Biography
Dragoslav Živković was born in Knjaževac in 1955.
1979. Admission to the Faculty of Fine Arts in Belgrade
1984. Graduated from the Faculty of Fine Arts in the class of professor Mirjana Mihać
1986. Became a member of ULUS
1987. Completed postgraduate – magisterium at the Faculty of Fine Arts in the class of professor Mirjana Mihać
1990. Proposal for acquiring the status of an independent artist 1993. Art editor of the Knjaževac Homeland Museum
Awards:
1982. Award for Best Student of Painting, The Faculty of Arts, Belgrade
1982. Award for painting from the Petar Lubarda’s Foundation
1983. Award for painting from the Petar Lubarda’s Foundation
1984. Grand Prize for painting from the Beta and Rista Vukanović’s Fund
1989. Annual award of the Art Gallery of the Kolarac National University
1997 Award for Best Watercolour of the 12th Annual International Miniature Exhibition, Toronto, Canada
2007. the May Award of the Municipality of Knjaževac
2014. Lifetime Achievement Award of the Municipality of Knjaževac
Dragoslav Živković’s works can be found in numerous museums and galleries, as well as private collections in Serbia, Europe, America, etc.
Sketches from life – excerpt from biography[1]
Dragoslav Živković was born in Knjaževac, on 19 October 1955 as the only child in an old family from this town.
He finished primary and secondary high school in his hometown of Knjaževac. He learned his first lessons in art culture as a primary school student from his teacher Sreten Marinković, an art pedagogue and artist who mainly painted watercolours. In high school Živković was taught art by several teachers and among them two sculptors Ljubomir Radanović and Ljubomir Jovanović, who apparently did not understand Živković’s sensibility, nor did they notice his talent. That is not surprising if we take into account the artist’s words whose attitude was that nothing could be done during one school lesson and that works of art could not be created in that way. For that reason he had a grade of three (out of five) in Art at school, but at home he secretly in silence studied the works of old masters and the secrets of painting technology and also the possibilities that painting offers, devotedly preparing himself for the famous Art Academy in Belgrade.
He tested his artistic skills after high school at the entrance exam at the Faculty of Fine Arts, but he was disappointed. He decided to complete his military service and continue to prepare to enrol and study painting at the academy. In that sense, there is an interesting inscription of the artist on a drawing from the early seventies, which reads: “Everything I could / I could once / That gift has melted / there is none / and I want to go to the academy“[2].
In the environment in which he grew up, he received the greatest, and it seems the only, support from Žika Antić, a painter and art historian from Knjaževac who provided him with professional literature and gave advice on art, painting, painting techniques and technology. Antić was the one who drew Živković’s attention to the drawings of Ljubomir Ivanović, who gave him a book with boards of drawings of Yugoslav landscapes[3]. It seems that thanks to Antić, he got familiar with the work of Ivan Tabaković and Nedeljko Gvozdenović in his youth. It was Žika Antić who sent a telegram with good news about the enrolment at the Faculty of Fine Arts in Belgrade to the young future artist on September 14, 1979, with the following words: “You have been admitted to the Academy. Congratulations!” signed by Žika (Antić)“[4].
Dragoslav Živković became a student at the faculty of Fine Arts in Belgrade in the class of Professor Mirjana Koka Mihać, who very quickly recognized the specific sensibility and expression of the young artist and carefully guided him through basic and later postgraduate studies. It is certain that the mentorship of Professor Mihać[5] as a painter and graphic artist, helped Živković to develop an essential drawing orientation and enabled him to further develop and finally create his own expression.
Since the first year of his studies Živković was actively involved in the artistic life of the capital city, and already in 1980 he exhibited at the Ninth Exhibition of Drawings of the Faculty of Fine Arts students[6], organized in the Gallery of the Youth Centre chosen by Dragan Lubarda.
In the early 80’s Živković became the winner of significant national awards. He received the Award of the University of Arts in Belgrade for the best achievement in the 3rd year of study at the painting department of the Faculty of Fine Arts in Belgrade in 1982. He received the award for painting from the Petar Lubarda Foundation in 1982 and 1983, and the Grand Prize for Painting from the Beta and Rista Vukanović Fund in 1984.
Immediately after completing the basic academic studies at the Faculty of Fine Arts in 1984, he enrolled in postgraduate studies in the class of Professor Mihać. Shortly afterwards he became a member of ULUS (the Association of Fine Artists of Serbia), and in the following year, 1987, he completed his postgraduate studies.
A series of very notable solo exhibitions held in Belgrade marked the second half of the eighties. Živković presented his Solo Exhibition of oils, gouaches and pastels[7] in the Gallery near the theatre in Belgrade in 1986, and then with the Master’s exhibition of watercolours[8] in the Gallery of the Faculty of Fine Arts in Belgrade in 1987 and an exhibition of paintings and gouaches[9] in the Gallery of Kolarac People’s University in 1988, for which, in 1989 he received the annual award of the KPU Gallery for the best exhibition in the 1988/1989 exhibition season.[10].
During the basic and undergraduate studies he actively exhibited at collective exhibitions in Belgrade. In 1984, Dragoslav Živković was among those selected from the generation of young artists to Exhibit at the Perspective XII[11] in Belgrade and numerous places in Serbia. In the following year, 1985, he participated in several collective exhibitions, namely the exhibition Drawing and Small Sculpture in the Art Pavillion “Cvijeta Zuzorić” in Belgrade[12], at the ULUS Autumn Exhibition[13] in the Gallery of the Student City Cultural Centre in New Belgrade and at the October Salon[14] in the Art Pavillion “Cvijeta Zuzorić” in Belgrade. He also exhibited at the Spring Exhibition of ULUS [15] in the Art Pavillion “Cvijeta Zuzorić” in 1986, and in 1987 at the exhibition Masters of Art of the Eighties[16] in the Gallery of the JNA House in Belgrade, Spring Exhibition of ULUS, ULUK and SULUV[17] in the Art Pavillion “Cvijeta Zuzorić” in Belgrade. That year he also participated in the exhibition ’87 of ULUPUDS[18] at the National Museum in Zaječar. Only two years later, in 1989, Dragoslav Živković had a solo exhibition of gouaches[19], i.e. watercolours[20] at the National Museum in Zaječar.
After this extremely active and fruitful period in the capital, Živković returned to his native Knjaževac. As a member of ULUS he addressed the Ministry of Culture several times in the period from 1986 to 1990, with the support of the Association of Fine Artists of Serbia[21], presidency, in order to resolve the status of an independent artist and pay contributions for health, pension and disability insurance. This issue will never be resolved, and as an illustration of the (mis)understanding of the significance and influence of art and culture on society by certain social actors, a not so nice anecdote will be preserved among the contemporaries[22]. In this regard, an article entitled “Neglectful Knjaževac”[23] appeared in the “Novosti” newspaper, signed with S.B. which gave a critical review of the attitude of his native Knjaževac towards the already recognized painter. All this took place at the time when Živković exhibited in Switzerland, in Lausanne[24] where his watercolours were highly noticed, appreciated, and also sought after on the works of art market. However, we must say that the status of the artist soon changed due to the pressure of the professional public and cultural workers in the town, and Dragoslav Živković has been employed since 1993 as an expert associate – art editor at the Homeland Museum of Knjaževac.
His exhibition activities so not subside, regardless of the fact that the artist now lived and worked in Knjaževac, not so far, but far enough from the centre of the most important events on the art scene. He once again exhibited in the Gallery of the Kolarac People’s University in Belgrade in 1991[25]. In the next year, 1992 he exhibited painting and drawings in the Salon 77, Gallery of Contemporary Art in Niš[26], and in 1995 he again exhibited watercolours in Switzerland[27]. His solo exhibition of paintings and drawings was organized in the Art Salon in the House of Culture in Čačak as part of “Dis Spring” in 1996[28]. A very successful year for Dragoslav Živković in terms of exhibitions was 1998 when he exhibited again in Belgrade, he exhibited watercolours within the exhibition called “28 variations” in the Gallery 73 in Belgrade[29], initiated and opened by Đorđe Kadijević. Also, in this year he exhibited once again in Switzerland, in Bern[30].
In this period, Živković exhibited at collective exhibitions in Knjaževac, Belgrade, but also throughout Serbia. He exhibited with Svetlana Radenović[31] in 1991 in the foyer of the House of Culture in Knjaževac, along with Branislav Marković[32], Milinko Koković[33], and other academy-trained painters from Knjaževac, as part of the celebration of the 120th anniversary of the Knjaževac High School[34]. It is interesting that during that period he took part in national and international exhibitions of miniatures, so in 1992 he exhibited at the 2nd Biennial of Miniature Art in Gornji Milanovac[35], in 1993 at the Small Spring Annals in Čačak[36], in 1994 at the 3rd Biennial[37] and in 1996 at the 4th Biennial of Miniature Art In Gornji Milanovac[38]. In 1994 he exhibited at the MM Gallery in Belgrade as part of the collective exhibition Silent Life – Still Life Painters[39], and in 1996 at the Exhibition of Small Forms at the National Museum in Kruševac[40]. In the following year, 1997, he received the first international recognition – the award for the best watercolour of the 12th Annual International Exhibition of Miniatures in Toronto[41]. The last exhibition in the last decade of the second millennium was of great importance for the further evaluation and understanding of Živković’s painting. It was the exhibition Metaphysics of Drawings[42], organized in 1999 in the Modern Gallery in Valjevo.
The first decade of the third millennium was filled with the participation in collective exhibitions, new recognitions, but in this period Živković also continued to create works for the needs of the Homeland Museum in Knjaževac, as he did in the late 1990s. The first collective exhibition in this period was the exhibition entitled “Paintings in Flames”, a gift collection for the Federal Assembly organized by the Archives of Serbia in 2001. After that, Živković exhibited at the 8th Biennial of Miniature Art in Gornji Milanovac[43]. He exhibited twice during 2006 at the Progress Gallery at the exhibition entitled “Metaphysical Painting – from the Collection of Miloljub and Ivan Perić”[44] and the solo exhibition „Dragoslav Živković – Retrospective“[45], which was opened in December of the same year by Olja Ivanjicki and Đorđe Kadijević. In the same year, a solo exhibition of Dragoslav Živković – Selection of Works[46] was organized in the Modern Gallery in Valjevo. The text for the catalogue of this exhibition was written by Branko Kukić. In addition to important exhibitions in Serbia, Živković exhibited abroad in 2006 at the Serbian Cultural Centre in Paris, along with Branko Miljuš, Slobodanka Rakić Šefer, Branislav Marković and Goran Mitrović, as part of a collective exhibition of Serbian painters organized by the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Serbia.
After all the notable and very successful exhibitions and in addition to his great engagement and work in the preparations for exhibitions and programmes of the Homeland museum of Knjaževac, Dragoslav Živković still manages to create and further develop and improve his artistic expression and enrich his opus. Due to all the above, Živković was awarded the May Award of Knjaževac Municipality. The end of this decade was marked by another collective exhibition in the Modern Gallery in Valjevo, the exhibition “Portrait – Between Reality and Imagination”[47] in 2009.
The Homeland Museum in Knjaževac organized in 2010 a solo exhibition in the Museum gallery – a selection from the work of Dragoslav Živković, with the support of the Knjaževac Municipal Assembly[48], which is actually the first solo exhibition of this artist in his hometown. In order for Knjaževac to adequately show respect and honour for the merits and contributions that Dragoslav Živković, as an excellent and respected artist gave to the cultural life of Serbia, the Municipal Assembly of Knjaževac awarded him the Lifetime Achievement Award in 2014. During 2013, but also in 2015 and 2018 Živković exhibited again at the Modern Gallery in Valjevo at the exhibitions “Nude in Contemporary Serbian Painting”[49], ”, “From the Collection of the Modern Gallery in Valjevo”[50] and “The World of Dust – Figuratively and Imaginatively – Paintings and Drawings, a Selection from the Collection of Miloljub and Ivan Perić”[51]. In this decade Živković had another exhibition abroad, in 2017, in fraternal Montenegro at an exhibition called “Small Format”[52] at the Montenegrin Art Gallery Miodrag Dado Đurić in Cetinje, organized by the National Museum of Montenegro. As part of AntikaFest in 2019, an exhibition entitled “Heritage in the Work of Dragoslav Živković” which was shown in Zaječar and Kladovo during August and September of the same year, and which was opened by Nebojša Bradić
Fifty years of creative work, from the first registered works of Dragoslav Živković to the latest work created in 2020, will be marked by an exhibition of drawings in the Gallery of the Homeland Museum of Knjaževac in December 2020, along with the presentation of the first Dragoslav Živković monograph, a virtual gallery of his works and a short documentary film.
[1]The biography of the artist presented in this work is based on the narrations of the artist himself but also on official documents, as well as the narrations of his contemporaries and colleagues (author’s remark);
[2] SELF-PORTRAIT, 70s of the 20th century, drawing charcoal on paper, 20х15.2, owned by the Homeland Museum of Knjaževac, inv No. 858/L (cat. No. 59);
[3]Ivanović Lj. (1937): Drawings – Yugoslav landscapes, Belgrade, State Printing House of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia;
[4]data obtained on the basis of the copy of the telegram stored in the documentation of the Homeland Museum of (author’s remark);
[5]Mirjana Koka Mihać (1924-2006.) Academy of Fine Arts in Belgrade and a specialist course in the class of Professor Mihailo Petrov completed in 1949. After completing her studies in 1949 she was appointed one of the first teaching assistants at the Academy (Faculty of Fine Arts), where she spent her university career until retirement in 1989 having obtained all titles. She was a member of ULUS (the Association of Fine Artists of Serbia)and one of the founders of the Graphic Collective in Belgrade;
[6] IX Exhibition of Students’ Drawings Faculty of Fine Arts, Gallery of Youth Centre Belgrade, 27 V – 14 VI 1980 / Selection by Dragan Lubarda;
[7] DRAGOSLAV Živković: oils, gouaches, pastels: Yugoslav Gallery of Reproductions of Works of Art Belgrade, from 18 IV 1986. to 5 V 1986 [Belgrade : Yugoslav Gallery of Reproductions of Works of Art], 1986;
[8] MASTER’S exhibition – watercolours: exhibition catalogue: Gallery of the Faculty of Fine Arts, Belgrade, 1987. / Faculty of Fine Arts, Belgrade.
[9] DRAGOSLAV Živković: [Gallery of Kolarac People’s University Belgrade], 6-18. XII 1988 – Belgrade: Kolarac People’s University, 1988. (Belgrade: „Radiša Timotić“).
[10] In the documentation of the Homeland Museum of Knjaževac a letter from the KPU Gallery curator Tatjana Nikolić is kept dated 1 November1989, which informs Dragoslav Živković about the decision of the Gallery of Kolarac People’s University Council in Belgrade about the decision of the Annual Award (author’s remark);
[11] PERSPECTIVES XII: exhibition of paintings: exhibition catalogue: Yugoslav Gallery of Reproductions of Works of Art (National Gallery) and the Gallery next to the Theatre, 1984.
[12] DRAWING and a small sculpture exhibition catalogue: Art Pavilion “Cvijeta Zuzorić“: 12 – 28 IX 1985. – Belgrade: ULUS, 1985.
[13] AUTUMN EXHIBITION OF ULUS: exhibition catalogue: Gallery of the ”Student City” Cultural Centre, New Belgrade: 6 – 27 II 1985. Belgrade: ULUS, 1985.
[14] 26. October Salon of Fine and Applied Arts of Serbia: exhibition catalogue: Art Pavilion “Cvijeta Zuzorić“, Mali Kalemegdan: 19.X – 20 XI 1985.
[15] SPRING exhibition of ULUS: exhibition catalogue: Art Pavilion “Cvijeta Zuzorić“, Mali Kalemegdan: 8–25. IV 1986, Belgrade: ULUS, 1986.;
[16] MASTERS OF ART of the eighties, exhibition catalogue: Masters of Art of the Faculty of Fine Arts in Belgrade 1980-1987: exhibition on the occasion of celebration of 50th anniversary of the foundation and work of the Faculty 1937 – 1987.: [Yugoslav National Army Home, Belgrade, Gallery], November-December 1987.;
[17] SPRING exhibition of ULUS: exhibition catalogue: Art Pavilion “Cvijeta Zuzorić“, Mali Kalemegdan: March – June 1987, Belgrade: ULUS, 1987.;
[18] EXHIBITION 87: exhibition catalogue: Gallery of the National Museum in Zaječar: 1987 / Association of Fine and Applied Artists of Zaječar Region, 1987.;
[19] * DRAGOSLAV Živković– gouaches: [Gallery of the National Museum in Zaječar], 26. 04. – 16. 05.1989. – Zaječar: National Museum in Zaječar, 1989.;
[20] It is important to mention that the watercolours of Dragoslav Živković were interpreted and called gouaches, which is not the case, because the artist never worked in that technique. Dragoslav Živković sees the explanation why even during the organization of his first exhibition of watercolours they were called gouaches in a kind of a strategic or marketing trick of the gallerists (author’s remark);
[21] A letter No. 03-304/86, of 1.02.1990 from the President of the Presidency of ULUS Zoran Vuković testifies this: in it he is asking the Ministry of Culture to reconsider the request of academy-trained painter Dragoslav Živković to resolve his status of independent artist, re-emphasizing the importance of the artist and his quality for the his town (documentation of the Homeland Museum in Knjaževac);
[22] According to what the participants in the municipal meeting, which should have decided on the request of Dragoslav Živković, some of the present members disputed the possibility of paying contributions to someone who sits at home and just draws (author’s remark);
[23] S.B. (Stojadinović Branislav), Dragoslav Živković, academy-trained painter – Neglectful Knjaževac, in: „Novosti“, 21 August 1990.*;
[24] * DRAGOSLAV Živković WATERCOLOURS: exhibition catalogue: Gallery Aurum, 08. 06. – 04. 07. 1990. – Lausanne, Switzerland, 1990.
[25] DRAGOSLAV Živković: [Gallery of Kolarac People’s University Belgrade], 3-15. XII 1991 – Belgrade: Kolarac People’s University, 1991 (Belgrade: Culture).
[26] * Salon 77: Dragoslav Živković: exhibition of paintings and drawings: exhibition catalogue: Niš: Gallery of Contemporary Fine Arts, 1992.;
[27] DRAGOSLAV Živković watercolours: exhibition catalogue: La maison Saint Joseph a Chatel Saint Denis, Switzerland: 1995.;
[28] * EXHIBITION of paintings and drawings of Dragoslav Živković: exhibition catalogue: Art Salon in the House of Culture in Čačak: Dis Spring: 7 -22 May 1996 [Čačak]: Jureš Graphics, [1996].
[29] * 28 variations – exhibition of watercolours: exhibition catalogue: Gallery 73: April – May 1998. / Belgrade. [Knjaževac]: Zlatotisak, [1998].
[30] DRAGOSLAV ŽIVKOVIĆ, Galerie Vita, Bern, Switzerland, 1998.
[31]СSvetlana Radenović (1952), academy-trained painter born in Knjaževac. Studies of painting and postgraduate studies completed at the Faculty of Fine Arts in Belgrade in class of Professor Radenko Mišević. A member of ULUS. Exhibited at numerous solo and collective exhibitions in the country and abroad. Received an Award for Painting from the Beta and Rista Vukanović Fund (author’s remark);
[32]Branislav Marković (1948-2010), academy-trained painter born in Knjaževac. Completed the Academy of Fine Arts in 1972, and the postgraduate studies in 1975. He was a member of ULUS. Exhibited at solo and collective exhibitions in the country and abroad. Received numerous awards (author’s remark);
[33]Milinko Koković (1957), academy-trained painter born in Knjaževac. Completed the Academy of Fine Arts in class of Professor Mirjana Mihać in 1986, and the postgraduate studies in 1988. Since 1987 has been a member of ULUS. He lives and works in Belgrade. (author’s remark);
[34] LIGHT and Shapes: selection of fine art and sculpture works of former students and teachers of the High School in Knjaževac -Knjaževac : High School, 1991 (Beočin : Effect);
[35] 2nd Biennial of Miniature Art: exhibition catalogue: House of Yugoslav-Norwegian Friendship, Gornji Milanovac: 23 May. – 28 June 1992. / Association of Fine and Applied Artists of Gornji Milanovac and “Dečje novine” Magazine, 1992.*
[36] SMALL Spring Annals: Art Salon of the House of Culture Čačak, 20 May – 20 June199; (Čačak: Nautilus);
[37] 3rd Biennial of Miniature Art: exhibition catalogue: Gallery of Homeland Museum (Museum of Rudnik-Takovo Region), Gornji Milanovac, 24 September – 24 October 1994 / Association of Fine and Applied Artists of Gornji Milanovac and the Museum of Rudnik-Takovo Region, 1994;
[38] 4th International Biennial of Miniature Art, 21 September – 21 November1996, Gornji Milanovac: Museum of Rudnik-Takovo Region, 1996;
[39] * SILENT Life, still life painters: exhibition catalogue: ММ Gallery, Belgrade: December 1994 – January 1995;
[40] SMALL forms: painting, graphics, sculpture, drawing and …; Kruševac: National Museum, 1996 (Kruševac : C-print);
[41] * Twelfth Annual International Exhibition Of Miniature Art: exhibition catalogue, Del Bello Gallery, Toronto, Canada: 1997;
[42] METAPHYSICS of drawings: 18 September – 01 November 99, Valjevo: Modern Gallery, 1999. (Valjevo: Valjevo Printing House);
[43] 8th INTERNATIONAL BIENNIAL OF MINIATURE ART, Gornji Milanovac, Serbia and Montenegro; 29 October 2005 – 31 January 2006; Gornji Milanovac, Cultural centre; (Belgrade: Publikum);
[44] METAPHYSICAL painting from the collection of Miloljub and Ivan Perić: Progress Gallery, 03 July.-29 July 2006 – Belgrade: I. [Ivan Perić, 2006 (Belgrade: MST Gajić);
[45]DRAGOSLAV Živković: retrospective: Belgrade, Progress, 20 December. 2006 – 06 January. 2007 – Belgrade: Soul Workshop, 2006 (Belgrade: Birograf);
[46] DRAGOSLAV Živković: selection from works: [Modern Gallery Valjevо], 13 May – 08 July. 2006 (Valjevo :Valjevoprint);
[47] PORTRAIT between reality and imagination: paintings: [Modern Gallery Valjevо], 13 December 2008 – 01 March 2009 (Valjevo: Valjevac);
[48] DRAGOSLAV Živković: selection from works: Homeland Museum of Knjaževac, 28 October – 28 December 2010 – Knjaževac: Homeland Museum, 2010 (Niš: Grafika Galeb);
[49] NUDE in contemporary Serbian painting: paintings: [Modern Gallery Valjevо], 14 December 2013 – 12 April 2014 (Valjevo: Valjevac);
[50] FROM the collection of the Modern Gallery, Valjevo, [М Modern Gallery Valjevo], 27 December. 2014 – 12 March 2015 (Valjevo: Crveno).
[51] WORLD of Dust: figuratively and imaginary: paintings and drawings: [selection from the collection of Miloljub and Ivan Perić]: Modern Gallery, Valjevo, 21 April – 21 June 2018 (Novi Sad: Trgograf);
[52] SMALL format: works from the collection of Momčilo Moša Todorović: Montenegrin Art Gallery Miodrag Dado Đurić, Cetinje, April-May 2017, Cetinje: National Museum of Montenegro, 2017 (Podgorica: DPC).
