Books by Simona Cupic
This book explores the portraiture of Elaine de Kooning, an enormously talented artist whose wide... more This book explores the portraiture of Elaine de Kooning, an enormously talented artist whose widely admired body of work--both abstract and figurative--is overdue for a contemporary reassessment. John F. Kennedy, Frank O'Hara, Allen Ginsberg, Merce Cunningham, and Fairfield Porter were just some of the figures who sat for portraits by Elaine de Kooning. Famous for her marriage to the Abstract Expressionist Willem de Kooning, Elaine was herself a groundbreaking artist and writer who challenged many conventions during her career. Although she portrayed women, she was most engaged with portraits of men, sometimes painting multiple portraits of her subjects in order to explore and capture their most compelling likeness. She focused intently on her subjects--as she wrote in 1965, "Like falling in love painting a portrait is a concentration on one particular person and no one else will do." This insightful book explores de Kooning's portraits as well as her artistic process and her position in the rise of Postmodernism. Illustrated throughout with full-color reproductions of paintings, drawings, and archival photos, this book is an important contribution to the literature on Abstract Expressionism, women artists, and feminism during a transformative period, and will also appeal to lovers of painting of all kinds.
Simona Čupić’s assemblage of critical essays on John F. Kennedy, both as object of and creator of... more Simona Čupić’s assemblage of critical essays on John F. Kennedy, both as object of and creator of art, involves a rich range of methodological approaches and subjects. Covering film, paintings, mixed media, the Camelot myth, journalism, Happenings, books, Pop art, consumer culture, photography, and more, each contributor takes a look at why the image and persona of JFK still resonates 50 years after his 1963 assassination. From the discussions of Kennedy as author of Profiles in Courage and connections to Ernest Hemingway, to JFK as the subject of films including PT 109, Executive Action, The Parallax View, and Oliver Stone’s JFK, the evolution of Kennedy’s image from early campaign days to funeral and beyond remains a focal point for media across the globe. Insightful analysis of artwork by Robert Indiana, Ed Kienholz, Elaine de Kooning, Jacques Lowe, Zoran Naskovski, Ed Paschke, James Rosenquist, and Andy Warhol unpacks the effects of JFK on artists, writers, and thinkers, contributing to a more global understanding of him as a larger-than-life president and symbol.
Bethany E. Qualls, San Francisco State University
Contributors include: Simona Čupić, John Hellmann, David M. Lubin, Lidija Merenik, Art Simon, and Uroš Tomić
Early in 1940, the periodical Umetnički pregled [Art Review], published by the Museum of Prince P... more Early in 1940, the periodical Umetnički pregled [Art Review], published by the Museum of Prince Pavle, one of the most respected publications dealing with art in pre-World War Two Yugoslavia, published a text entitled “Today’s Shop Windows”, which contained a detailed analysis of the desirable appearance of modern Belgrade shops. In addition to confirming to what degree the consumer culture had become an integral part of everyday life, this text testifies to the unstoppable entry of consumerism in the well guarded space of the elite. Still, the text from Umetnički pregled provides a rare example of such an encounter. A careful examination of Serbian visual culture between the World wars necessarily leads to the conclusion that art stayed away from popular culture, evidently guided by the idea that it should not be mixed or equated with it. However, in terms of its acceptance and influence, mass culture, although it is "other" form of cultural practice, is one in which the value system of a society can be most clearly perceived, just like its real achievements, which “high art”, limited to the elite, essentially does not offer. Bearing this in mind, the basic idea of the book "Bourgeois Modernism and Popular Culture: Episodes of the Fashionable, Faddish and Modern (1918–1941)" consisted in searching for these inconspicuous, neglected and rare instances of their sporadic intermingling, that is, in providing an answer to the question of why the Serbian art of the era between the World wars was so closed to popular culture.
The recording of the phenomenon of modernity when it appeared and became established in Serbian s... more The recording of the phenomenon of modernity when it appeared and became established in Serbian society and culture during the first half of the 20th century was thoroughly systematized historiographically and museologically during the second half of the century. The practice of recording art interpreted the period between 1900 and 1941 in terms of decades, creating a framework within which recognizable peculiarities could be noticed and which encompassed the processes of development and shaping of the artistic scene marked with the notion of a modern painting expression. Although different, these approaches have one strong common denominator: they are based on a rectilinear passage through space, time and formal linguistic characteristics of the painting. In this series, one artistic phenomenon replaces another, thus becoming the main one, and this is followed by a sort of reaction to it. However, the origin of painting is not determined by a change in style exclusively, nor is it enclosed within itself and its own medium/technical regularities, but is conditioned to a great extent, often crucially, by general social conditions. Bearing this in mind, the book "Themes and Ideas of Modernity: Serbian Painting 1900-1941" questions and relativizes these rectilinear structures. Beyond looking for formal similarities, it examines motives, reasons for and processes of the creation of artistic work; it suggests a broader definition of the depiction’s meaning by cross-analyzing social and symbolic, aesthetic and historical contexts; and it asks questions about the degrees and reasons for the artist’s personal, intimate or social stands and limitations.
The characteristics of modernity in Serbian society are inextricably linked to the development of capitalism and the urbanizations of cities and various social phenomena shaped by the need to fit into the current and suitable European context. The temporal framework from 1900 to 1941 was symbolically marked by two “world” events: The World Exhibition in Paris, where Serbia presented itself with a national pavilion, intending to show its economic and cultural development as a proof of belonging to Europe, and World War II, where the beginning of changes in the socio-political structure of Serbia consequently transformed art, its ideological essence and the meaning of the notions of modern, modernistic, and modernity in general. In spite of significant historical events which marked the epoch – a dynasty change (1903), two Balkan wars (1912-1913 and 1913), World War I (1914-1918), the formation of the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes (1918) and then the Kingdom of Yugoslavia (1929), Parliament dismissal and dictatorship (1929-1934) – thematic and ideological structures of Serbian painting in this period can be viewed as a whole. The reason behind such an approach is a strong parallel process of continuous, though often slow, modernization of the Serbian state and society, which was primarily associated with the synchronized, unbroken establishment of a civil society and capitalistic economy.
In the period between 1900 and 1941 Serbian painting, with its stylistic aspirations and progressive transformations, consistently respected the formal and linguistic genesis of the main phases of modernism all over the continent, although often after a temporal gap as compared with the quick advancement of European Modernism. A simple typology of scenes and motifs can also lead to the impression that Serbian artists did not deviate significantly from the universal preoccupations of the epoch. However, the careful layering of thematic choices, the shaping of specific narrative and ideological differences by singling out characteristic forms, as well as the inextricable link between art and social circumstances led to noticing, and then interpreting, the peculiarities of Serbian modernism in the first half of the 20th century.
Papers by Simona Cupic
Godišnjak za društvenu istoriju, 2021
Historical narratives are transferred in various ways, which are often understood – even when thi... more Historical narratives are transferred in various ways, which are often understood – even when this is not the case – as tangible, material remnants of history: objects, paintings, sculp- tures, memorabilia, films, photographs. The need to make a record of history in the realm of art is most often motivated by the intention to make its contents timeless, universal, to elevate them to the level of symbols. The status of “great” works of art, which are simultaneously political as well, shapes the iconic manner in which the audience understands them. It is this status that gives rise to their visibility in public spaces, and consequently to the preservation of the memories contained within them from violation. Could the Tulsa race massacre of 1921 have remained invisible for almost a century if it had been subjected to an “artistic treatment”? From the moment when, in 2012, Mark Bradford’s painting Scorched Earth was exhibited at The Broad Museum in Los Angeles, it has provided the impetus to speak publicly of disturbing histories, to clarify their context, to expose tragedies and injustices done and suffered to the public eye. In the contemporary world, perhaps the most powerful visibility is commanded by interpretations of history from the domain of mainstream popular culture. Insights gained through googling, tweeting, Wikipediaing, blogging, and “understanding” gained from films and series constitute a major and significant issue. When the first episode of the Watchmen series was broadcast in October 2019, this resulted in the boosting of Goog- le searches pertaining to the event that occurred in Tulsa in 1921. At the same time, when, looking from the perspective of the present, we intervene to correct perceptions of contents from the past, we testify to changes, a triumphant subjugation of history, we perceive that control is exerted over public discourse, popular perception, the system of values, as well as events and individuals who are to be hidden from view and/or cancelled. From multiple presents, multiple histories arise.
Apstrakt: Stil odevanja Žakline Kenedi jedno je od opštih mesta istorije mode, popularne kulture ... more Apstrakt: Stil odevanja Žakline Kenedi jedno je od opštih mesta istorije mode, popularne kulture ali i savremene politike. Sa znatno manje pažnje razmatralo se oblačenje Džona Kenedija. Iako na prvi pogled ne toliko interesantan kao " modni ukus " prve dame, predsednikov način odevanja nije bio ništa manje promišljen. Ako, pak, promene u odevanju označimo kao socijalne promene i pokazatelj svih oblika društvene diferencijacije: bračnog statusa, pola, zanimanja, verske i političke pripadnosti, način na koji su Kenedijevi predstavljeni u javnosti postaje višestruko zanimljiv – od (brižljivo planiranih) fotografija i nastupa do umetnosti i kulture. Imajuć i na umu da su šezdesete godine trenutak kada se aproprijacija popularnog i fikcionalnog vraća u modernu umetnost, te opšte promene svojstvene novom životnom stilu ali i slojevitu sliku kako američke unutrašnje politike, tako i hladnoratovske mape sveta, pažljivo promišljeni "imidž " predsedničkog para može se posmatrati kao svojevrsna metafora jedne složene epohe.
Ključne reči: Džon Kenedi, Žaklina Kenedi, odevanje, moda, popularna kultura, politika predstavljanja
Zbornik Seminara za studije moderne umetnosti, 2012
Even though the myth of the Titanic surpasses by far the individual local contexts its reception ... more Even though the myth of the Titanic surpasses by far the individual local contexts its reception is not the same throughout the world. In other words, although it can become a universal topic, the Titanic is not at the same time a universal myth. Since its beginnings it was primarily a Western myth, its associations with the UK and USA multifold–by ownership, place of construction, its departure and arrival ports, the number of (elite) passengers. The potential or the necessity of society to identify itself with some of the key elements of „the Titanic Context“–be it naval tradition and domination, transatlantic emmigrations, or ship building and maritime trade – are always proportionate to the media and all other participations in the creation of „the Titanic Myth“. All this can certainly be explored for reasons why there is a relatively modest level of interest in the Titanic shown by the Serbian society, and such reasons are the subject of this text.
Book Reviews by Simona Cupic
Panorama: Journal of the Association of Historians of American Art, 2020
Cathy Curtis's book, A Generous Vision: The Creative Life of Elaine de Kooning, published as part... more Cathy Curtis's book, A Generous Vision: The Creative Life of Elaine de Kooning, published as part of the Oxford Cultural Biographies series, is the first biography of this painter and art critic. As we find out at the very beginning, despite "painstaking research and dozens of interviews," the structure of the text was determined by lost memoir notes, mislaid diaries, scattered correspondence, the fluidity of memory, and the unreliability of anecdotes. The elusive nature and seeming inconsequentiality of the archival record precluded the possibility of realizing a classic biographical narrative. The author explains that this is the reason for the narrative being organized thematically, and not chronologically, which results in the occasional overlapping of stories, as well as an unequal amount of attention paid to individual segments. In the ten chapters making up this book on Elaine de Kooning, we find out about her early years and artistic development, pedagogical work, pronounced unconventionality in mid-twentieth-century America, dedication to her family and friends, and marriage to Willem de Kooning. The book is a complex story about various social, artistic, and psychological discourses being privileged and sometimes problematically underprivileged. We also learn about the distribution of power in the art world, about the framework of gender and otherness, and about artists and the institutions that support them. This biography of de Kooning therefore emerges as a generous vision not only of a tumultuous and creative life, but of an entire epoch.
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Books by Simona Cupic
Bethany E. Qualls, San Francisco State University
Contributors include: Simona Čupić, John Hellmann, David M. Lubin, Lidija Merenik, Art Simon, and Uroš Tomić
The characteristics of modernity in Serbian society are inextricably linked to the development of capitalism and the urbanizations of cities and various social phenomena shaped by the need to fit into the current and suitable European context. The temporal framework from 1900 to 1941 was symbolically marked by two “world” events: The World Exhibition in Paris, where Serbia presented itself with a national pavilion, intending to show its economic and cultural development as a proof of belonging to Europe, and World War II, where the beginning of changes in the socio-political structure of Serbia consequently transformed art, its ideological essence and the meaning of the notions of modern, modernistic, and modernity in general. In spite of significant historical events which marked the epoch – a dynasty change (1903), two Balkan wars (1912-1913 and 1913), World War I (1914-1918), the formation of the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes (1918) and then the Kingdom of Yugoslavia (1929), Parliament dismissal and dictatorship (1929-1934) – thematic and ideological structures of Serbian painting in this period can be viewed as a whole. The reason behind such an approach is a strong parallel process of continuous, though often slow, modernization of the Serbian state and society, which was primarily associated with the synchronized, unbroken establishment of a civil society and capitalistic economy.
In the period between 1900 and 1941 Serbian painting, with its stylistic aspirations and progressive transformations, consistently respected the formal and linguistic genesis of the main phases of modernism all over the continent, although often after a temporal gap as compared with the quick advancement of European Modernism. A simple typology of scenes and motifs can also lead to the impression that Serbian artists did not deviate significantly from the universal preoccupations of the epoch. However, the careful layering of thematic choices, the shaping of specific narrative and ideological differences by singling out characteristic forms, as well as the inextricable link between art and social circumstances led to noticing, and then interpreting, the peculiarities of Serbian modernism in the first half of the 20th century.
Papers by Simona Cupic
Ključne reči: Džon Kenedi, Žaklina Kenedi, odevanje, moda, popularna kultura, politika predstavljanja
Book Reviews by Simona Cupic
Bethany E. Qualls, San Francisco State University
Contributors include: Simona Čupić, John Hellmann, David M. Lubin, Lidija Merenik, Art Simon, and Uroš Tomić
The characteristics of modernity in Serbian society are inextricably linked to the development of capitalism and the urbanizations of cities and various social phenomena shaped by the need to fit into the current and suitable European context. The temporal framework from 1900 to 1941 was symbolically marked by two “world” events: The World Exhibition in Paris, where Serbia presented itself with a national pavilion, intending to show its economic and cultural development as a proof of belonging to Europe, and World War II, where the beginning of changes in the socio-political structure of Serbia consequently transformed art, its ideological essence and the meaning of the notions of modern, modernistic, and modernity in general. In spite of significant historical events which marked the epoch – a dynasty change (1903), two Balkan wars (1912-1913 and 1913), World War I (1914-1918), the formation of the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes (1918) and then the Kingdom of Yugoslavia (1929), Parliament dismissal and dictatorship (1929-1934) – thematic and ideological structures of Serbian painting in this period can be viewed as a whole. The reason behind such an approach is a strong parallel process of continuous, though often slow, modernization of the Serbian state and society, which was primarily associated with the synchronized, unbroken establishment of a civil society and capitalistic economy.
In the period between 1900 and 1941 Serbian painting, with its stylistic aspirations and progressive transformations, consistently respected the formal and linguistic genesis of the main phases of modernism all over the continent, although often after a temporal gap as compared with the quick advancement of European Modernism. A simple typology of scenes and motifs can also lead to the impression that Serbian artists did not deviate significantly from the universal preoccupations of the epoch. However, the careful layering of thematic choices, the shaping of specific narrative and ideological differences by singling out characteristic forms, as well as the inextricable link between art and social circumstances led to noticing, and then interpreting, the peculiarities of Serbian modernism in the first half of the 20th century.
Ključne reči: Džon Kenedi, Žaklina Kenedi, odevanje, moda, popularna kultura, politika predstavljanja