TEACHERS AND DOERS - Galery of Spiš artists

Entrance to the virtual 3D tour of the exhibition:

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As its simple but concise title suggests, the exhibition reflects upon the artistic work of teachers and cultural figures active in the Spiš region. The featured works from the Gallery’s collection and the private archives of twelve artists display a heterogenous range of styles and themes which combine visual and thematic narratives.

The collection of the Gallery of Spiš Artists contains many remarkable works of art, but only a modest proportion of these works are by teachers and cultural figures who, alongside their own creative artistic and cultural activities, have devoted many years to fostering the creativity and education of their pupils – artists with their own potential for success. The selected artists belong to the older generation which has played a crucial role in the artistic training of a new generation of Spiš artists. The exhibition pays tribute to their teaching and cultural work but also presents the fruits of their own periods of active creativity. The exhibition is part of the Themes cycle of exhibitions and is supported with public funding provided by the Slovak Arts Council.

Authors: Ivan Bobula, Anna Fedáková, Marián Hennel, Štefan Hudzík, Zdeněk Jeřábek, Eva Končeková, Otto Korkoš, Peter Krupa Sr., Emil Labaj, Rudolf Rabatin, Imrich Svitana, František Žoldák

The sculptural works of Štefan Hudzík, in which the figure of Master Paul of Levoča appears, dovetail with the life and work of Peter Krupa Sr. in their visual similarity with the medieval woodcarver. As a teacher, he raised an entire generation of successful artists, and both his work and his life were greatly marked by the influence of music and theatre. The fragile and ephemeral contemplative works of Anna Fedáková are contrasted with the imposing sculptures of Otto Korkoš. While the works of the two artists are heterogenous in terms of material, they share an interest in Christianity and mystical ideas. Inspired by nature, the sculptor Imrich Svitana creates works which are characterized by symbolism and profound thought. The almost pointillistic application of detail in the works of Ivan Bobula are juxtaposed with the subtle floral still-lives of Eva Končeková. The industrial face of the landscape is represented by the work of Marián Hennel which, in contrast to the pointillistic spirit of Bobula’s art, focus on the depicting the landscape with architectural fragments. The motifs of nature and horses appear in the paintings, drawings and graphic works of Zdeněk Jeřábek. While stylised forms of the horse motif can also be found in the work of Štefan Hudzík, Jeřábek’s horses are depicted realistically but in a flowing, dynamic abbreviated form. Lyrical-realist themes from the Spiš landscape, still-lives and floral motifs accompanied by abstract paintings suffused with poetry and music are the predominant features of the work of František Žoldák. The experience of music is also embodied in the work of Rudolf Rabatin, who applies his own analysis to nature painting and balances out the logical regularity of mathematics with gesturally expressive painting. Hennel too seeks out a realistic thematic starting point for the resulting relative abstraction. In his works the landscape can only be guessed at or is depicting in hints and glimmers. Poetry, music and theatre are the main inspiration for Emil Labaj. His realist compositions are created through a combination of the artist’s own symbolism and sense of meaning, often reflecting cultural affairs in the city of Spišská Nová Ves.