Prague Journal

Sunday, April 3, 2005.

Marketa planned a day of glass exhibitions and galleries for us, starting with the František Vizner exhibit at the Museum of Decorative Arts in Prague. Designer and sculptor František Vízner was born in 1936, and trained at the Industrial School of Glassmaking in Železný Brod before studying at the Academy of Applied Arts in Prague, in the studio of Professors Karel Štipl and Václav Plátek (1956-1962). Vizner specializes in cut studio glass. Some of our favorites were geometric dishes and vases, some of which had shapes that we could not fully comprehend, and colors that changed with the light and angle of view. Vízner is considered one of the most prominent Czech glass sculptors in the world. We also went to several small galleries with interesting glass-sculpture collections, some of which were done by some of the famous artists whose work we had seen yesterday at the glass exhibition at Nosticky palace.
We spent some time at the “Power of Images, Images of Power” exhibit of political posters and propaganda at the Galerie u Křižovniku, next to the St. Francis Church at the Old Town end of the Charles Bridge. This exhibit had five rooms of posters, graphic images that showed how the purpose of political posters under the dictatorship of the political establishment was used to promote the totalitarian ideologies. These posters were striking examples of the force of words and graphic images used to manipulate the thinking of the public. At one time, many first-rate artists rendered their services to Communist ideology, hence, plenty of true graphic jewels were among the posters on display. This collection revealed much about the past that has shaped the Czech Republic. The Communists – first as one party among many, later as absolute holders of power – promoted messianic ideologies by arousing in people the feeling that they were building Heaven on Earth, a paradise of worker pride and industrial strength. Perhaps only residents of Central Europe can fully appreciate the bitterness and irony of the malignant reality.

posted by JWinn @ 10:57 PM