Studio Glass Gallery

10 review
text by Milan Hlaveö, exhibition curator / photo by Ond¯ej Kocourek, Gabriel Urb·nek, archive UPM
Frantiöek VÌzner Retrospective
Museum of Decorative Arts in Prague, exhibition hall, 24/3ñ5/6 2005
Within the free series ëMasters of European
Glassmakingí, the Museum of Decorative Arts in Prague
presented a retrospective exhibition of the
internationally acclaimed glass artist Frantiöek VÌzner,
whose artistic activity combines the aspects of studio
work with the work of a designer.
VÌznerís career as an industrial designer was
facilitated at the end of his studies at the Academy of
Arts, Architecture and Design by a year long stay at the
Art Centre of pressed glass of the Sklo Union glassworks
in DubÌ near Teplice. Where he concluded his stay and
completed his studies by designing an extroadinary set
of vases and jardiniere, which did not follow the well
established practice of regular or traditional shaped
forms of pressed glass. Another part of his diploma
projectóthe collection of vases from cut matted glassó
anticipated his tendency of creating studio glass later.
Thanks to serendipitous circumstances in the 1960s,
modern pressed glass of a number of Czech designers,
including Frantiöek VÌzner, was a real success both in
terms of manufacturing and business in contrast to most
other glass products. The period criticism described
VÌznerís pressed glass as contemporary, nonconventional,
noblesse and in addition to functionality it
also attributed sculptural qualities.
Despite the success of his own designs, in 1967
Vizner accepted the position of head designer/artist at
the glassworks of ⁄st¯edÌ umÏleck˝ch ¯emesel (Centre
of Arts and Crafts) in äkrdlovice. He was able to use the
craft of master glassmakers to produce decorative items
of various forms and colours, emphasizing by simple
means optical qualities of furnace-worked glass. From
the early 1970s he also applied glass to architecture
(for example, tiling at platforms of the stations Karlovo
n·mÏstÌ and Jinonice in the Prague metro).
In 1977 Frantiöek VÌzner left the industry and devoted
himself to work in his studio. Through a physically
demanding procedure using cutting, etching and, as the
case may be, drilling, he has created objects in the form
of glass bowls and vases in basic forms of hemispheres,
balls, cylinders and prisms. In the rich collection of
mostly monochromatic works with matt velvet surface,
he attaches great importance to absolute simplicity
without resorting to cold geometry. The essence of all
Bowl MÌsa / cut glass / o/ 26 cm / 1986
Vase V·za / pressed glass / h 25 cm / 1965
his works comes from the early 1960ís from the same
foundations, but its form constantly undergoes
inconspicuous changes.
Viznerís cut objects cannot simply be percieved as
functional, but as autonomous sculptural works
influenced by VÌznerís relationship to architecture as
well as his systematic approach, patience and
concentration. They radiate strong inner tension, or
almost a spiritual charge. Frantiöek VÌzner sees the
substance of artistic work in a quest for order,
craftsmanship, the effort to support beauty of glass and
the necessity to manipulate the material with hands on.
The timeless quality of his glass has been confirmed by
the positive response of the contemporary young
generation of designers. Two of its members have
significantly contributed to a warm welcome of the
exhibition by the expert and lay public: Ji¯Ì Novotn˝ was
in charge of the architectural layout of the exhibition
and ätÏp·n Malovec worked on the graphic design.
Frantiöek VÌzner
born narozen 9/3 1936 in Prague
lives and works in éÔ·r nad S·zavou
ûije a pracuje ve éÔ·ru nad S·zavou
1951ñ1953 Apprenticed to be a glass painter at the
Glassmaking Vocational School in Nov˝ Bor;
vyuËen mal̯em skla na skl·¯skÈm uËiliöti v NovÈm Boru
1953ñ1956 Studied at the Secondary Glassmaking
School in éelezn˝ Brod in the Department of Melt
Sculpture and Mosaic;
studoval na Pr˘myslovÈ ökole skl·¯skÈ v éeleznÈm
BrodÏ v oddÏlenÌ tavenÈ plastiky a mozaiky
1956ñ1962 Studied at the Academy of Arts,
Architecture and Design (VäUP) in the Department of
Glass, Glyptics and Applied Sculpture (Professor Karel
ätipl, Senior Lecturer V·clav Pl·tek);
studoval na VysokÈ ökole umÏleckopr˘myslovÈ v Praze
(VäUP) v ateliÈru skla, glyptiky a uûitÈ plastiky
(prof. Karel ätipl, doc. V·clav Pl·tek)
1962ñ1967 Designer of pressed glass of the Sklo Union
glassworks in DubÌ near Teplice;
designÈrem lisovanÈho skla podniku Sklo Union v DubÌ
u Teplic
1967ñ1977 Designer of handmade furnace-worked glass
of the glassworks of ⁄st¯edÌ umÏleck˝ch ¯emesel
(Centre of Arts and Crafts) in äkrdlovice in éÔ·r nad
S·zavou;
designÈrem ruËnÏ tvarovanÈho hutnÌho skla skl·rny
⁄st¯edÌ umÏleck˝ch ¯emesel (⁄Uÿ) ve äkrdlovicÌch
u éÔ·ru nad S·zavou
Since 1977 Studio production of glass pieces shaped
by cutting.
zab˝v· se ateliÈrovou tvorbou brusem tvarovan˝ch
sklenÏn˝ch objekt˘
He is represented in many prestigious international
museums and galleries.
Sv˝mi dÌly je zastoupen ve sbÌrk·ch mnoha prestiûnÌch
svÏtov˝ch muzeÌ a galeriÌ.
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