insatiable curiosity, tireless desire for knowledge, education, creation. Whatever hap-pened in Montenegro provided artists with inspiration: unrestrained pride in the heroic past, insights into the suffering and sacrifices of the people, the skeletons of burnt houses and collection of bones of the dead. Buil-

ding enterprises, the construction of Niki-Titograd railway in particular, literally revealed some new vistas and the "colours and shapes" of the Montenegrin soil. Inspired by the

atmosphere and the new vistas, the most renowned Montenegrin fine artists, such as Lubarda, Milunovi, Vukovi and others, painted their best works. Lubarda

started to paint his famous landscapes and battle scenes, Milunovi his nostalgic compositions on the theme of the end of war and lan-dscapes, and Vukovi his landscapes and characters of the people.

In this period, High School of Art and Art Gallery in Cetinje were founded. Their foundation was unselfishly helped by Milunovi, Lubarda, Vukovi and all others. With their own experience of hard work towards knowledge and recognition, they wholehear-tedly embraced the group of young and gifted enthusiasts ready to come to grips with the countrys revival and overall scantiness, eager to learn and to stimulate others.

One of the initiators and enthusiastic participants in all activities within this group was Aleksandar-Aco Priji, who arrived in Ceti-nje from imprisonment in August 1945. A youth leader and a cul-tural activist, Priji would not accept that something could not be done. He worked harder than a man could and learnt faster than it was possible in school. Priji did not enrol in any school altho-ugh it was a time when "war cadres" were not treated as "too old". Having received some artistic education prior to the war, in the Art Studio and in direct contact with Milunovi and Lubarda he

g p p ,ding enterprises, the constr

some new vistas and atmosphere and

as Lubarda,starte

Znaka i spomenik izgradnjepruge Niki TitogradEnsign and monument for the constructionof the railway from Niki to Titograd

Umjetniki studio Ministarstva prosvjete NRCG, Cetinje, 1945Art Studio of the Ministry of Education

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okosnicu hromatskog sklada. Slika pejzae iz okoline Cetinja, masline, sela u brdima, s avetinjskim, naputenim zgaritima.

Na prvim poratnim izlobama, kada je veliina slike takorei bila uslovljena veliinom pareta platna koje se teko nabavljalo, a kolorit podosta zavisio od boja do kojih se mo-glo doi, Priji ispoljava svoje trajno motivsko opredjeljenje izlae prve pejzae. O nje-mu ve 1948. godine Milutin Plamenac pie da pokazuje dosta samonikle snage i talen-ta, ima jaku slikarsku viziju i koloristike dispozicije.

Ta prva slikarska faza Prijieva ostaje u okvirima traganja za sopstvenim izrazom, koji se neto intenzivnije osjea u pastelu. Odlazak uitelja, Milunovia i Lubarde i preseljenje Umjetnike kole sa Cetinja, jo vie goni Prijia na samoobrazovanje. iri se krug moti-va koje obrauje tu su mrtve prirode, figure, veliki pejzai.

Kako mogunosti za rad postaju bolje i njegova su platna vea i sadrajno bogatija. Privlae ga panorame koje pucaju sa nebrojenih vidikovaca oko Cetinja, Skadarskog

jezera, iznad Primorja i Boke. Prihvata se sloenih zadataka da Kotor, Bar, vijugave trase crnogorskih pute-va, (koji su ni na nebu ni na zemlji) smjesti u okvire svojih slika. Antejski trajno vezan za zemlju, za Crnu Goru koju je pregorio i pregledao, bukvalno i uzdu i poprijeko, gdje mu je svaki kutak znan i ima za njega posebno znaenje, on tu nalazi trajnu inspiraciju, ui od prirode i kompoziciju i kolorit, stie sigur-nost i izvorno iskustvo. Povodom njegove izlobe 1954. Ratko urovi pie: Priji je prionuo za svoj isti, prisni, od djetinjstva noeni, doivljaj naih rijetko pitoresknih i dinaminih gorskih i primorskih predjela, znajui da tu sebe jedino moe nai.

abljak Crnojevia, 1946abljak Crnojeviaulje na platnu / oil on canvas36 x 47 cm

Bjelopavlii, 1950Bjelopavliiulje na platnu / oil on canvas, 50 x 35 cm

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studied intensively, comprehensively extending his education (which he continued to do throughout his life) and liberating his talent star-ting to paint more and more.

Just like the majority of Montenegrin painters of the middle genera-tion, in this early phase Priji was greatly influenced by his great ma-sters Lubarda and Milunovi. The objectively reduced scope of artistic communication and suggestiveness of these two great masters were the reasons why the expression of creativity and originality in young arti-sts was somewhat slower. Prijis first works belong to a kind of expre-ssive realism. His colouring is strong, clear and authentic. Green, gray and red make the framework of chromatic harmony. Priji painted lan-dscapes from the environs of Cetinje, olives, villages in the hills, with unearthly, abandoned sites of fire.

In the first post-war exhibitions, when the size of a painting was prac-tically determined by the size of a piece of canvas, which was hard to obtain, and the colouring was substantially dependant upon paints available, Priji expressed his lasting motif: he displayed his first lan-dscapes. As early as 1948, Milutin Plamenac wrote that Priji "shows a great deal of intrinsic strength and talent a powerful painting vision and a colourist disposition".

The first phase in Prijis painting remained within the framework of a search for his own expression, which is somewhat more strongly felt in pastel. The departure of his masters Milunovi and Lubarda and the relocation of the Art School from Cetinje, additionally steered Priji to self-education. His range of motifs expanded, now including still lifes, figures, large landscapes.

As work conditions generally improved, Prijis canvases became larger and richer in content. He was attracted by panoramic views offered from numerous vantage points around Cetinje and Lake Skadar, above the Coast and Boka. He undertook complex tasks of encompassing Kotor, Bar, Montenegrin meandering roads (which are "neither in the sky nor on the ground") in his paintings. Tied to the ground like Antaeus, to Montenegro that he "walked across" and "examined" literally lengthwise and crosswise, each corner being familiar and having a special meaning to him, Priji found a lasting inspiration in it, learning from nature the composition and colouring alike, and gaining confidence and authen-tic experience. On the occasion of his 1954 exhibition, Ratko urovi stated: "Priji embraced his pure, intimate experience he had cheris-hed since his childhood of our picturesque and dynamic mountainous and coastal areas, knowing that only in them could he find himself ".

Among the more prominent works from this period is "Old Bar", typical in many respects. Naturalistically conceived with its piled, striking, toothed walls, already recognizable colours, muffled sound and the atmosphere of nostalgic existence, it shows traits of Prijis later, more emphasized expressionism.

Stari Bar, 1960Old Town of Bar

ulje na platnu / oil on canvas

Iz Nikia, 1951From Nikipastel na papiru / pastel on paper, 40 x 56 cm

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U zapaenije radove iz toga perioda spada Stari Bar po mnogo emu karakteristian. Natu-ralistiki koncipiran sa svojim nagomilanim, upeatljivim, zubatim zidovima ve tada svojim bojama, priguenim zvukom i atmosferom nostalgine trajnosti, nose crte kasnijeg naglaenog Prijievog ekspresionizma.

Rad na mrtvim prirodama (Jastog, Kostur ribe) i obrada likova, prisiljavaju Prijia da savlada neke nove li-kovne odnose krupne planove, izrazitiji potez, sloeniju kompoziciju. Hitro, napregnuto, sa snanom stvara-lakom koncentracijom on to i uspijeva bez velikih studijskih predradnji. Prva Prijieva stvaralaka faza obu-hvatala je desetogodinji period, negdje do 1958.godine. On se osamostalio, definisao svoja motivska traganja i izraajne principe.

Nekoliko studijskih putovanja u Grku (1953), Italiju (1954), Francusku (1957) i opet Italiju (1960), veoma su uti-cali na proirivanje njegovih vidika, na zadovoljavanje njegove umjetnike radoznalosti, bila su podsticaj slo-bodnijem prilazu i motivima i slikanju. Osobito ga je uznemirio boravak u Francuskoj. On tamo i po povratku slika figure, ulice, mrtve prirode. Karakteristina je slika Bistro sa autoportretom, i to dobrim u prvom planu. Ali, to je samo jedna od neminovnih Prijievih stvaralakih proba. On se opet vraa izrazito crnogorskim mo-tivima. Za te studijske boravke, ipak, moe se vezati poetak druge, dvadesetogodinje stvaralake faze Priji-

eve. To je i vrijeme kada se on seli u Titograd (1959), gdje ivi i radi ba tih dvadeset godina.

Kao direktor Muzeja NOB-a na Cetinju, Bavei se istorijom narodno-oslobodilake borbe u Cr-noj Gori, on kao da rezimira inspiracije i saznanja do kojih je i kroz taj rad doao. Radi nekoliko,

Stari Bar je za slikara fina lokacija, koja ni dan-danas nije obraena. U pozadini su brda. Onda tu su razvaline. Danas je

to jedna pusto. Tu se zmije legu, a divlja smokva i nar rastu. Konfiguracija same

Rumije je vrlo interesantna. Postoje tri mjesta na cijeloj naoj dalmatinskoj obali

gdje bih volio da slikam brdo. To su Rumija, kotorska i omika brda.

Iz knjige Susreti saumjetnicima, 1977, Jevto Milovi

Stari Bar, 1960Old Town of Barulje na platnu / oil on canvas

Stari Bar, 1960Old Town of Bar

ulje na platnu / oil on canvas

Kostur ribe, 1954Fishboneulje na platnu / oil on canvas, 42 x 28 cmvlasnik / owner Narodni muzejCrne Gore, Cetinje

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Work on still lifes ("Lobster", "Fish Skeleton") and characters compelled Priji to master some new artistic me-ans: close-ups, a more distinct stroke, more complex composition. Swiftly, intently, with intense creative con-centration he managed that without great preparations. Prijis first creative phase covered a ten-year period, approximately until 1958. He became independent, defining his explorations of motifs and expressive principles.

A few study visits to Greece (1953), Italy (1954), France (1957) and then Italy again (1960) helped Priji to broa-den his views and satisfy his artistic curiosity, acting as an impetus to a freer approach both to the motifs and to painting itself. He was particularly moved by his stay in France. In France, and back home, he painted figures, streets, still lifes. A characteristic painting is "The Bistro" with a self-portrait, a good one, in the forefront. But, it was just one of Prijis unavoidable creative trials. He returned again to the recognizable Montenegrin mo-tifs. Nevertheless, these study visits can be linked to the beginning of Prijis second, twenty-year long creative phase. That was a time when he moved to Titograd (1959), where he lived and worked for these twenty years.

Dealing with the history of the peoples liberation struggle in Montenegro as the director of the NOB Museum in Cetinje, Priji seems to have summarized the inspirations and insights he gained through this work. As a result, he created several exceptionally interesting paintings, both thematically and artistically. "Burnt Brajii" is an artistic summary of his previous work; content-wise, however, it is also a prologue to a new phase pa-intings from the peoples liberation struggle and more robust landscapes with stone which, like a facture and symbol, emphasizes a new artistic approach. In this painting, on the gray, stone surfaces the skeletons of burnt houses are arranged in a soft rhythm, light brown from the fire and the sun, somehow defiant, in conspiracy with the sky. A historical dimension is unobtrusively present, too. The overall atmosphere sparks off associati-ons of the indestructibility of life in this area, of proud resistance, continuity of struggle. "Brajii" is just one in

Bistro, 1958Bistroulje na platnu /oil on canvasvlasnik / ownerVila Gorica,Podgorica

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i tematski i likovno, izuzetno interesantnih slika. Platno Popaljeni Brajii jeste likovni rezime dotadanjeg rada. Ali, i sadrajni pro-log nove faze slika iz NOB-a i robusnijeg slikanja pejzaa sa kamenom, koji kao fak-tura i simbol naglaava nov likovni pristup.

Na ovoj slici na sivim plohama kamena u blagom ritmu rasporeeni su kosturi popaljenih kua, svijetlosmei od ognja i sunca, nekako prkosni, u dosluhu s nebom. Nenametljivo je prisutna izvjesna istorijska dimenzija. Opta atmosfera navodi na asocijacije o neunitivosti ivota pa ovome tlu, o ponosu otporom, o borbenom kontinuite-tu. Brajii su samo jedna od slika iz NOB-a. Priji tada radi Motanicu, Oplakivanje poginulog, Jasikovac. Hromatski jedinstvene prigueni i tamni tonovi maslinasto-zelene, mrke, ugasito sive, s akcentima karmin-cr-vene one su srodne s tim pejzaom po misaonoj poruci o neunitivosti svoga na svome, o kaljenju patnjom.

Po kompozicionoj kompaktnosti i snanoj izraajnosti izdvaja se Jasikovac. Gusto isprepletena tijela strijeljanih spojena su kao simbol otpora iznad poprene grede uvis streme stisnute pesnice u samrtnom gru, a tijela se oputaju, prijenjaju k zemlji. Ovom ciklusu bi se mogla pripojiti i slika Prolazak agitatora, neobino kompono-vana, sa, za Prijia, dosta karakteristinim prvim planom gdje se na jednoj polusuvoj grani divljeg nara zadrao letak, trag i dah ovjeka koji je tuda projurio. A u pozadini se divan pejza, lazurno naslikan, gubi u perspektivi.

Pejza je neiscrpni poligon Prijievog ek-sperimentisanja. On ga slika uljem, tempe-rom, pastelom i akvarelom. Mnogobrojne harmonije boja u raznim fazama, plasirane razliitim fakturama, doaravaju motive iz prirode. On radi iroke panorame planin-skih pejzaa i primorja, vedute Skadarskog jezera, bira neobine kamene oblike, i vre i korijenje, cvijet i plodove pitoresknog nara, liajeve, arabeske morskog dna.

Skadarsko jezero, svoju neiscrpnu inspiraciju, slikao je u jednom periodu varijacijama ma-hovinastog zelenila. Tako jezerska voda postaje prozrana, tajnovita, obale neuhvatljive u mijenama pod zracima sunca u svitanju ili zalasku. Sve je premreeno arabesknim granica-

ma, s ponekim zvunim akordom karmina, orana ili okera. Ovea platna s dubokim perspektivama, sigurnim, asocijativnim. Boje nanesene u tankom sloju, gotovo prozrane.

Crmnika pitomina preteno je temperom raena. Snana, izrazita faktura, jarke boje i naglaena struktura izvedeni su iz prirodne konstrukcije tla i opinjavajue panorame njiva ispresijecanih meama. Vrtae briljivo obraene ta-mnozelenom bojom, ili oaze zvune smee boje tek uzoranih djelova njiva, u poretku potenciranom do grafinosti.

Tri po tri, Motanica, 1964Three by Three, Motanicaulje na platnu / oil on canvas, 140 x 102 cmvlasnik / owner Narodni muzej Crne Gore, Cetinje

To je vezano za jedan dogaaj u Nikiu.Tu se radi o tri brata Cicovia koji su jednoga dana na Motanici strijeljani. Ja mislim da je to bilo 1943. Talijani su ih bili tobo pustili iz logora i kad su ih doveli u Niki, onda su izvodili tri po tri i strijeljali ih. I ja sam tu svoju sliku nazvao Tri po tri, Motanica. Iz knjige Susreti sa umjetnicima,1977, Jevto Milovi

Proljee, 1961Springulje na lesonitu / oil on masonite, 93 x 36 cmvlasnik / owner Moderna galerija, Podgorica

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a series of paintings from the peoples liberation struggle, which include: "Motanica", "Mourning the Dead", "Jasikovac". Chroma-tically unique with muted and dark tones of olive-green, brown and dark gray, with carmine red accents, they are close to the lan-dscape in their message of the indestructibility of life in our land, of hardening through suffering.

The work standing out by its compact composition and powerful expressiveness is "Jasikovac". The intertwined bodies of the shot persons are linked as a symbol of resistance above a crossbar, ti-ght fists are raised in death throes, while bodies lifelessly cling to the ground. The arms, symbols of a bomb strike, apparently unin-terrupted, deadly faces, atmosphere of tragic excitement. "The Pa-ssage of an Agitator", with an unusual composition, may also be added to this cycle; this painting has a foreground quite charac-teristic of Priji, where on a semi-dry branch of wild pomegrana-te a flyer has been caught, the trace and the breath of a man who has hurried passed it. In the background is a beautiful landscape, lightly painted, disappearing in perspective.

Landscape is an inexhaustible field of Prijis experimenting. He painted in oil, tempera, pastel and water co-lours. Numerous harmonies of colour in various phases, presented with various factures, conjure up motifs from nature. Priji painted wide panoramas of mountain landscapes and the seaside, veduti of Lake Skadar, as well as odd stone forms, baskets and roots, flowers and fruits of the picturesque pomegranate, lichens, arabesques of the seabed.

Lake Skadar, an inexhaustible source of his inspiration, in one period Priji clad in immeasurable variations of mossy greenery. Lake water, translucent, mysterious, elusive banks changing under the rays of the sun at dawn or at sunset; all this covered in arabesque twigs, with a few acoustic chords of carmine, orange or ochre. Quite large canvases with deep perspectives, confident, associative. Colours spread in thin layers, almost transparent.

Then there were the tame landscapes of Crmnica, mostly painted in tempera. Striking, powerful facture. Vi-vid colours. Marked structure modelled on the natural structure of the ground and enchanting panoramas of fields intersected by stone borders, carefully depicted sinkholes in dark green, or oases of sonorous brown colour of the just ploughed parts of the fields, in an order stre-ssed to the level of the graphic representation.

These pictures are closely linked to Prijis extraordinary pastels. Although he had always worked on them, for several years he was absolutely enchanted by them. In one swing he brought out of himself an extraordinary orchestration of colour giving the standard proportions of his pastels some monumental note. In this period he also created some interiors, nudes, still lifes and a series of landscapes, mostly from the lake. Some are vigorous, colourful, lyrically intoned, exciting the viewer with the muffled power of strong, authentic inspiration and groaning with the muffled sounds of juicy carmine, velvet greenery, surfaces of soft ochre, with the softened outlines of the objects ("Storm at the Lake", "Morning"); others are vibrant, characterized by dis-tinct, indigo blue colour, various shades of brown and dark gray, intersected with graphically sharp strokes contouring the motif ("Shell", "Pomegranates").

Vranjina, 1961Vranjina

ulje na lesonitu /oil on masonite

Crmniki pejza, 1966Crmnica Landscapeulje na platnu /oil on canvas

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Na ove slike nadovezuju se izvanredni Pri-jievi pasteli. Iako ih je oduvijek radio, ne-koliko godina su ga opinjavali. U jednom zamahu izvukao je iz sebe nesvakidanju orkestraciju boja koja je standardnim pro-porcijama njegovih pastela dala neke mo-

numentalne prizvuke. U tom periodu uradio je i neke enterijere, aktove i mrtve prirode i seriju pejzaa, ponajvi-e jezera. Jedni jedri, puni boje, lirski intonirani, potmulom snagom uzbuuju snane izvorne inspiracije i jee priguenim zvucima sonog karmina, kadifnog zelenila, ploha blagog okera, sa ublaenim obrisima predmeta (Oluja na jezeru, Jutro); drugi ustreptali, modre, jasno plave boje, razne nijanse smeih i tamnosivih, ispre-sijecane su grafiki otrim potezima koje konturiraju motiv (koljka,ipci).

Prisno poimajui Prijieve pejzae, godine 1964. edo Vukovi pie: Sama priroda kao da je u Prijievim plat-nima dobila blizance, roene znatno poslije nje, liene mnogih sitnih ukrasa, ne sasvim nalik na prirodu samu, ali toliko vjerne njenoj sutini, njenom najdubljem obliju i dahu, njenom smislu postojanja i ljepoti odoljeva-nja pred vremenom i olujama, da ovjek spontano pone vjerovati u samostalno ivljenje, u trajanje ovih slika uporedo sa prirodom koja ih je nadahnula. A Priji, kao da nikad nije naisto sa tim to trai i to nalazi u pri-rodi, ona mu diktira neprekidne mijene. Svoj slikarski postupak prilagoava njenom udesnom kaleidoskopu koji ga neprekidno iznenauje.

U drugoj polovini sedme decenije, zadra-vajui interesovanje za motive Skadarskog jezera i predjela oko njega, Priji vie obra-a panju na detalje u prirodi liaj, drvo, kamen. Opinjava ga kamen, sraslost ovje-kova sa njim. ini mu se ovjekolik. Slika Kaluerice vie verzija (od 1961. do 1964.)

razliitih po koloritu i fakturi. Sam kae u razgovoru s istoriarom, dr Jeftom Miloviem da je na taj motiv, kao na gotovu kompoziciju naiao na putu izmeu Cetinja i Titograda. Rekli su mu: To su kaluerice. Evo vidi red kaluerica kao da idu u crkvu. Naslikao je, dakle, niz kamenih figura nalik na ene koje se kreu u drama-tinom ritmu kao irealna vizija u realnom pejzau. Gusto sivilo vieslojno nanesene boje plastino izdvaja te figure, a pejza se gubi u magliastoj perspektivi. Kamen ga sada opinjava, namee mu se odjednom svojom strukturalnou, atraktivnom asocijativnou detalja i odnosom sa okolinom. On izgrauje adekvatan rukopis. Reljefni nanosi boje plastino oblikuju dominantne gromade kamena na platnima simbolinih naziva: Erozija kamena,Kamena vuica. Boja u ovoj fazi gubi ljepotu nijansi, a i irina pejzaa se svodi na reducirane karak-teristike tla, podloge kamenih figura i isto, raznobojno nebo. Naputajui lazurnost u korist plastinosti s uro-enim i sigurnim osjeanjem Priji mijenja i karakter boje. Ona je sada ista, snana, izdiferencirana sjenkama koje stvara reljefni nanos. Siva, crvena, oker, smea, zelena u gogenovskim intonacijama.

U ovo vrijeme nastaje i jedna karakteristina i neobina Prijieva slika Stradanje. Odazivajui se molbi ista-knutog kulturnog radnika don Nikole Lukovia da za njegovu galeriju u pranjskoj crkvi izradi sliku, Priji sli-ka Hrista, ovjeka razapetog na kamenu. Na slici velikih dmenzija (3 x 1,5 m) monumentalna figura ovjeka sra-sla je sa stijenom iz koje u dnu, kao simbol ivota, izbija neunitivi apurak divljeg nara. Iznad njega nalazi se

Morsko dno, 1964Seabedpastel na lesonitu /pastel on masonite

Kaluerice, 1960The Nunsulje na lesonitu / oil on masonite110 x 47,5 cm

Liaj, 1963Lichenulje na lesonitu / oil on masonite

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Knowledgeably and with intimate understanding of Prijis lan-dscapes, in 1964 edo Vukovi noted down, "Nature itself seems to have received twin siblings in Prijis canvases, born much later, deprived of many tiny decorations, not quite like nature itself, but so true to its essence, its deepest form and breath, the sense of its existence and the beauty of its resistance against time and storms, that man spontaneously starts to believe in independent living, in the existence of these paintings concurrent with nature which inspired them". And Priji seemed never to be certain about what he was looking for and what he found in nature, as it dictated con-tinuous changes. He adjusted his painting procedure to its magic kaleidoscope which never stopped surprising him.

In the second half of 1960s, maintaining his interest in the motifs from Lake Skadar and its environs, Priji devoted greater attention to specific details in nature lichen, wood, stone. He was fascinated by stone, by its entwining with man. It appeared manlike to him. This is best illustrated by the several versions of The Nuns (from 1961 to 1964), differing in colouring and facture. The artist himself said to Jefto Milovi that he had come across this motif, like a complete composition, on the Cetinje-Titograd road. He was told, "They are nuns. You see, a group of nuns, as if going to the church". So, he depicted a set of stone figures resembling women moving in a dramatic rhythm as an unreal vision in real scenery. The dense grayness of multi-layered paint distinguishes these figures in a plastic manner, while the landscape disappears in hazy perspective. He was now enchanted by stone, which suddenly captured his attention with its structu-ral nature, appealing associativeness of details and relationship with the environment. He developed a suita-ble manuscript. Relief layers of paint in a plastic manner shape the dominant stone boulders in the paintings with symbolic titles: "Stone erosion", "Stone She-Wolf". In this phase, colour lost the beauty of nuances, while the width of the landscape was reduced to the diminished features of the soil, background of the stone figures and clear, colourful sky. Abandoning thin layers of paint in favour of plasticity, with an inborn, confident fee-ling Priji changed the character of the colour, too. It was now clean, strong, differentiated by shadows created by relief layers. Gray, red, ochre, brown, green in Gauguin-like intonations.

In this period a characteristic and unusual painting was also created - "Suffering". Responding to a request by an excellent cultural worker Don Nikola Lukovi that he should make a painting for his gallery in a church in Pranj, Priji painted Christ, a man crucified on stone. The large canvas (3 x 1.5,m) depicts a two-meter figure of a man grown into a rock from which, at the bottom, as a symbol of life, an indestructible sprout of wild pome-granate crops up; above it is a Montenegrin woman with a child in her lap, and next to them a portrait figure of Don Niko Lukovi. The composition, one of the largest that Priji created, is impressive both in its idea and its treatment. It is more directly symbolic than usual, as Priji was rather prone to discreet symbolism. It is also more illustrative, but it nevertheless fits into his style and his engagement.

Restless, curious, excited, impatient, Aleksandar Priji desired to try everything out: he frequently changed colours, facture, compo-sition, continuously interested in all novelties in the area of fine arts, but inherently cautious in experimenting with the meaning. Priji never worked in a particular manner for too long. He ince-ssantly improved his expression, modernized it, clothing Monte-negrin nature in colourful dresses of his rich imagination. He so-ught and found the attractive, underlining the meaning of colour

Kamena eljust, 1967Stone Jaws

ulje na platnu /oil on canvas

Erozija kamena, 1969Stone Erosionulje na platnu / oil on canvas140 x 92 cm

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Crnogorka s djetetom u krilu, dok je sa strane predstavljen por-tretska figura don Nika Lukovia. Kompozicija, jedna od najveih koje je Priji radio, impresivna je i po ideji i po obradi. Nesumnjivo u skladu sa njegovim stilom i angaovanou, ova kompozicija je direktnije simbolina nego to je ovaj umjetnik, sklon diskretnoj simbolici, imao obiaj da radi.

Nemiran, radoznao, uzbuen, nestrpljiv, Aleksandar Priji je htio sve da isproba: esto mijenja boje, fakturu, kompoziciju, ostaje za-interesovan za sve novosti u likovnom domenu, uroeno oprezan u eksperimentisanju sa znaenjem. Priji nije nikada predugo radio u jednom maniru. Neprekidno je usavravao svoj izraz, moderni-zovao ga, presvlaei crnogorsku prirodu u koloritne odede svoje bogate imaginacije. Trai i nalazi atraktivno, podvlaei znaenje boje i odnose kompozicionih elemenata odgovarajuom faktu-rom. Ima uroeni smisao da osjeti boju i njenu mo, da je donese i nametne gledaocu punoom, sjajem, zvunou, istu i otru, ili iznijansiranu i njenu, nikad sladunjavu, nikad surovu. U najbo-ljim svojim radovima, zanesen traenjem, pokazuje se kao slikar od nerva, kome je boja u krvi, sav svijet u likovnim determinan-tama. On ne bjei od najljepih crnogorskih pejzaa jer su oni po-znati, slikani od drugih, on gledaocu prua svoje vienje, ukazuje na njihovu vieobraznost. Nekad ih slika kao obavijene roman-tinom nostalgijom ljubiasto-sivih predveerja i blijedozelenih svitanja, ali i napadne, u simfoninoj zvunosti ljetne podnevne ege kad sunanim sjajem jei i crveno, i zeleno, i uto, i izrazito plavo, i svijetlosmee. Uvijek iznova otkriva njihovu snagu, suro-vost i ljepotu, podvlai postojanost sutinskih komponenti. Potu-je strukturalnu izraajnost kompozicije koju priroda nudi, pa ak i boje, kojoj daje dramatini tretman bez sentimentalnosti. Njegov hromatizam nije ni previe svijetao, ni previe taman. Do pravog tona dolazi s lakoom.

Neki kardinal koji je doao iz Rima vidio ju je u nekoj crkvi.Blago reeno ostao je zadivljen. Ona pokazuje Hristarazapetog ali ne na krstu. Hrist je bio razapetna strminama crnogorske planine.

Ko je to slikao? upitao je kardinal. Jedan od vatrenih komunista u Crnoj Gori odgovorio je svetenik.

Iz teksta Av Gertrude u norvekomlistu "Lordags-Ekstra", jun 1975

Mislim, da je ovo prvi put u ikonografiji Raspea,da je Hrist razapet na kru umjesto na drvu.Tim ste unijeli jedan novi elemenat u likovnojumjetnosti. Stoga Vam se zaista mora estitati.Vae ime ostaje za vjeita vremenavezana sa ovim hramom.

Iz pisma don Nika Lukovia1. januar 1968

Raspee, 1967Crucifixulje na platnu / oil on canvas, 126 x 275 cmvlasnik / owner Samostan Sv. Nikole, Pranj

Priji ima smjelosti u komponovanju, ali nema uvijek strpljenja da istraje. To ponajvie pokazuju njegova vea i dekorativna platna. Sliku Pobili se orli i sokoli u foajeu Crnogorskog narodnog pozo-rita radio je sa Brankom Filipoviem. Ovo je rijedak primjer slike koja je u funkciji freske. Ima neke krutosti u kompoziciji koja upu-uje na Filipoviev rad u mozaiku, ali ima i vedre atmosfere, irine i prave dekorativnosti koja odlikuje Prijievo slikarstvo. I druge kompozicije veih dimenzija otkrivaju neke nedovoljno iskorie-ne mogunosti. Rapsodija abljaka pokazuje zanimljivo spajanje realnog i imaginarnog predjela i motiva iz nacionalne istorije. Ova slika definisana je razuenim intonacijama zelenog i sivoplavog, sa blagim obrisima figura i predmeta, u vjeto izmijeanim plano-vima. Priji kae: Kad ovjek pogleda Crnu Goru kao da vidi osam planova. Reklo bi se da su to kulise, da je to udesna pozorina predstava u prirodi. Tamo rastu bukve, hrast, kupina, loza, smokva,

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and relations of compositional elements with a suitable facture. He had an innate ability to feel the colour and its power, to impose it on the viewer with its fullness, shine, sono-rity a pure and sharp colour, or tinted and delicate, never sweetish, never harsh. In his best works, enthralled and carried away with his search, forced to say it all, Priji proved to be a sensitive painter, with colour in his blood, whose whole world is determined by the visual. He did not flee from the most stunning Montenegrin landscapes because they were familiar, already painted by others; instead, he provided the viewer with his own vi-sion, pointing to their multifaceted nature. Sometimes he painted them as imbued with a romantic nostalgia of early, purple-gray evenings and pale green dawns, but also as stri-king, in the symphonic sonority of midday summer heat, when red, green, yellow, bright blue, and light brown all groan with the sunshine. Over and over again he revealed their strength, harshness and unadulterated beauty, underlining the lastingness of essential components. He respected the structural expressiveness of the composition offered by nature, and even colours, to which he gave a dramatic treatment without sentimentality. His colouring is neither too light, nor too dark. He found the right tone with ease.

Priji was bold in composing, but not always patient enough to persevere. This is best illustrated by his larger and decorative paintings. "The Fight of Eagles and Falcons" exhibited in the foyer of the Montenegrin Natio-nal Theatre was created together with Branko Filipovi. This is one of the rare paintings in the function of a fresco. There is some rigidness in the composition characteristic of Filipovis mosaic, but there is also a lively atmosphere, broadness and true decorativeness typical of Priji. Other large-format paintings also reveal some insufficiently used possibilities. "abljak Rhapsody" shows an intriguing blend of a real and imaginary landsca-pe and motives from the national history. It is painted in green and gray-blue intonations, with soft outlines of figures and objects, in skilfully mixed layers. Priji says, "When one looks at Montenegro, one appears to see eight layers. It is like coulisses, like a magical theatre performance in nature. Beech, oak, blackberries, vine, fig, pomegranate, lemon, oranges they all grow there. All is intertwined and all luxuriant in spring, the harsh and incredibly tame landscape, rocky boulders, a flower sprouting from a stone". All this was felt in a certain way whenever Priji painted Montenegro. He often emphasized a detail which attracted him and which he could not give up, and then there started a mesmerizing conflict between water and the hills, different at different times of the day, or a necklace of hills, roads, houses, panoramically united and very real.

None of Prijis creative stages commenced ad hoc. By rule, elements which were later to become dominant were noticed in a painting much earlier. A creative problem was spotted, which tormented the painter smouldering

Pobili se orli i sokoli, zidna kompozicija u Crno-gorskom narodnom pozoritu PodgoricaThe Fight of Eagles and Falcons, wall compositionin The National Theatre of MontenegroAleksandar Priji i Branko Filipovi Filo / al fresco

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nar, limun, pomoranda. Sve se splelo i sve je bujno s proljea, pejza je surov i nevjerovatno pitom, stjenovi-te gromade, iz kamena nie cvijet. Sve se to na neki nain osjea kad Priji slika Crnu Goru. Kod njega je esto u prvom planu neki od tih detalja koji ga je privukao i koga ne moe da se odrekne, a onda poinje opinjava-jui sukob vode i brda, razliit u mijenama dana, ili erdan gora, puteva, kua, realan i panoramski ujedinjen.

Nijedna Prijieva stvaralaka faza ne poinje na preac. Uvijek se u nekoj slici, ak i znatno ranije, naziru ele-menti koji e kasnije postati dominantni. Nazire se kreativni problem koji mui slikara, tinja u podsvijesti i on ga s vremena na vrijeme poinje rjeavati, pa ga opet potisne, da uz tekui rad sazrijeva dok ne kresne varnica koja e osvijetliti novu mogunost izraza. Kako je nastajala njegova poslednja slikarska faza vidljivo je kroz ne-koliko slika sa omiljenim mu motivom pijetla. Priji sam u jednom intervjuu kae da mu je moda najdraa sli-ka Crveni pijetao, koju je naslikao i izlagao u aku 1966. godine. Na ovoj slici doao sam do jednog rezultata koji mi je otvorio novi put. To je slika raena u pastelu, ali reljefno, to sam kasnije primijenio u tehnici ulja... Koji je to novi put vidi se na slikama Kokot iz 1968. godine i drugim doraenijim varijantama iz 1972. godi-ne. Slikajui ovaj neobini likovni motiv, ivotinju koja i u prirodi posjeduje izvesnu pitoresknost i izraajnost, on slojevitim nanosima jarke boje izvlai viestruko znaenje ovog simbolikog fenomena. U drugoj varijanti veu panju posvjeuje kompoziciji te se tu posebno istie snaga oblika i sklad pokreta. Istoriarka umjetno-sti Tatjana Pejovi s pravom naglaava da Kokot blista svjeinom iste boje, tako da podsjea na neke sasvim druge tehnike gleosanu keramiku i emajl. Pastozni namazi, duhovit i matovit crte, ine da ovo platno pli-jeni spontanou i ubjedljivou...

Doavi kroz viegodinju obradu ovog motiva do stabilnog saznanja o novim mogunostima likovnog izraa-vanja kroz praktinu modifikaciju rukopisa (mogunosti koje osobito odgovaraju Prijievoj vjeitoj enji da kamen uini ivim sagovornikom gledaocu), slikar smjelo i sve ee slika na novi nain neke, ve ranije kla-sino obraene motive, osobito pejzae, te novi nain slikanja postepeno nadvladava prethodni i Priji ulazi u svoju burnu, posljednju, kreativnu fazu. O pojedinim slikama nastalim krajem sedme decenije, a povodom Pri-jieve izlobe u Novom Sadu 1970. godine, likovni kritiar Slobodan Sanader zabiljeio je: Priji, na lazurnoj povrini odreenog tonaliteta, dobija u konstrukciji crtea, velikim nanosom paste, plastinost slike. Na taj na-in pejza poinje da ivi, otkrivajui neposrednost doivljaja umjetnika. Plastinost slike ima neki udan unu-tranji ritam koji vrlo efektno djeluje. Ako u slikama Sive kaluerice, areva kopita, Crveni pejza, osjeamo prisustvo dramskih akcenata, u Staroj maslini nadrealnu viziju, u slikama Bijela seka i Crna seka osjeamo in-timnu lirsko-poetsku notu

Sliku "Kokot sam napravio igrajui se. Skicirao sam jaje, dodao mu glavu i napravio kokota. Napravio sam mu raireno krilo kao vezeni crnogorski koret. Gotovo sam mu stavio kljun na rep kao da ga upa. U Crnoj Gori postoji izreka: Ako je kokot nemoan, sam sebi upa rep. Iz knjige Susreti sa umjetnicima, 1977, Jevto Milovi

Jednom sam tragao za motivima i na-iao sam na jedan vei kamen u kome sam vidio dva udubljenja kao konjska ko-pita. obani, na koje sam naiao, rekli su mi da su to kopita arca Marka Kralje-via. Zato sam ja sliku nazvao areva kopita. [priji]

areva kopita, 1975Pinto Horses Hooves

ulje na platnu /oil on canvas

Kokot, 1968The Roosterulje na platnu /oil on canvas73 x 76 cm

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in his subconsciousness and which he started to solve from time to time, only to suppress it again, leaving it to mature until a spark was ignited to illuminate a new possibility of expression. How his last creative stage emerged can best be seen through a few paintings with the rooster as his favourite motif. In an interview, Priji himself said that possibly his favourite painting was "Red Rooster", painted and displayed in aak in 1966. In this painting I achieved a result which opened a new road to me. It is a pastel painting, but a relief one, which I later applied in oil technique The new road is seen in The Rooster from 1968 and other more completed variants from 1972. Painting this unusual artistic motif, this temperamental animal, equally impressive in life itself with its picturesque and expressive nature, he created multiple meanings of this symbolical phenomenon by layers of bright colours. In another variant, he devoted greater attention to the composition itself, so parti-cularly prominent here are the strength of the clouds and the harmony of movements. Tatjana Pejovi rightfully points out that "The Rooster" beams with the freshness of clean colour, thus reminding us of totally different techniques glazed ceramics and enamel. Thick layers of paint, humorous and imaginative drawing, make this painting enchant the viewer with its spontaneity and persuasiveness

Working on this motif for several years, Priji gained a stable insight into the new possibilities of artistic expre-ssion through a practical modification of a manuscript, possibilities which suited well the artists eternal desi-re to make a stone become a live collocutor of the viewer. Thus, more and more often, he boldly painted some earlier, more classically presented motifs, particularly landscapes, in a new way, and this new manner of pain-ting gradually took over, thus opening the turbulent last creative stage of Prijis art. Speaking of some of the-se paintings created in Titograd, or actually its environs, towards the end of 1060s, on the occasion of Priji's exhibition in Novi Sad in 1970, Slobodan Sanader points out nicely:

"On a lightly painted surface of a certain tonality, with large additions of paint, in the construction of a drawing Priji achieves plasticity of the image. In this way a landscape begins to live, revealing the direct experience of the artist. The plasticity of the image has an odd inner rhythm which appears very effective. While in the pain-tings "Gray Nuns", "Pinto Horses Hooves" or "Red Landscape", we feel the presence of dramatic accents, in the "Old Olive" a surreal vision, in the "White Rock" and "Black Rock" we feel an intimate lyrical and poetic note ..."

The last decade of his life Priji spent in Herceg-Novi. The profound impact of nature on his painting now be-came especially prominent. The mysterious, predominantly ultramarine colouring the sky and the sea, in con-trast with the stone and mountains on the coast, prompted him to develop a highly individual painting style.

Jesen na jezeru, 1973Autumn on Lakeulje na platnu / oil on canvas

Liaj, 1969Lichenulje na platnu / oil on canvas, 50 x 40 cmvlasnik / owner Narodni muzej Crne Gore, Cetinje

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Posljednju deceniju ivota Priji provodi u Herceg Novom. Duboki uticaj prirode na njegovo slikarstvo sada dolazi do posebnog izraaja. Tajnoviti, preteno ultramarinski kolorit neba i mora, kontrast koji sa njima ini kamenjar i planine na obalama, podstiu ga da izgradi osoben slikarski rukopis. Bira izrazite boje, ali ih vie ne nijansira nego nanosi u debelom reljefnom sloju, postiui time specifian izraajni efekat. Mijenja i boju sun-ca da bi istakao mogunost nadrealnog osvjetljenja izvanredno pitoresknog realnog pejzaa kao motiva. Ovo je najoriginalnija Prijieva faza koja naglaava trajnu i bujnu vitalnost njegovog dara.

I ova faza zadrava tematsko i koloritno jedinstvo sa ranijim ostvarenjima. Zadravajui intenzivni i bogati kolorit svojih pastela mrka, karmin crvena, topla uta dopunjava ga primorskim tonalitetom snane plave boje. Gustim reljefnim nanosima ostvaruje dramatian, uznemirujui efekat. Karakteristike ranijeg slikanja pejzaa osvjeava delikatnim rezbarenjem u toj slojevitoj masi boje. Pejzai postaju slini sa neobinim gra-virama, bolje rei, duborezima. U snanim kontrastima bojenih povrina postie svojevrsni apstraktni izraz realnog pejzaa. Pod mrkim ili sasvim bijelim suncem drukije izgledaju predjeli i predmeti. Svoja snovie-nja Priji pretvara u slike.

Vjeita elja da shvati i izrazi mijene kamenog tla pod sunanim crnogorskim nebom, odvela je Prijia u pro-duhovljeno istraivanje odnosa svjetlosti i tla, mijena spektra u dodiru s kamenom. Primorje sa kamenitim za-leem u godinama njegove pune ivotne i umjetnike zrelosti pokazalo se kao najbogatiji poligon za takva stvaralaka istraivanja. I Priji neumorno slika plave Kamenice u sivom kamenjaru koji blijeti od jare, otre

linije dodira kompaktnih oker povrina reljefno i kompozicio-no izrazitih Plaa u dodiru sa stabilnim plavetnilom mora, sa nebom koje se rasplinjava u svjetlosti. I konano slika svoja ra-znobojna Sunca koja objedinjavaju ta saznanja u velianstve-ne panorame Prijievog duhovnog i umjetnikog stapanja sa crnogorskim pejzaom.

O svojim upornim traganjima za najboljim oslikavanjem kamena on sam smireno kae: Ja sam uvijek elio da na neki nain razri-jeim pitanje crtea kamena. Poslije dugog vremena shvatio sam da taj crte i ne postoji. Oblik i formu kamena u crnogorskom pejzau odreuje sunce. Zato i imate u raznim dobima dana, jed-nom, najobinije kulise brda, a moda, dva sata kasnije, najve-liasnije gromade tih istih naoko kulisa. Ugao sunevog zraka je pao pod drugim uglom i izmijenio sav pejza, a to je kamen...

Vra, 1981Fishing trapulje na platnu /oil on canvas

Prevlaka, 1981Prevlaka

ulje na platnu / oil on canvas

Rakovi, 1973Crabsulje na platnu / oil on canvas

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He opted for distinct colours, but instead of tinting them like before, he now applied them in thick, relief-like layers, thus producing a specific expressive effect. He changed even the colour of the sun to emphasize the po-ssibility of surreal illumination of a magnificently picturesque real landscape as a motif. This is the most origi-nal stage in Prijis work emphasizing the lasting and luxuriant vitality of his gift.

This stage also preserved the thematic and colour unity with what had been previously created. Thus, Priji used his experience and built upon it. Maintaining the intense and rich colouring of his pastels brownish, carmine red and warm yellow, he extended it with the seaside tonality of the strong blue colour. With the thick, relief-li-ke layers, he achieved a dramatic, disturbing effect. The features of his earlier landscapes he refreshed with de-licate carving in the thick layers of paint. Landscapes started to resemble unusual engravings. In striking con-trasts of coloured surfaces, he achieved a specific abstract expression of a real landscape. Under the brown or quite white sun, the sceneries or objects look differently. Priji converted his visions into images.

His ever-lasting desire to understand and express the changes of the stony ground under the sunny Monte-negrin sky led Priji to the spiritual exploration of relations between light and the ground, the changes of the spectrum in contact with stone. In the years of his full personal and artistic maturity, the coast with the stony hinterland proved to be the most fruitful ground for such creative research. Priji tirelessly painted blue "Water Holes" in the gray stones blazing in the heat, sharp lines of contact between the compact ochre surfaces and the compositionally marked Beaches in contact with the stable blue colour of the sea, with the sky melting away in the light. Finally, he painted his colourful Suns" uniting the insights into magnificent panoramas of Prijis spiritual and artistic merging with the Montenegrin landscape.

With reference to his persistent explorations of the ways how to best depict stone, Priji calmly said, "Ive always wanted to somehow resolve the issue of drawing stone. After a long time Ive realized that such drawing doesnt exist. The shape and the form of stone in the Montenegrin landscape are determined by the sun. This is why at one moment during the day you see unusual backdrops of hills, and two hours later, perhaps, the most magni-ficent boulders of the same backdrops. The sun rays fall under a different angle changing the entire landscape, and this is stone.

Prijis exploration of stone and its meanings led the poet Boko Puonji to state that the painter lived with stone with the inexhaustible gray, with the fruit pomegranate and its fiery colour, and the Sun which chan-ges everything. In mastering the surging force of stone, the pomegranate magically rises towards the sky. The straightening, the striving, now straight and now meandering, is a response to the mage hovering over the lan-dscape, the Sun over the stone.

The Sun is the third symbol, an unavoidable detail in Aleksandar Prijis paintings, in the land fruit Sun tri-angle, that is stone life light. Between the grayness of stone and the fiery sun disc over the scenery, life dra-ma takes place, the bursting of ripe fruits, turbulent seasons. In that gray, ashy, monotonous stone with the Sun watching it; white in one moment, yellow, green or red in the other. Even black.

Both as a man, and especially as an artist, Aco Priji was an exceptionally commu-nicative person, ready for encounters and talks, for journeys and friendships. Both as a painter and an office-bearer of the organization of fine artists, he had time for everything. He displayed his works in almost all places around Montenegro in factory clubs, newly-opened gallery spaces he advocated, group exhibitions. For him it was always important to directly promote artistic life and development. He displayed his works and attended exhibitions in all parts of Yugoslavia: Belgrade, aak, Ljubljana and Maribor, Zagreb and Split, Skoplje and Ohrid, Novi Sad and Vrbas, Pritina and Prizren, Sarajevo and Tuzla. He always found time for hobno-bbing, discussing and drinking with his colleagues; he was always welcomed war-mly, entertained and remembered, just like he welcomed and entertained others

Buldog, 1973Bulldog

ulje na platnu /oil on canvas, 76 x 76 cm

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To Prijievo istraivanje kamena i njegovih znaenja navelo je pjesnika Boka Puonjia da kae kako slikar ivi kamenom neiscrpnou sivog, plodom narom i vatrom njego-ve boje i suncem koje sve mijenja. U tom savlaivanju kamene stihije; u nadiranju i pre-krivanju kamena, nar udesno stremi u nebo. To upravljanje, stremljenje, as pravo, as krivudavo, odziv je tom magu to lebdi nad pejzaom, tom Suncu nad kamenom. Ono, Sunce, je taj trei simbol, taj neizbjeni detalj na ovim slikama Aleksandra Prijia, u tom trouglu zemlja plod Sunce, odnosno, kamen ivot svjetlost. Izmeu kamene sivo-e i tog uarenog Sunevog diska nad predjelom, traje ta drama ivota, to rasprskavanje vrelih plodova, traju burna godinja doba. Na tom suvom, pepeljastom, monotonom ka-menu nad kojim bdi Sunce. as bijelo, as uto, zeleno, crveno. ak i crno.

Aco Priji je kao ovjek i kao stvaralac bio izuzetno komunikativan. Spreman za susrete i razgovore, za putovanja i druenja. I kao slikar i kao funkcioner organizacije likovnih umjetnika stizao je svuda. Izlagao je u bezmalo svakom mjestu Crne Gore u fabrikim klubovima, novootvorenim galerijskim prostorima za koje se zalagao, na kolektivnim izlobama. Za njega je uvijek bilo vano neposredno podsticati umjetniki ivot i razvoj. Izlagao je i odlazio na izlobe u sve krajeve Jugoslavije. U Beograd, aak, Ljubljanu i Maribor, Zagreb i Split, Skoplje i Ohrid, Novi Sad i Vrbas, Pritinu i Prizren, Sarajevo i Tuzlu. Svugdje je stizao da druguje, raspravlja i pije s kolegama, svugdje su ga doeki-vali i pamtili, ba kao to je i on njih doekivao i zabavljao u Titogradu i Herceg Novom. Za njega s dubokim pijetetom slikar Vojo Stani kae: Aco je bio veliki umjetnik, veliki radnik i veliki prijatelj. Bio je boem i kavaljer, snano prisutan u ivotu nae generacije. Lijepo je kad u ovim vremenima surevnjivosti i samohvalisanja to iskreno kae umjetnik za umjetnika, ali je neophodno i znati da je to zaslueno, jer je Aco imao izuzetno portvo-van odnos prema kolegama. Uvijek se zalagao za bolji status mladih, pomagao starijima i bio je spreman, to se kae, da bukvalno podmetne lea, pa i kad je i sam bio bolestan. Tako je zasluan za sve velike izlobe Petra Lubarde u Crnoj Gori. Za Vukovieva izla-ganja, osjeao se odgovornijim od Luke Tomanovia iako su obojica bili bolesni tokom organizovanja njegove velike izlobe u Beogradu. Otuda njegova svestrana omiljenost, razumijevanje kod svih za njegovu plahovitost, emotivnost.

O crnogorskim slikarima malo se pisalo van Crne Gore. Nekako se optimalno priznavalo da su inspirisani podnebljem, da su individualisti, matoviti i slino, ali se rijetko pri-likom izlobi irom Jugoslavije ulazilo u dublju analizu njihovih motiva, slikarskog po-stupka, u situiranje njihovog djela u iri kreativni milje. Najdue i najee se pisalo ba o Prijiu. Tako je o njegovom djelu, povodom izlobe u Beogradu 1974. godine, likovni kritiar Pavle Vasi napisao: U sutini, Priji je ekspresionistiki temperament kome lee robustni oblici na slian nain kao i intenzivna koloristika nota. Ovo obeleje osobito se manifestovalo u slikama posljednjih godina, kada je faktura postala gusta i teka, suta

antiteza lakoi i neposrednosti. Dajui prvenstveni znaaj reljefu fakture Priji nije zaboravio ni ulogu kolorita iji je intenzitet tako-e naglasio u svojim predelima, odvajajui otro slikane povrine jedne od drugih, insistirajui na formi kao vanoj osobini svoga stila vie nego na valerskim razlikama. U svojim posljednjim sli-kama Priji se opredelio za jedan masivan i opor izraz inspirisan crnogorskim predelom i otrim oblicima njegovog kra.

Sam Priji volio je objanjavati svoja interesovanja, svoje slikar-stvo, ljubav prema njemu, ali nikad nije bio samohvalisav, nije ran-girao svoje djelo, suprostavljao ga drugima. U mnogobrojnim in-tervjuima objavljenim u mnotvu asopisa i listova bio je izuzetno zanimljiv sagovornik mnogima: Jeftu Miloviu, Ziri Adamoviu,

Bijelo sunce, 1973White sunulje na platnu / oil on canvas

Jedna od reprezentativnih slika je Bijelo sunce.itav registar plavih dominira platnom.Razliito su slikane pojedine partije,u gornjem dijelu na-nosi boje su lazurni dok su u sreditu pastuozni.Priji neke od elemenata enformela ugrauje u svoj slikarski rukopis to je uoljivo i ovdje.ita-va atmosfera slike je melanholina, metafizika.Tome doprinosi veoma efektna upotreba bijele.Kompozicija je proiena, svedena na nepravilnu piramidu.Svi ovi likovni elementi Bijelo sunce ine jednom od najreprezentativnijih slika u opu-su Aleksandra Prijia. [Nataa Nikevi]

Crno sunce, 1973ulje na platnu / ulje na platnu

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in Titograd and Herceg-Novi. With deep respect, Vojo Stani says, "Aco was a great artist, a hard worker and a great friend. He was a bohemian and a proper gentleman, strongly present in the life of our generation". In these times of invidiousness and self-praise, it is nice to hear such words uttered sincerely by an artist about an artist, but it is necessary to know that this was entirely deserved, since Aco was an exceptionally unselfish and devoted colleague. He always advocated for improved status of the young. He helped older collea-gues and was literally ready to "put his shoulder to the wheel", even when he himself was ill or under pressure. Thus, he was responsible for all great exhibitions of Petar Lubardas works in Montenegro. For Vukovis displays, he considered himself more responsible than Luka Tomanovi, although they were both ill during his large exhibition in Belgra-de. Hence his widespread popularity, and understanding for his impetuosity, emotiveness.

Outside Montenegro not much was written about Montenegrin painters. Optimally, it was recognized that they were inspired by their land, that they had their individuality, imaginativeness and the like, but during their exhibitions around Yugoslavia rarely were their motifs or painting procedures thoroughly analysed or their work placed in a broa-der creative context. However, Priji was the one they wrote about more often and more extensively. Thus, in 1974, in his very concise style, Pavle Vasi noted down the following about Prijis work: "Essentially, Priji is an expressionist temperament comfortable with robust forms just like with an intense colourist note. This characteristic is particularly visible in paintings created over the past few years, when the facture became thick and heavy, an exact antithesis of lightness and directness. Despite giving precedence to the relief of the facture, Priji did not forget the role of colouring, whose intensity is also emphasized in his landscapes, separating the painted surfaces sharply one from the other, insisting on the form as an important characteristic of his style more than on differences in value. In his latest paintings, Priji opted for a massive and bitter expression inspired by the Montenegrin scenery and sharp forms of its stone".

Priji himself liked to explain his own interests, his painting and his love of it, but he was never prone to self-praise, never ranked his work or confronted it with the others. In a multitude of interviews published in various magazines and papers, he was an exceptio-nally interesting interviewee to many: Jefto Milovi, Zira Adamovi, Slobodan Markovi, Vasko Ivanovi, Boko Puonji, Petar etkovi... He did not try to evade any questions, either of social life, or the position of art and artists, or painting. As the winner of the AVNOJ award in 1973, he talked to Vasko Ivanovi. Here are some answers typical of his approach: "Youve showed suns in the exhibition: yellow, red, green, blue, black. One sun seems to be not enough for you? A folk song speaks of two suns: yellow and white. They are the sun and the moon at dawn. And I wished to find out what the scenery, the soil, plants and people would look like under the differently-coloured sun. And what did you learn? Certainly the most interesting and the most dramatic is what we see under the black sun. Under its rays everything petty and banal disappears: only the peaks remain, mighty riverbeds and huge trees. But a man cant stand it. A man cant live without his daily routine, without rest, without banality, without small joys, without postcards, finally. And he is right. Let it be as it is. I withdraw my black sun. Borders? No! Painting has no borders, except the ones found in the painter himself. For example, the greatest thing in Montenegrin painting is what is inspired by Montenegro and what at the same time has far surpassed it. Only art can forget about the national borders, neglect the national considerations, without being offensive to the people and the nation. It can be in honour of the people and the nation whose artist has surpassed their borders".

Because of his openness and explicitness, because of his sharp perception, he was much "asked" and frequently "quoted".

Portreti, 1974 (kadrovi)Portraits (frames)autor / author: Milan Topolovakiproizvodnja / production: RT Beograd

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Slobodanu Markoviu, Vasku Ivanoviu, Boku Puonjiu, Petru etkoviu... Nije bjeao ni od jednog pitanja ni o drutvenom ivotu, ni o poloaju umjetnosti i umjetnika, ni o slikarstvu. Kao dobitnik nagrade AVNOJ-a 1973. razgovarao je sa Vaskom Ivanoviem. Evo nekih odgovora karakteristinih za njegov pristup: Na izlobi ste pokazali sunca: uta, crvena, zelena, plava, crna. Vama kao da je malo jedno sunce? U jednoj narod-noj pjesmi se govori o dva sunca: utom i bijelom. Radi se o suncu i mjesecu u zoru. A ja sam elio da doznam, kako bi predio, zemlje, biljke i ljudi izgledali pod suncem koje ne bi bilo uvijek iste boje.I ta ste doznali? Najzanimljivije, najdramatinije je svaka-ko, ono to se vidi pod crnim suncem. Pod njegovim zracima nestane sve sitno, banal-no: ostaju samo vrhovi, korita monih rijeka i ogromno drvee. Ali, ovjek to ne moe da podnese. ovjek ne moe da ivi bez svoje svakidanjice, bez odmora, bez banalnosti, bez sitnih srea i radosti, bez razglednica, konano. I ima pravo. Neka, dakle, ostane ka-ko jeste. Povlaim svoje crno sunce. Granice? Ne! Slikarstvo nema granica, osim onih u slikaru. Najvee, na primjer, u crnogorskom slikarstvu je ono to je inspirisano Crnom Gorom pa je daleko prevazilo. Jedino umjetnost moe da prenebregne nacionalne gra-nice, zanemari nacionalne obzire a da to ne bude uvredljivo za narod i naciju. Da bude u slavu naroda i nacije iji je umjetnik prevaziao te granice.

Zbog takve njegove otvorenosti i doreenosti, zbog otrine zapaanja, bio je i mnogo za-pitkivan i esto citiran.

Aleksandar Priji je bio izuzetno angaovani kulturni i drutveno-politiki radnik od naj-ranije mladosti do kraja ivota. Uvijek je bio spreman da pokrene i pomogne neku akciju, da podri osnivanje novog salona, galerije, odravanje neke likovne manifestacije, otva-ranje ateljea, da kae svoju rije o aktuelnom dogaaju, drutvenoj pojavi. Eruptivan pri tom, ali i drutveno odgovoran, on ulogu umjetnika u drutvu vidi i u odgovornosti i du-gu prema kulturnom i optem razvitku naroda. Njegova angaovanost je u tom smislu bila i jeste obimna i zapaena. Za Prijia je to znailo da prihvati likovnu obradu knjige, i to krajnje savjesno i inventivno (Crna Gora 19411945,Njego u slici i rijei i dru-ge); da se zaloi u organizaciji raznih kulturnih i istorijskih proslava i doprinese to bo-ljoj i kulturnijoj, prije svega, likovnoj opremljenosti prostora. Znailo je da progovori na strunim i politikim skupovima o problemima likovne umjetnosti i kulture uopte, pro-govori otvoreno, neposredno, strasno, predlaui rjeenja i prihvatajui dio posla. Tako se teko bolestan i iscrpljen, posljednjih godina ivota u Herceg Novom, borio za bru i adekvatniju obnovu spomenika kulture stradalih u zemljotresu 1979. godine. Prihvatao

se svakog konkretnog posla, beskompromisno insistirao na kvalitetnom i odgovornom radu.

Uvijek zainteresovan za novo, za dinaminiji kulturni ivot u cjelini, Priji je neprekidno bio angaovan i u ra-du ULUCG-a na organizovanju raznih izlobi i kulturnih akcija. Meu prvima se opredjeljuje i za ukljuivanje u kreativne grupe. Bio je lan grupe Samostalni u Beogradu, a kasnije jedan od trojice u grupi Trojica sa Berkuljanom i Filipoviem. Njihove izlobe su bile znaajan doprinos modernizovanju likovnih manifestacija u Crnoj Gori.

Dananji likovni ivot u Crnoj Gori ne bi se mogao zamisliti bez organizatorske, pokretake aktivnosti neu-mornog, izuzetno vitalnog i pronicljivog, kreativnog, radoznalog, boemski razbaruenog, no upornog, radnog i irokogrudog Aleksandra Prijia.

Slikarstvo Aca Prijia je, moe se to rei na kraju njegovog stvaralakog vijeka, zaokrugljena cjelina, dosljedno u inspiraciji Crnom Gorom, dosljedno i u neprekidnom kreativnom kompariranju sa strujanjima u svijetu, sta-bilno u odnosu prema modernom, od ega je prihvatio samo ono to je odgovaralo njegovom likovnom tempe-ramentu i duhu njegovog dara. Njegovo djelo zanatski je vrlo raznovrsno ulja, tempere, pasteli, akvareli; mo-tivski raznorodno ponajvie pejzai, panorame i manje cjeline, ali i figuralne kompozicije, vizije ratnih uasa,

Sa Blaom Jovanoviem na otvaranju izlobe u Modernoj galeriji TitogradWith Blao Jovanovi at the exhibition opening in the Modern Gallery of Titograd

Na ruku sa Josipom Brozom Titom, Igalo, 1975At the lunch with Josip Broz Tito, Igalo, 1975

Sa dodjele trinaestojulske nagrade don Niku Lukoviu (lijevo) sa Veljkom Milatoviem (u sredini)With Veljko Milatovi (middle) at The Ceremony ofThe 13th July Award given to Don Niko Lukovi (left)

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Aleksandar Priji was an exceptionally engaged cultural, social and political worker from the earliest youth to the end of his life. He was always ready to initiate and support action, to help the foundation of a new salon, gallery, atelier, art event, to express his views on a current event or a social phenomenon. Explosive, but at the same time socially responsible, he saw the role of artists in society in their responsibility and their duty towar-ds the cultural and general development of the people. His engagement in this sense was and is extensive and noted. For Priji, this meant accepting to make a design for a book, extremely conscientiously and inventively ("Montenegro 1941-1945", "Njego in words and pictures" and others); actively supporting organization of va-rious cultural and historical events and contributing to the overall cultural, primarily artistic design of the spa-ce. It meant bringing up issues of fine art and culture in professional and political gatherings, voicing his opi-nions openly, directly and passionately, proposing solutions and taking on part of the responsibilities. Thus, towards the end of his life in Herceg-Novi, severely ill and exhausted, with the last strength Priji fought for a faster and more suitable reconstruction of cultural monuments affected in the 1979 earthquake. He took on all concrete responsibilities, uncompromisingly insisting on high-quality and conscientious work.

Always interested in the new, in a generally more dynamic cultural life, Priji was continuously involved in the work of the Association of Fine Artists of Montenegro and their organization of various exhibitions and cultural actions. He was also among the first to get involved in the work of creative groups. He was a member of "The Independent" group in Belgrade, and later one of the three members of "The Three" group with Berkuljan and Filipovi. Their exhibitions made a significant contribution to the modernization of fine art events in Monte-negro. More exhibitions meant steadier and more qualified audience.

Todays art life in Montenegro could not be imagined without the initiative and the driving force of the tirele-ss, exceptionally vital, intellectually penetrating, creative, curious, dishevelled in a bohemian manner, but also persistent, hard-working and broad-minded Aleksandar Priji.

At the end of Aco Prijis creative life, we may say that his painting makes a unified whole, consistent in its in-spiration derived from Montenegro, consistent in its incessant creative comparisons with the trends in the world, stable in relation to the modern, from which the artist accepted only what really suited his artistic temperament and the spirit of his gift. His work shows variety in craft oil, tempera, pastel, water colours, as well as in mo-tifs mostly landscapes, panoramas and smaller units, but also figural compositions, visions of the horrors of war, portraits, interiors, studies of the ground, lichen, fruit, baskets, roots, arabesques, details converted into ab-stract compositions. The facture varies from strictly classical to the jagged, thick ones in the Informel style. Then there is a wide range of colours, differently tinted and combined, arranged harmoniously or in contrast. Prijis rich artistic environment is joined by a luxuriant artistic tempera-ment, explosive, impatient, often carried away with vibrant impressions, briskly observant. Priji was always eager to try out a newly-spotted possibility, never fully discarding cautiousness preventing creation from slipping into pure experimenting. A large number of Prijis contemporaries in Montenegro adopted the same approach to pa-inting; in this context, Priji pointed out, "Some would claim that we arent avant-garde enough. That might be good, as we must skip no stage. The middle generation of Montenegrin painters had to make up for what was missing in our painting. However, the new gene-ration catches up with everything and fully fits in with the latest modern trends in fine arts". Still, it is worth stressing that, strictly speaking, Prijis work also fits in well with the modern trends by the very nature of his gift and his essential preoccupations, by the sincerity of his inspiration and his enquiring mind

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j gg yed, arranged harmoniously or

artistic tempera-sions,d

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Katalozi Prijievih izlobiCatalogues from Priji`s exhibitions

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portreti, enterijeri, studije tla, liajevi, plodovi, vre, korijeni, ara-beske, detalji prerasli u apstraktne kompozicije. Faktura njegovih slika je promjenljiva od strogo klasine do enformelski razuene, reljefno guste. Takoe, iroki spektar boja, razliito iznijansiranih i kombinovanih, sloenih u harmoninom ili, pak, kontrastnom od-nosu, jedna je od sutinskih karakteristika njegovog slikarstva. Taj bogati likovni ambijent Prijiev, objedinjen je bujnim slikarskim temperamentom, eruptivnim, nestrpljivim, esto ponesen vibran-tnim impresijama, ustro opservativnim. Priji je uvijek oran da isproba uoenu likovnu mogunost, ne potiskujui nikada sasvim opreznost koja brani kreaciju od golog eksperimentisanja. Slino su slikarstvu u Crnoj Gori prilazili i mnogi Prijievi savremeni-ci, zato on u vezi s tim istie: Nekima se ini da nijesmo dovoljno avangardni. Moda je to i dobro, jer se ne smije preskoiti nijedna faza. Srednja generacija crnogorskih slikara morala je da nado-knadi ono ega u naem slikarstvu nije bilo. Meutim, generacija koja dolazi stie sve i sasvim se uklapa u najmodernija strujanja u likovnoj umjetnosti. Ipak, vano jenaglasiti da se u strogom iz-boru i Prijievo djelo sasvim uklapa u moderna strujanja, prema prirodi njegovog dara i sutinskim preokupacijama, iskrenou inspiracije i tragalakim duhom

Olga Perovi, karikatura, 1968Olga Perovi, caricature

Reprodukcijereproductions

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Stara maslina, 1948Old Olive Treeulje na platnu / oil on canvas50 x 60 cm

Motiv iz predgraa Cetinja, 1948Motive from Cetinje suburb

ulje na platnu / oil on canvas39 x 31 cm

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Motiv sa Cetinja, 1946Motif from Cetinjeulje na kartonu / oil on cardboard, 70 x 82,5 cmvlasnik / owvner Narodni muzej Crne Gore, Cetinje

inon, 1952inon

ulje na platnu / oil on canvas, 80 x 74 cmvlasnik / owner Hotel Crna Gora, Podgorica

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Masline, 1949Olive trees

ulje na kartonu /oil on cardboard

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Nasip na jezeru, 1950Barrier on the Lake

pastel na platnu / pastel on canvas, 97,5 x 70 cmvlasnik / owner Narodni muzej Crne Gore, Cetinje

Izgradnja eljezare, 1949Construction of Iron Factorypastel na kartonu / pastel on cardboard, 57 x 42 cmvlasnik / owner Narodni muzej Crne Gore, Cetinje

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Pejza u plavom, 1950Blue Landscape

pastel na lesonitu / pastel on masonite49 x 44 cm

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Herceg Novi, 1949Herceg Novi

pastel na papiru / pastel on paper40,5 x 28 cm

Predio iz Boke, 1950Landscape from Boka Bay

pastel na kartonu / pastel on cardboard42 x 33 cm

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Pejza sa kuama, 1949Landscape fith Houses

pastel na papiru / pastel on paper21 x 30 cm

inovo brdo, 1950-51inovo brdo

pastel na kartonu / pastel on cardboard35 x 45 cm

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Humci sa Lovenom, 1950Humci with Lovenulje na platnu / oil on canvasvlasnik / owner Narodni muzej Crne Gore

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Pejza sa kuama, 1949Landscape fith Houses

pastel na papiru / pastel on paper21 x 30 cm

Titograd, 1949Titogradpastel na papiru / pastel on paper, 71 x 46 cmvlasnik / owner Narodni muzej Crne Gore, Cetinje

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Interesovao me onaj stari put od Kotora za Cetinje kojim je iao Njego. Na toj slici sam naslikao onu tvravu iznad

samoga Kotora i taj stari put dok zae za brdo gore. Iz knjige Susreti sa

umjetnicima, 1977Jevto Milovi

Kotor, 1951Kotorpastel na kartonu / pastel on cardboard40 25 cmvlasnik / owner Narodni muzejCrne Gore, Cetinje

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Masline, 1951Olive Trees

ulje na platnu / oil on canvas169 109 cm

vlasnik / owner Narodni muzejCrne Gore, Cetinje

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Kontrasti su strahoviti. Djeluje impresivno ta podjela planova, brda u praskozorju. To je jedno more kulisa. Vijugavi bijeli put provlai se kao rijeka kroz brda i sijee ih. Osjeate se gore na Lovenu kao da ste na mjesecu. U pozadini je Skadarsko jezero. Bilo je sunce i vedro kad sam bio gore. Sreom, duvao je sjeverac kad sam radio sliku Cetinje, koje je izgledalo sa svojim crvenim krovovima kao buket rua. Tada sam dobio Skadarsko jezero odmah iza brda u pozadini. Ljudi se ude i pitaju: Odakle Cetinju jezero. Meutim kad je horizont ist, onda izgleda da se Skadarsko jezero nalazi odmah u pozadini Cetinja. Iz knjige Susreti sa umjetnicima, 1977, Jevto Milovi

Cetinje, 1953Cetinjeulje na kartonu / oil on cardboard100 70 cmvlasnik / owner Narodni muzej Crne Gore, Cetinje

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PejzaLandscape

ulje na lesonitu / oil on masonite45,5 64 cm

vlasnik / owner Narodni muzej Crne Gore, Cetinje

Cetinje, 1953Cetinjeulje na platnu / oil on canvas168 88,5 cmvlasnik / owner Vila Gorica, Podgorica

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Skadarsko jezero, 1955Skadar Lakeulje na platnu / oil on canvas, 100 x 90 cmvlasnik / owner Centar za kulturu, Niki

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Skadarsko jezero, 1953Skadar Lakeulje na kartonu / oil on cardboard, 70 x 50 cmvlasnik / owner Narodni muzej Crne Gore, Cetinje

Bjeloka brda, 1952The Hills of Bjeloi

ulje na papiru kairano na kartonu /oil on paper laminated on cardboard, 59 x 38,5 cm

vlasnik / owner Narodni muzej Crne Gore, Cetinje

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Nemanjin grad, 1955Nemanjin gradulje na lesonitu / oil on masonite95 x 74 cm

Cetinjski manastir, 1953Cetinje Monastery

ulje na lesonitu / oil on masonite95,5 x 62 cm

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Nemanjia grad, 1955Nemanjia grad

ulje na platnu / oil on canvas, 90 x 71 cmvlasnik / owner Predsjednik Crne Gore

Borba kokota, 1958Roosters fightingulje / oil

Mrtve kokoke, 1953Dead chickenulje / oil

Make, 1954Catsulje na platnu / oil on canvas

Tikve, 1960Gourdpastel / pastel

RodeStorcksulje / oil

Idila, 1957Idyllulje na lesonitu / oil on masonite

Mjeseina u Cetinju, 1958Moonlight in Cetinjeulje / oil

Za svoju sliku Mjeseina napravio sam sedam, osam skica. To je moja slika Mjeseina u Cetinju. To je jedan pejza koji sam obradio. Mene je tu interesovao odsjaj kamena, odsjaj tih ploa na mjeseini. Da bih dobio odnos tih ploa prema svjetlosti mjeseca, morao sam napraviti est, sedam skica i tek u osmoj skici dobio sam taj kontrast koji sam htio.

Jutro u Viru, 1960Morrning in Virulje / oil

Prelistavao sam istorijsku grau iz ustanka. Vidio sam da se mnogo raspravljalo o tome gdje je 1941. prva puka pukla u Crnoj Gori da li na evu ili na Koritima ili u Virpazaru. Utvreno je da je prva puka pukla u Virpazaru. I ja sam, pravei ovu sliku, zamislio Virpazar, pejza kao pejza, mjesto kao mjesto, ali sam naslikao i izlazak sunca, zoru koja puca. To je simbolika.

[Iz knjige Susreti sa umjetnicima, 1977, Jevto Milovi]

Autoportret, 1954Selfportraitpastel / pastel

Smokva, 1958Figulje / oil

Ribari, 1946Fishermenulje / oil

Trenje, 1956Cherriesulje / oil

Borba bikova, 1958Bull fight

ulje / oil

Kio durmitorac, 1946Kio from Durmitor mountainulje / oil

Hobotnica, 1960Octopusulje / oil

Mrtva priroda sa bijelim lukom, 1957Still life with garliculje / oil Sava, 1960

Savaulje na platnu / oil on canvas

Vi ste pravili portret Save Kovaevia. Na osnovu ega ste ga radili?

- Radio sam ga prema narodnoj pjesmi i prema na-rodnom prianju. Postavio sam ga pred jedan likvidi-rani bunker u trenutku kad vie svojim partizanima: Naprijed! Zastava ide za njim. Borci idu za njim.

Jeste li ga radili i po fotografiji i ija je to bila fotografija?

- Radio sam ga i po fotografiji. Mislim da je to bila fotografija iz Muzeja NOB-a to je snimio general Savo Orovi.

[Iz knjige Susreti sa umjetnicima, 1977, Jevto Milovi]

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Akt, 1954Nudepastel na papiru / pastel on paper40 x 58 cm

Akt, 1953Nude

pastel na platnu / pastel on canvas50 x 40 cm

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Autoportret, 1954Selfportraitpastel na papiru / pastel on paper40 x 50 cm

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Portret Ljubice Priji, 1954Portrait of Ljubica Prijipastel na papiru / pastel on paper34,5 x 49,5 cm

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Moja djeca, 1954My Childrenulje na platnu / oil on canvas49 x 70 cm

Moja djeca nose lirizam koji ne dozvoljava cjepidlaenje. Kao da ih je neko zaustavio u igri, postavio im pitanje, a ona se jo snalaze, jo su njihove oi pune pitanja, da bi mogla da odgovore. Susreti, 1954

Nena, 1956Nena

ulje na lesonitu / oil on masonite30 x 69 cm

Nena, 1954Nena

pastel na papiru / pastel on paper29 x 39 cm

Moj Beli, 1962My Belikombinovana tehnika / combined technique50 x 60 cm

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Mrtva priroda, 1954Still-life

ulje na lesonitu, oil on masonite,130 x 45 cm

Studija kamena, 1954Study of Stoneulje na lesonitu / oil on masonite27 x 33 cm

Jastog, 1954Lobster

ulje na kartonu / oil on cardboard, 94,4 x 39,8 cmvlasnik / owner Narodni muzej Crne Gore, Cetinje

Prijievo osjeanje boje pogotovo se oitovalou njegovom Jastogu gdje na jednoj

koloristiki uspjeloj pozadini lee jastog,uti limun i pomalo teka crna koljka

Stvaranje 1954, Ratko uroviI samostalna izloba A.Prijia

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Mene je tu vie interesovala ljepota pejzaa. Pejza me je privukao bio je vezan za jednu bitku iz ustanka koja se odigrala, mislim 14. jula 1941. Talijani su tada hitali iz Albanije u pomo Cetinju. U Koelama su ih saekali partizani koje je predvodio Peko Dapevi. Pustili su ih partizani da uu u tu okuku, onda su ih opkolili i okuku zatvorili, a zatim su unitili oko 400 crnokouljaa. Sahranili su ih odmah ispod one okuke. Ja sam tu sliku Koele radio dva-tri puta. Prve skice njene radio sam u pastelima. Prva skica Koela pojavila se u Enciklopediji Crne Gore. Iz knjige Susreti sa umjetnicima, 1977Jevto Milovi

Predio iz Koela, 1952Landscape from Koelepastel na papiru / pastel on paper

Motiv sa jezera, 1954Motiv from Lake

pastel na papiru / pastel on paper59 x 28,5 cm

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Crmnica, 1966Crmnicapastel na papiru / pastel on paper, 55 x 65 cmvlasnik / owner Nacionalna galerija Makedonije, Skoplje

Crmnica je kod nas poznata po svojim