showroom no.2

Vaclav Pozarek – Works on Paper

Vaclac Pozarek was born in 1940 Budweis (Czechoslovakia, today the Czech Republic), to the son of a hat manufacturer whose business was expropriated in 1948. Growing up there, Pozarek experienced first-hand all kinds of political aggression, spying and ludicrous impediments. For a long time, he had been denied of almost everything; the only remaining thing allowed was for him to become a toolmaker. However, later he found work as a typographer in Pilsen. In 1965/66, he succeeded in attending the film school in Prague, but today he states, „I backed out then. I was overwhelmed. I didn’t want to take a political stance, or contribute to the political interests. My concern was already with the modern typography of the 20s and 30s – and that’s also proof. After the war, when the communists came, these people were erased, there was no Jan Tschichold, no construction.“ There was the official doctrine of Socialist Realism.

The fact that art should serve a political purpose, was already, due to biographical reasons for Pozarek, off the cards. He left in 1968, first to Hamburg and London before settling in Bern. In London, he could study under Anthony Caro, immerse himself into the world of sculptures – both historical and contemporary – and find his path. It is exceptionally striking to note that very early on he imagined free and applied arts occurring naturally together. From this, it’s clear to see that Pozarek adopts the tradition, originating from the constructivists that art should have a creative impact on everyday life. Everything resulted in a logical consequence: he was not only active as a typographer, book and poster designer in the 1950s, but to date he still designs graphics, book typography, furniture and exhibition layouts. Furthermore, he is developing a photographic work devoted to the history of sculpture and architecture. All of this runs homogenously and in parallel to the creation of his objects, with which he moves „with precise autonomy“ between conceptual art and minimalism.

Concerning his sculptures, Pozarek often allows chance findings to guide him. He uses scraps of wood, boxes, hinges and doors, keeping a close eye on what position each object will assume later in the space. There are sculptures for corner situations, box constellations, doors and picket fences, which in contrast to their former function, stand in the corner of the room and contain nothing, do not close and do not delineate. They are similar to everyday objects which are autonomous and functionless. They are constructions, obstacles and absurd vehicles for the minds of the beholders.

Vaclav Pozarek’s works on paper – mostly realized in comprehensive series – look like abstract sketches of ideas and are often reminiscent of architectural drawings. “Leaving the sketch-like quality and the construction of the drawing recognizable is characteristic of Pozarek’s drawing oeuvre. It’s like watching the artist thinking out loud.” (Christiane Meyer-Stoll in: Vaclav Pozarek – SO, exhibition catalogue Kunstmuseum Solothurn, 2015, S. 107/110)