Dem Demetrescu

Once upon a time there was an illustrator who lived in a big colorful book, so big that he always called his friends to meet the residents of the enchanted forest: teddy bears, deer and foxes, hedgehogs and squirrels, all dressed in romanian traditional clothes and all in great joy.

Bio

Biography

Ion Dem Demetrescu was a creative visual artist. Born in 1903,

Dem was an artist who knew how to extract the national spirit and to place it, with originality, in the illustrations for children and in animated films.

In addition to the information from the original documents, we also have a rather refined „Activity memorandum”, written by I.Dem Demetrescu after August 23, 1944, which shows more information about the artist and his activity:

"I was born in Craiova on November 26, 1903. I tookmy primary school in Bucharest at the „Cuza Voda” school no. 24. In 1922 -after two years of industrial school - I entered the Academy of Painting under the direction of A. Verona where I had as teachers: A. Verona, Stefan Popescu,Al. Steriade, Tzigara-Samurcas (art history), Dr. Duma (anatomy), etc. until 1927 when the Academy was disbanded. In 1924 I exhibited for the first time at the official salon and at the collective exhibition of the Academy of Painting.

I started illustrating children's books, literary books,etc. And to collaborate on various children's magazines. In the years1930-1932, among others, - I worked together with V. Condoiu „Practical drawing courses” for secondary schools, courses that appeared in „Cartea Românească” in 12 editions.

In 1932 I joined the „Union of Fine Arts” - during the presidency of the sculptor Iordănescu. In the same year I went to Balchik for work, living at the home of the union in that city.

I executed works for „Bucharest Month”, „Book Pavilion” in collaboration with the sculptor M. Onofrei and for various exhibitions and fairs - from the country and abroad, collaborating on various publications at "Albina" (1923-28, 1933-37,1937-45), „Cartea satului” (1922-1929, 1935).

After 1944 I executed works for the „Army Museum”, for the „Pioneer Palace”, for the Eminescu Exhibition, the Electrification Museum in Bucharest „Biological Station” Agigea, as well as for various other institutions such as: Ministry of Public Education, Ministry of Food. The living room „from Olga Bancic street, State Didactic Publishing House ,Tineretului Publishing House, Music Publishing House”.

I have also exhibited at various graphic art exhibitions, I have illustrated textbooks, literary books, children's books and I have collaborated intensely since 1947 (initially written 1946) in all children's and youth magazines such as: „Licurici”, „Pogonici”, „Luminita”,„Hedgehogs Pogonici”, „Red Tie”, „The Pioneer”, „Science and Technology”, „Let'slaugh”, „Săteanca”.

I also made films such as: „The Warrior”, „The Goat withThree Goats”, „My Horse” , posters for „Licurici Magazine”.

 

He died in 1977. We can frame DemDemetrescu in the group of artists concerned with national specificity, whobelieve in the birth of a Romanian national art.

About

Creativity, Courage and Creation

For the concrete research of the animated film made by Dem, unfortunately very few testimonies were saved, his workshop caught fire, burning a large part of the film, but we can sketch an image of the creative work in the animated film, based on the saved film and drawings.

Goat with three kids

In the collection of animated film and documentary film Dem Demetrescu we find for the story of the Goat with three kids,
fragments of materials that help us go through the creative process, representing a small part of the animated film Goat with three kids, made during the '30s . The 50 seconds of animation enliven Dem's characters in the story of the Goat with three kids. You can see a traditional Romanian house, with magical powers to move and gesture with the chimney, the windows and the roof.

At the Romanian Academy (BAR) there is a catalog with few tabs about Romanian films, but with a telling title: The film studio "Ion Creanga" presents the Catalog of films, 1955. In the category Children's films are mentioned the films made by DEM, "Goat with three kids" and the "Warrior".
A slide show is a photographic film, black and white or color, that includes a sequence of slides on a given theme and can be projected on a screen.
For children it is another way to get acquainted with a story or a fairy tale.

"I started illustrating children's books, literary books, etc. And to collaborate on various children's magazines. In the years 1930-1932, among others, - I worked together with V. Condoiu „Practical drawing courses” for secondary schools, courses that appeared in „Cartea Românească” in 12 editions.

I have also exhibited at various graphic art exhibitions, I have illustrated textbooks, literary books, children's books and I have collaborated intensely since 1947 (initially written 1946) in all children's and youth magazines such as: „Licurici”, „Pogonici”, „Luminita”, „Hedgehogs Pogonici”, „Red Tie”, „The Pioneer”, „Science and Technology”, „Let's laugh”, „Săteanca”."

„Activity memorandum”, written by I. Dem Demetrescu after August 23, 1944,

We can include Dem Demetrescu in the group of artists interested in the National Specific, who believe in the birth of a national, Romanian art.
He entered this course, at the beginning, through his Belle Arte professor, Tzigara-Samurcaș, and continued partially through the sociological and ethnographic research campaigns, set up by Dimitrie Gusti.
Thus, the main source of inspiration for Dem Demetrescu remains the life of the Romanian people. His work, easy to understand, both in easel painting, in children's book illustration, and in documentary film, manages to convey the particular image of the national specifics, people and customs of our country.

International Exhibition of Romania in London (April-May 1938)

Planned to be inaugurated on the occasion of the visit to England of King Charles II, the exhibition was opened in the British capital between April 7 and May 24, 1938, its purpose being, of course, both to improve Romanian-British relations and a more good knowledge of Romanian realities among English public opinion.
Dem Demetrescu is present in the first section of the exhibition, in room I, on whose walls his works were applied, made in the style of the paintings of the old churches.

Romania's International Exhibition in New York (1939-1940)

Participation in the International Exhibition in New York, on the occasion of the 150th anniversary of the election of the first president of the Confederate American Nations, allowed our country to show foreign visitors, numbering almost 26 million, the frames of the slogan "twinning the world of tomorrow »which was the theme of the exhibition, the strong momentum with which we are animated.

The official pavilion was the work of the architect G. M. Cantacuzino, and the Romanian House, the work of the architect Doicescu. The artists C. Medrea, Han, Onofreiu, Mac Constantinescu and Dem Demetrescu contributed for the artistic part. Through their works, they illustrated the history of Romania from the Dacian era to the present day.
The painter Dem Demetrescu was asked to decorate the exit staircase of the Romanian Pavilion in New York. Below I detail the work steps, costs and payments as they appear from the documents kept in the State Archive.

In 1939, the Undersecretary of State for Propaganda (Eugen Titeanu) scheduled - "with urgency" - the making of a film on the issue of minorities in Romania. On May 23, 1939, the painter Dem Demetrescu offered to make this "drawing that will have a length of about m and will include a succession of scenes, showing the proportional relations between minorities and Romanians ", the starting point being the ethnographic atlas" Romania "(edited by the Press and Propaganda Directorate). After more than a year of days, on August 1, 1940, Dem Demetrescu announces the realization of 296 useful m., the film will be called Ethnographic Romania (1939-1940). although Dem Demetrescu accepts this request, he will not fulfill it.The negative of the film was destroyed in the fire of December 2, 1940, only a "working copy" was saved, as I said.

ROMÂNIA ETNOGRAFICĂ
nr. 1485
Producător: ''Oficiul Național Cinematografic - O.N.C. (București)
Regie: Dem Demetrescu
Imagine: Dem Demetrescu
Animație: Dem Demetrescu
Date Tehnice: Sm; alb/negru; mut.

Data primei Difuzări: Nedifuzat
Date de Conținut: Documentar realizat în principal prin animarea de hărți și grafice, urmărind să prezinte structura și evoluția demografică și etnografică a României
Date de Producție: Început probabil în contextul presiunilor externe de modificare a hotarelor României de la începutul anului 1940, filmul, care presupunea o producție laborioasă, nu este terminat înainte de vara aceluiași an, când situația survenită după pierderea Basarabiei, Bucovinei, Transilvaniei de Nord și Cadrilaterului îl făceau, practic, imposibil.
Surse de Documentare: La A.N.F. se păstrează o copie de 294 m”

Legacy

Dem's source of inspiration

Cultural Heritage of Romania

The main source of inspiration for Dem Demetrescu the life of the Romanian people remains. Dem's interest in illustrating each region of the country, the artistic journeys in which he captures on the drawing sheet or on the film in order to make the Map of Greater Romania and the film Ethnographic Romania.

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