Was ‘pop art’ a term used by yourself or colleagues or was there a different terminology that referred to a new figurative art movement in the 1960s and early 1970s?
My colleagues and I were informed about the term pop art, and there was not a different terminology used. This was true of all the terms of the visual arts at that time. I was at secondary school when Robert Rauschenberg got the first award at the Venice Biennale [1964]. His victory and the scandal it generated first drew me to the world of visual art and pop art as a consequence.
Did you ever consider yourself (now or in the past) a pop artist?
No.
Did your work engage with current events in the 1960s and early 1970s?
Probably, yes.
How did you choose the subject matter for your work included in The World Goes Pop?
I was surprised that you identified any work as pop art in Croatia, the movement never happened there. Mine was considered good work, but for 40 years it was forgotten.
Where did you get your imagery from (what, if any, sources did you use)?
The images used on the paintings are the logos of the world-famous companies. By using the word ‘art’ in my works, I believed, they became art.
Were you aware of pop art in other parts of the world?
Only New York. During all that time I was just making posters. I was not interested in pop art, I thought that that was something other people were doing.
Was commercial art an influence on your work or the way in which it was made?
All my work that will be in the exhibition came out of commercial art.
Was there a feeling at the time that you doing something important and new, making a change…?
All my life, I have been trying to create something new and good. You tell me if it is important.
Was there an audience for the work at the time – and if so what was their reaction to it?
Instead of an aswer, I am going to quote an student who, after an exhibition, said, ‘Bućan will make an global career with the logos of the world-famous companies, transforming them into the servants of his art.’ That was published in the newspapers. Now, I think they can go to the next century.
September 2015