Dragan Marković Markus

What first drew you to the theme of The Scream?

My artistic expression changed according to my personal maturation and development of my whole personality. Through the earlier cycle, “Figure I Space”, which I started at the end of the Academy, and continued for a long time, I wanted to show human isolation and  alienation.
It took me 20 years of creative creation and reflection to realize that all these lonely figures, surrounded and opposed to gray-black space, were nothing but my Cry at everything I had experienced, learned and understood about life, about meaning and meaninglessness in general. . So I turned all my painting and life experiences into a depiction of a screaming head created by powerful and fast-moving, deformed forms in the spirit of the original expressionists. My paintings are my view of life, of art. I try and try to achieve honest and powerful art, and I define it as art identical with the inner being of the creator of the work.

Dragan Marković Markus | XXI Century | 2023

You describe the scream as a “metaphor for human denudation.” Could you expand on what this means in your work?

The scream as a theme is the product of my inner unrest, a manifestation of a kind of human denudation, denudation to the color of the flesh. Denudation is metaphorical, not natural – descriptive. Although, the red color, whether we wanted it or not, indicates blood, live flesh. If the most dominant experience of the scream as a reaction to fear, the hopelessness of a situation or state, then it indeed is human uncovering to the core. It is a dead end, we are powerless, scared, we do not know where and how – we are looking for help. Whether or not we are aware of it, every scream is a call for help. It is this primordial nature of man as a socialized being, where we are turned towards one another, and that is the only way we can survive.

Why do you prefer acrylic as your main medium for this series?

In order to express myself as expressive as possible , acrylic paints, being      quick-drying, have become the ultimate choice. Thus, the path to the embodiment of an idea is somewhat shorter and more direct. The power of the initial impulse is not lost too much, because there is no long drying process as with oil paints. On the other hand, acrylic has the same possibilities of painting with lazure and impasto techniques, and also possesses the fullness of oil paints.

Dragan Marković Markus | Scream | 2011

Your paintings use powerful red and black tones. How do you choose your color palette?

The red color   was not accidentally chosen. I wanted to bare the human figure as much as possible, not only to make it naked, to the skin but also to go beyond, conditionally speaking, under the skin and to show the body as a flesh.

I considered painting the red heads on a white background as one of my higher instances of the liberation of the outpouring of the inner charge in the scream reification. There is neither factual space nor real or associative one, only a mass of head opposed to the ‘clean’ background.

The color black, for me, carries within itself the strength and essence of all other colors.   With black, and gray as its variation, I symbolize loneliness and meaninglessness, as well as the darkness from which we all came and to which we inevitably return.

Dragan Marković Markus | Scream | 2012

How do audiences usually react to these intense, emotionally charged works?

The reactions have been very encouraging for me, because over time it has become clear that my paintings resonate with people, and that they feel their weight. I want to throw my truth in the viewer’s face, to challenge their courage to confront their own truth (especially if it is disturbing and terrible). This is my cry, but also that of anyone else’s. Are the reactions to pain, fear, helplessness, and existential or life-threatening situations of anyone on this planet different from one another? No, the cry is our common thread, a symbol of the universal desire for survival. I do not want to impose my opinion on anyone; I just want to challenge the viewer to a dialogue. Thanks to my first international presentation of two paintings, “The Scream” (Florence Biennale of Contemporary Art, 2017), I received many invitations from professionals in the field, including curators and gallerists, to present myself at various exhibitions, in magazines, and galleries. It was a great honor for me that the esteemed Austrian gallerist Sommer showcased my screams in his gallery in Graz. I also received several international awards, especially for the Scream paintings. This only indicates that sincere art will find its way to endure and survive.

Dragan Marković Markus | Scream | 2011

How did your time studying in France and Italy shape your approach to painting?

Spending some time in countries with such a rich artistic tradition gave me insight into different artistic reflections and understandings, which served as an additional incentive for me to further deepen my artistic being in the search for my own artistic expression. An artist must never confine themselves to a narrow framework, but must remain open to various other impulses and experiences, which will enrich and expand their artistic and intellectual horizons.

Dragan Marković Markus | Scream | 2000

Do you plan to continue exploring The Scream as a motif, or are you moving toward new themes?

The essence of the paintings from the Scream cycle, as my reaction to personal and global existential challenges, will still be present in my work, but presented in a different way, not directly as a screaming head. In the meantime, I have been working on other cycles that, through their achromatic approach, indicate a visual connection with the paintings from the Figure and Space cycle. I strive not to repeat myself, to avoid quoting myself, which would be disastrous for any artist.