Janko Domsic Croatian nationality Born in Malunje in 1915 Dies in Paris in 1983

We know almost nothing of Janko Domsic's life. The only information we have comes from an interview he had with the architect Alain Bourbonnais. We do not know the circumstances of Domsic's arrival in France. He probably spent some time in prison. He might have lived in Toul, in Meurthe-et-Moselle, and in 1935 worked on the construction of a railroad in Pont-sur-Yvonne. Janko Domsic probably received an elementary education.

When in Paris, he lives in misery in a sordid building. He is in conflict with the Social Security system about his old age pension and with others who would have robbed him of his writings. Several of his texts read: "All rights of reproduction reserved…" (The spelling varies with each text.)

He writes in French, with sometimes Croatian or German words. He draws and writes with colored pencils, ballpoint pens and felt-tip pens. His writings follow a perpendicular or a circular movement in regard to his drawings. Most words used are adjectives, adverbs and interjections (Ha ha, Tralala, Hop la, Aleluya). He speaks about himself in the third person. He makes up many words. Zora Fitting gives examples of adverbs made from adjectives (solairments), adjectives from nouns (heurienne, minutienne, nuitale), verbs from proper nouns (croatise, Jesusise, dollarise) or from nouns (banierise).

With the exception of some information from his personal life, Nazi songs and religious writings, most of his vocabulary refers to mystic ideas, to the moral code of freemasons as well as to economy. Fraternel, Uni, Solidaire, Universel, Commun, Humanitaire, Egal, Chaîne are the most frequently used words from the freemason language. A certain number of words in capital letters are underlined by arrows and also used as abbreviations. The word JESUS means "Janko-Espion-Soviétique-Ustacha-Souperstar" or "Janko-Ecrit-Savant-Universel-Souperstar". The pentagram, swastika and hyphens embellish the drawings as well as are part of the figures. As in Walla's case, one should not take these signs at face value. They are part of his own private code. The phallus (the base of which is decorated with the word "BOG", "God" in Croatian) is always erected. The noses of his characters are replaced by the dollar sign, which part of the word USA written across the face. Sometimes this figure smokes a cigar, but it might also speak on the phone or defecate at the same time.

Figures are mostly drawn from the front. They lean against the curves of a rainbow. They represent a "microcosmic man" or a puppet of an acrobat with legs and arms spread apart. These figures, which are geometrical and formed by countless parallel or concentric lines, are no longer human; they are skeletons, structures, X-rays and come from a strange cosmogony.

There is tautness and rigor and no room for disorder or randomness. There is no perspective; the lines are joined together and never come apart. These figures are like geographical maps; a look from above which makes everything look flat. The eye is caught by the line trying to escape in vain. A journey from one point to another, a labyrinth with no way out.

SEE ALSO: Publications de la Collection de l'Art Brut, fascicule 16, Lausanne, 1990.

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