Vladimír Kopecký - Geometry

06.09. – 03.11. 2017

Stanislav Libenský and Jaroslava Brychtová, René Roubíček or Václav Cigler, and Vladimír Kopecký belong to the generation of exceptionally talented, courageous and purposeful artists. All of them entered the Czech artistic scene in the second half of the 20th century. Their approach to glass is as unique as a sculptor´s mastery of stones or a painter´s handling of canvases. Paradoxically, in the times of the totalitarian darkness, they managed to free glass from its fate of a merely useful material and promoted it – through their artistic visions – to a matter offering a myriad of artistic uses. Not only that they invented glass as an artistic material, but they did see to glass being used artistically. They were literarily writing new chapters into a book of not only Czech but also world art. All these artists became very famous for their original artistic language.

Sandblasted, yellow, blue and red planks, 1976, sandblasted and painted flat glass, wooden frame, Photo: Gabriel Urbánek

  The artistic language of Vladimír Kopecký, a native of Svojanov in the Pardubice County, is sovereignly painter-like. Even though his style may often be very aggressive and uncompromising, it is, in essence, introverted, self-contained, quiet, focused and thoughtful. Kopecký’s abstract painting compositions drawn on glass or in it, or using a completely different background, often evoke ambiguous lyrical poems that stroke and drain your soul at the same time. It only depends on the audience whether they dare to follow the artist or they stay behind – it is up to them to decide. This is why Vladimír Kopecký not only became an exceptional artist, but also an inspiring teacher, as dozens of his successful students from the Prague UMPRUM will not hesitate to testify.  

Dream, 1993, sandblasted and painted flat glass, 50 x 50 x 7,5 cm, Photo: Gabriel Urbánek

  Similarly to the aesthetic of “ugly glass” which he invented for himself, Kopecký’s art is a strictly geometric. His glass compositions, paintings or graphic art convincingly evoke the infinite space, the state of weightlessness, they visualize silence and passage of time, or phenomena provoking anxiety, melancholy, and desire. Vladimír Kopecký´s artistic nature takes increased interest in these themes. Or better say – these themes fascinate him. The same will happen to you – his artistic vision of the world and never ending search for the human soul in every piece of art will equally fascinate you.

Petr Nový

head curator, Museum of Glass and Jewellery in Jablonec nad Nisou

curator, Galerie Kuzebauch.  

Blue planks, 1976, painted flat glass, wooden frame, 50 x 50 x 7,5cm, Photo: Gabriel Urbánek

Blue planks, 1976, painted flat glass, wooden frame, 50 x 50 x 7,5cm, Photo: Gabriel Urbánek

Photogallery:

This project was implemented with financial support of Municipal District Prague 6