SwissArtGallery · Documented identity
Drago J. Prelog’s work brings together experimentation with writing, the invention of a printing technique that engages sight and touch, and a conception of painting as a process unfolding over time. The “Prelography” he developed is distinguished by a scaly structure that invites viewers to experience the image both visually and through touch. With the “Umlaufbilder”, the act of painting takes on a physical dimension: from 1977 onwards, he worked on a horizontally positioned canvas, walking around it. The focus is less on the individuality of the brushstroke than on the inscription of time and tools in the marks left on the canvas. Continuing this line of research, he went so far as to use a modified remote-controlled miniature car as a painting tool.
After moving with his family to Haus im Ennstal in Upper Styria at the age of five, Prelog studied at the School of Applied Arts in Graz from 1954 to 1958, followed by the Academy of Fine Arts Vienna, in Albert Paris Gütersloh’s class, from 1958 to 1962. He adopted the first name Drago in 1958, in reference to his Slovenian roots. The source describes him as one of the few established Lettrists in Austria. His career was marked by the Theodor Körner Prize in 1967, followed by his participation in the Venice Biennale in 1968. In 1970, Denkblasen, a portfolio made with Martha Jungwirth and Franz Ringel, was published; two years later, a retrospective was devoted to him at the Landesmuseum Joanneum in Graz.
Further major solo exhibitions were held at the Künstlerhaus in Salzburg, the Künstlerhaus in Bregenz and the Academy of Fine Arts Vienna. A donation from the artist’s widow brought paintings and objects by Prelog into the collection of the Museum der Moderne Salzburg. Drago J. Prelog died in Vienna in 2020.
This profile brings together identity references for Drago J. Prelog and paintings, drawings and works on paper documented in auction catalogues.
10 references are documented at Germann. Each record links to its source; the amounts are not a general valuation of the artist’s work.
Acrylic on canvas
Erfreuliche Schweinerei, 1985
Acryl auf Leinwand.
Catalogue period : 2026-06-22
Published result : 6500 CHF
Hammer price, excluding fees
Estimate : CHF 4000–6000
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Ink on froissé tissue paper.
Mit weisser Innenfläche, 1982
Tusche auf Seidenpapierfroissage.
Date to be documented
Catalogue reference — sale not confirmed
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Ink on froissé tissue paper.
Zeitkreis, 1981
Tusche auf Seidenpapierfroissage.
Date to be documented
Catalogue reference — sale not confirmed
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Mixed media on paper
Ohne Titel, 1959
Mischtechnik auf Papier.
Date to be documented
Catalogue reference — sale not confirmed
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Mixed media on paper
Trauermarsch, 1978
Mischtechnik auf Papier.
Date to be documented
Catalogue reference — sale not confirmed
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Indian ink and graphite on paper
Wo ist der Schamane?, 1976
Tusche und Grafit auf Papier.
Date to be documented
Catalogue reference — sale not confirmed
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Oil on canvas
Umlaufbild, 1980
Öl auf Leinwand.
Date to be documented
Catalogue reference — sale not confirmed
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Indian ink and pencil on paper
Mein perslönliches Alphabet - ein grober Entwurf, 1981
Tusche und Bleistift auf Papier.
Date to be documented
Catalogue reference — sale not confirmed
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Mixed media on paper
Ohne Titel, 1964
Mischtechnik auf Papier.
Date to be documented
Catalogue reference — sale not confirmed
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Indian ink pen and collage on paper
Ohne Titel, 1983
Tuschfeder und Collage auf Papier.
Date to be documented
Catalogue reference — sale not confirmed
View the lot at the auction house ↗SwissArtGallery documentary note based on the cited sources. Titles, media and qualifications are provided in the profile language; the original catalogue wording remains available in each record.
Documentation updated : 2026-10-19
