Željko Jerman's 1977 Photographic Work Explores Destruction and Mortality in Yugoslav Conceptual Art

In the 1970s, Željko Jerman, a young artist working in socialist Zagreb, employed destructive methods like scratching and poor development on photographic prints and negatives. His approach, celebrated by curator Radoslav Putar for pushing beyond classical photography's limits, faced criticism from traditionalists. Jerman's tactics enacted a formal 'death' of the photograph, intertwining with themes of mortality and authorial identity. Through his 1977 work My Year, he repositioned beauty in relation to desire, masculinity, and artistic fallibility. This introspective art, linked to the New Art Practice yet distinct in its romanticism, offers nuanced insights into image-making for Yugoslavia's conceptual generation. The analysis appears in ARTMargins Volume 11, Issue 1-2, published on June 2, 2022, with content available via MIT Press under subscription access.