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Dusan Marek (1926-1993) was Australia's own Surrealist painter and filmmaker. He travelled to Australia from his home in Bohemia, Czech Republic around 1948 after enduring the German occupation of his homeland. He met his future wife on board ship as she was doing the same. They lived in New Guinea for a period of time, where he found work as a ship's engineer - even though he knew nothing about engineering. A local pointed out that what he should know was the things painted yellow were for one thing and the things painted blue were for another. So he could make a living. He also made jewellery. Helena, his life partner, had her own creative life early on, but seems to have let that go, and put Dusan's work centre-stage after that.
Helena told a story about twice risking her life to escape from the occupying forces. In the first instance she was caught and brought back, but she made a second attempt that succeeded. This second story is pretty extraordinary - in that she ended up helping another person fleeing - a famous Czech violinist, who would not have made if she hadn't strapped him to her small body and carried him through deep snow to the border.
"He was too precious to lose" she told us, students of Dusan's at the University of Tasmania, where he ran the film department of the School of Art in the 70s.
During the 50s they made their way to Sydney's then vibrant art scene, taking a room in the bohemian quarter in Kings Cross. Dusan recalled to us students how he and Helena had rented their room to a lady of the night, during the day, to save her from having her mattress under the stairs outside their door. They were an engaging and warm couple. And we were lucky to have had that time with him.
FEATURE from old PCM website DUSAN MAREK (1926-1993) - A Tribute
The difference between Dusan Marek and other filmmakers/artists and teachers of media might be the difference between Julius Sumner Miller and other science teachers, or Harpo Marx and other comedians, or Michael Leunig and other cartoonists.
"The Four Horsemen" PR still
PR still from "The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse" by James Bradley Dusan with Lunasix light metre (Tasmania) Image courtesy James Bradley.
Dusan left Europe behind and headed for adventure and a new life in New Guinea and Australia. He met another young Czech on the boat. Helena was to become his lifelong companion and wife.
They lived in New Guinea for a time, where Dusan found work on a boat as the engineer. He knew nothing at all about being a ship's engineer. He was saved by some of the locals painting the engine parts in yellow and blue so he knew what was what. Film footage of this time is now in the National Film and Sound Archive....
A Czech Surrealist artist and filmmaker working in New Guinea and Australia.
An inspiring, charismatic, sometimes difficult, entertaining and yet elusive man.
A unique teacher of art and film. He is remembered with great affection and respect by those of us here gathered, who were lucky enough to have come across him at an important time in our lives, and who have been influenced by his rare vision, a gift he shared selflessly with us, his students. Some of whom would like to now honour the memory of him by making a contribution to this Tribute to Dusan Marek.
Notes toward this tribute:
Czech Surrealist painter and filmmaker Dusan Marek was originally from Bohemia. Czechoslovakia was occupied by German forces during WW2. A shipboard romance brought Dusan and his life-long companion and wife, Helena, together. They were two young people escaping events in Europe. On their way to a new life in Australia. They lived in New Guinea for a time, where Dusan found work as a ship's engineer. He knew nothing at all about being a ship's engineer. He was saved by some of the locals painting the engine parts in yellow and blue so he knew what was what. They later moved to Kings Cross in Sydney. This was during its heyday as an artists' mecca. He worked as a silversmith. They spent time in South Australia. They lived in Tasmania, where they had a house just right for them - they were both not terribly tall, and the house was storybook-sized as well. At age about 56 they upped sticks and travelled again - to New York and beyond, eventually returning to Australia. Dusan was resisting the "sweet sticky stuff" of having a well-paying job at the School of Art (now part of the university) in Tasmania. He didn't want to become "stuck on that sweet thing".
Those of us lucky enough to have been able to work with him found an inspiring, charismatic, sometimes difficult, entertaining and yet elusive man. A unique teacher of art and film.
Links to other material currently on the web related to Dusan Marek
DUSAN MAREK BIOGRAPHICAL
Link to page about a 1997 travelling exhibition of the National Gallery of Australia entitled "Emigré Artists in Australia 1930-1960" Australian prints, drawings, photographs, posters, sculpture and jewellery
"The Europeans exhibition recognises the contribution made to the visual arts in Australia by the European émigrés..... http://www.nga.gov.au/exhibitions/Europeans.htm
A website featuring Sculptures by Voitre Marek (1919-1999), Dusan's brother. They appear in St David's church in Burnside, South Australia. http://users.senet.com.au/~stdavids/artworks.htm
DUSAN MAREK TEACHER
University of Tasmania 1970s
DUSAN MAREK SILVER CRAFTSMAN
The National Gallery of Australia lists New Acquisitions (Developing the Collection 98-99) which include a number of Dusan's silver projects from the late 40s and early 50s during his time at Kings Cross. "Dancer Pendant", "Wine, Women and Song Bracelet" and "Bracelet with Native motif" http://www.nga.gov.au/NewAcquisitions/98-99/99Aust.htm
DUSAN MAREK PAINTER
Dusan is listed amongst other Australian artists such as Sydney Nolan and Arthur Boyd (painters), Judith Wright (poet), Don Banks and Don Burrows from the music world, and Beatrice Maddock (printmaker). Link to page from the Australian National University. The H.C.Coombs Creative Arts Fellows of the University. http://www.anu.edu.au/pad/community/caf/caffellows.htm
Buka Passage 1993QUT Art Museum 2003 program of Exhibitions and Events http://www.culturalprecinct.qut.edu.au/exhibitions/artmuseum/musexhibit.jsp 18 July - 16 November In Focus: Dusan Marek "Explore the fantastic surrealist images by this little-known twentieth century Australian artist".
"Surréalisme et Liberté" (2000) In French - about Surrealism - Dusan gets a mention in a book called "Surréalisme et Liberté" http://www.infosurr.net/supplement/info8.htm
Australian Art Sales Digest lists some of Dusan's works and the prices they have been sold for. http://www.aasd.com.au/data/100543.htm
ABC Arts radio program - how one man stumbled on Surrealism at an auction and has been smitten ever since. About lightning and art and Australian Surrealism, lists Dusan among a number of other OzSurrealists. http://www.abc.net.au/rn/arts/atoday/stories/s205628.htm
Lists some of Dusan's works and references to publications in which they appear http://www.library.adelaide.edu.au/ual/publ/artindex/M.html "Aurora, Angels, Matter, Time' acry & oil bw PERB p.68 'Drawing (1974)' penc bw TASM p.40 'Dream of the Invisibles' char bw MORN p.38 'Embrace' penc & char bw TASM p.41 'Just Before We Know' oil & paper collage col TASM p.19 'Mirage' oil bw PERB p.68 'Noah' char bw BAAA p.101 'Scientific Priest' oil bw APCA p.85 'Time' penc, char, pastels bw TASM p.41 'Time Sealed' oil col BMAP75 p.32
DUSAN MAREK FILmMAKER
Contains a mention of a lecture given by Arthur Cantrill on "The Surrealist Cinema of Dusan Marek". http://128.250.152.26/staff/arthur/
A complete list of articles appearing in the excellent Cantrill's Filmnotes. Do a "Find" (Ctrl F in IE) to search for references to Dusan Marek on the page. http://128.250.152.26/staff/arthur/contents.html
Link to a pdf file from "On the Wire", the ScreenSound club newsletter for July 2001, Volume 4, Issue 2. Page 4 refers to Recent Acquisitions, including Helena Marek's gift of Dusan's complete filmworks and related materials. www.screensound.gov.au/pdf/onthewire_2001Jul.pdf
The Dusan Marek page of the ScreenSound site - their full collection of Dusan Marek materials. http://www.screensound.gov.au/cgi-bin/waxhtml.exe/olc/olcsearch.wxh?sDBCode=PR
DUSAN MAREK FILMOGRAPHY
Reference: ScreenSound collection notes Fisherman's Holiday (1952) - claymation (3' 39") connected somehow to "Three Wise Men of Gotham" Caltex Heating Oil (tv ad!) 1956 - 16mm bw - animation (1' 23" bw film/0' 54" VHS) Bachelor's Lament (1959) 16mm colour - Paper and stop-motion (2' 47") Who Killed Cock Robin? (1959) 16mm colour - animation Adam and Eve (1962) - Experimental cutout animation (11' 07" colour film, 9' 48" VHS tape) And the Word was made Flesh (1971) - 16mm bw film (1:05:17 film/VHS 1:06:18) Cobweb on a Parachute (Year?) 16mm bw film - (55' 33"?) Glide if you can (1975) - Film by TCAE students (30' 33") Hey Diddle Diddle (1959) 0' 50" - 16mm colour film - paper stop-motion To be continued.........
"Adam and Eve" http://www.afc.gov.au/GTP/mrvenicefilms.html Australian Film Commission list of Australian films shown at the Venice International Film Festival. Dusan screened "Adam and Eve" in 1963.
"The Magic Trumpet" 1965 (10' 33" coloured 16mm) Animated short film using mainly paper cutouts. Listed as an Eltham Films Production. Co-directed by Tim Burstall and Dusan Marek, with Dusan on camera. Story of a magic trumpet that changes the life of an old tramp. Listed in the Filmmakers Co-op Catalogue of Indie Film 1975/76. http://www.milesago.com/Visual/magictrumpet.htm
"Cobweb on a Parachute" 1971 (65 minute, B&W 16mm)
"And the Word was made Flesh" http://www.tabula-rasa.info/AusHorror/OzHorrorFilms2.html A summary by oz writer, Robert Hood (Interview, website).
Dusan Marek retrospective from Experimenta "where creativity and technology meet" http://www.experimenta.org/mesh.html MESH is Experimenta’s journal that explores critical issues and theoretical frameworks for new media arts...MESH #1 includes a Dusan Marek retrospective
Some links to non-traditional approaches to animation. Some similarity to Dusan's ideas re there are no rules. Take the time to know your project, explore it, seek the inner workings and be free to experiment.
Links to Non-Traditional Animation works Theodore Ushev's emotional ideas given life with unique grafic style and vision. http://www.wired.com/animation/collection/theodore_ushev/dissociation/
Post-Communist film in Czech and surrounds. http://www.cinematheque.bc.ca/archives/europe.html
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© Lorraine Binnington/Park City Media 2001-2003 except where stated otherwise
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editQuote: "The Surrealist Cinema of Dusan Marek, the films of the Czech-Australian surrealist painter, from his first animation, 1952, (restored by Arthur Cantrill) to his live-action films, in relationship to his painting (given at the Art Gallery of South Australia in 2003)"