Biography:

Biography from Djordje Prudnikoff


It was the hand of God that joined a Serbian woman and a
Russian man, who had come to Serbia as boy, with his parents,
after the October Revolution in Russia.
So, on April 19th 1939. in Uzice, they got their son Djordje -
Djordje Prudnikov

In 1946. the family moved to Belgrade. After completing his
grammar school, Djordje was admitted to the Academy of Fine
Arts. Few months later he left it to enroll at the Academy of
Applied Arts where he graduated in the class of Professor
Mihailo Petrov.
During his studies Prudnikoff was rewarded several times for
graphic design.
Graphic (industrial) design was his preoccupation while staying
in
Wienna, in 1967.

Before leaving for Vienna, after visiting an industrial design
exhibition that inspired him, he started to do industrial design
himself. It was design of completely new shapes of glasses. In
Vienna, he had contacts with Rosenthal, Gralglass and other
companies that belonged to Euro "Group 21". They were not only
full of compliments for the artist but offered him a cooperation.
After 5 months spent in Vienna, he returned to Belgrade for a
summer holiday. Nostalgic feelings overwhelmed him and he
remained at home.

That was most likely the reason why some of his ideas were
used while he was away, and without his approval. One of his
ideas even won the ''Oscar'' for design in 1969. in Germany.

At the International competition for new ideas in furniture design,
in 1968 in Italy, he was granted a reward and 3 months
scholarship by the company called Sormani from Milan for
perfecting himself in furniture design.
During and after his studies he was mostly occupied with
creations in the field of applied arts and took part in projects for
furniture and applied pottery for several well-known Italian
enterprises. His work were selected for the ITALIAN DESIGN
exhibitions in many European metropolises, and that was the
time when Italian design was considered one of the best in the
world.
While staying in Italy, he established a good cooperation with
Gabbianelli (and some others), and achieved his greatest
success.

Prudnikoff met many interesting people in Italy, the most
impressive contact being with Mr.Dino Gavina, one of the
pioneers of industrial design who said that "he had waited for
such an Artist" There were remarkable proposals to work in
Bologna but, unfortunately, the two distinct personalities had
conflicts from the very beginning.

That was unfortunate, of course. As he stayed in Belgrade longer
than he planned, he failed to take his chance to realise his
project ''Habitata'', already accepted at the Milano Trienale in
1975, for a well known enterprise ''Zanotta'' /transparent
armchair, armchair in a shape of the sack /

In 1976. he had left Italy, and only 18 years later learned abut the
reason why Italian authorities had not granted him extended work
permit. There was a bad guy who lived in Milan at the same time,
and possessed a passport in the name of Prudnikoff. That man
loved his painting but had no idea how he affected his life.

Prudnikoff's idea was borrowed in Italy as well, and an ''armchair
- FIELD'' won the 1st prize at an international contest, but it was
not registered under his name .

In Belgrade, Prudnikoff became famous not only as an artist, but
for his whole-page advertisements announced in daily
newspapers. These advertisements symbolized his reactions to
certain occurrences, whether he approved of them or not. At
first, this way of communication with the community represented
his discontent with the contemporary art critique that did not
accept him, and that, apart from few exceptions, did not win his
confidence.

C O N T E M P O R A R I E S !!!


Prudnikoff took part in numerous collective and independent
exhibitions both in the country and abroad.