Draft:Ivan Lerik

Ivan Lerik (Zagreb, 9 February 1914 – Zrenjanin, 25 July 1998) was a professor*, educationalist and Yugoslav writer. He was involved in philosophy of aesthetics, issues of art and literary and theatre criticism. His most notable work is Aesthetics (Ulaznica, Zrenjanin, 1972), which represents philosophical approach to art and the author's effort to define it.

Life
His parents were father Petar, a railway stoker and mother Katarina, née Vraničić, a housewife. He grew up in very modest economic circumstances and made his higher education possible by giving private lessons in French. He completed elementary school (1920-1924), gymnasium (1924-1932) and Faculty of Philosophy of the University of Yugoslav Kingdom (1933-1937) in Zagreb with a degree in French language and literature, Latin language and literature and Yugoslav literature. After his marriage to Margita Praschak he came to Zrenjanin where her family had roots. He remained in Zrenjanin until his death and was buried there.

Educational work
Ivan Lerik was a professor of gymnasium in Novi Sad (1942-1944). After World War II, he worked as a director of a teacher's course in Vrbas (1944-1945), educational inspector in Subotica (1945-1946), and Zrenjanin (1946), principal of the gymnasium in Ruma (1946-1947), educational inspector of the Ministry of Education of the FPRY in Belgrade (1947 -1950), professor (1950-1954) and, until retirement, principal of the II Gymnasium in Zrenjanin (1954-1977).

He was a respected professor and he approached education of new generations with great enthusiasm. His work in the fields of culture and education was honoured with a number of diplomas and commendations. Gymnasium in Zrenjanin, which he led, was declared experimental as a forerunner of reforms in school system.

Some of his work in the field of education and culture published between 1947 and 1973 include:


 * Politehnizacija i seminarska nastava (Polytechnicization and seminar teaching), (Prosvjetni list, Sarajevo, 1956)
 * Profesionalizovan duh u nastavi (Professionalized spirit in teaching); Jedan vid seminarske nastave (One type of seminar teaching); Intenzitet u nastavi (Intensity in teaching); O ocenjivanju učenika (On student assessment); O vaspitanju omladine (On education of youth); O integraciji nastavnog programa (On curriculum integration); Nastavni programi i radna nedelja (Curriculum and the working week), (Pedagoška stvarnost, Novi Sad, 1956-1971)
 * Studiranje sredine (Study of the Environment), (Nastava i vaspitanje, Beograd, 1957)
 * Proizvodni rad učenika (Students’ Productive Work), (Tehničko vaspitanje, Beograd, 1962)

Polyptych of high school students and colleagues in honour of professor Ivan Lerik, 2017.

Painting in Zrenjanin Gymnasium

Literary work
In addition to his professional educational work, Ivan Lerik was an aesthetician and an important theoretician and art critic.

His most significant works in literature and art theory are:


 * Studija o Marsel Prustu (Study on Marcel Proust), (Novosti, Zagreb, October, 1940)
 * Studija o Žil Romenu (Study on Jules Romains), (Novosti, Zagreb, November 1940)
 * Brochure O modernističkoj umetnosti (On Modernism in Art), (Narodni Univerzitet, Zrenjanin, 1955)
 * Brochure Simbolizam u književnosti (Symbolism in Literature), (Rad, Beograd, 1957)
 * O istini i umetnosti (On Truth and Art), (Savremenik, Beograd, 1957)
 * Estetika (Aesthetics), (Ulaznica, Zrenjanin, 1972).

Aesthetics
Aesthetics is the life work of Ivan Lerik in the field of art theory. The work represents a philosophical view of art with a very structured view of what, according to the author's understanding, are its primary qualifications that make it up and without which it does not exist. The book consists of five parts with grouped themes.


 * 1) Philosophical basis of Aesthetics
 * 2) Primary qualifications of art. Humanity, sociability, communicativeness.
 * 3) Secondary qualifications of art. Vitality and truthfulness, two constitutive qualifications in an inseparable frame
 * 4) Misconceptions that hinder approach to the essence of art. Misidentification and equating beauty and art, skill and art, ideas and art
 * 5) Analysis of connections and relations between society and art. Freedom of creativity and freedom of criticism

Recognitions and awards

 * Honorary title of educational advisor since 1960
 * Order of Labour with Golden Wreath (1966)
 * Winner of the highest republic award for educational workers "May 25" (1968)

References and external links
* In education system in Yugoslavia it was customary to address gymnasium teachers with university degree as professors.