Ivan Picelj
XWY-II, 1959–1961
Serigraph, 478 x 478 mm
MG-2536

Ivan Picelj (1924–2011) was both an experimentalist and a seminal figure in geometric abstraction, spanning from the post-war and high modernist periods to what is often referred to as post-postmodernism. He was a painter, printmaker, and designer. Picelj was among the founding members of EXAT 51 (1951–1956), the Industrial Design Studio, and the international art movement New Tendencies in Zagreb (1961–1973), where he also acted as organizer, participant, and graphic designer (posters, the journal Bit International).
During this time, he created programmed artworks that explored the psychology of perception, visual rhythms, and the shifts of elements within a visual structure—aligning him with Op Art. He was a "programmer of exact creativity" (B. Gagro) and a key representative of the Zagreb school of serigraphy. His foundations lay in the principles of Bauhaus, Constructivism, Neoplasticism, and Minimalism.
The serigraph XWY-II (1959–1961) is a testament to Picelj's graphic mastery, demonstrating his precise and detailed dynamization of circular sequences using numerous variables. These, combined with basic forms, produce a hypnotic optical effect and reveal the consistency of his graphic design approach.
Picelj studied at the Academy of Fine Arts in Zagreb until 1946, which he left not for abstraction, but for freedom (R. Ivšić). In painting, he developed a form of absolute geometric abstraction through basic shapes and colors. In 1952, he hosted the first EXAT 51 exhibition in his apartment on Gajeva Street, alongside Rašica and Srnec. He went on to participate in the 7th Salon des Réalités Nouvelles in Paris, and from 1959 began a long-term collaboration with Galerie Denise René. He published 11 graphic portfolios and created wood reliefs and objects. Picelj is featured in the Dictionary of Abstract Painting (M. Seuphor, 1957).

Text: Željko Marciuš, Museum Advisor, National Museum of Modern Art © National Museum of Modern Art, Zagreb
Photo: Goran Vranić © National Museum of Modern Art, Zagreb