Sovak.: Clear Vision(s) - Catalogue Raisonne 1995 - 2016

Description

Pravoslav Sovak (*1926) is one of the most important graphic artists of our time. With his drawing skills and delight in technical experimentation he focuses his critical attention on society and institutions. Sometimes he lets us immerse ourselves in travel and landscape impressions. A reading book and catalogue raisonne in one, this volume traces Sovak's multi-layered oeuvre since 1994. The artist from Bohemia is a path-blazer for Postmodernism and an unparalleled master of graphic techniques. With virtuoso skill he combines complex processes from etching to the rarely used helioogravure. With his finely balanced nuances he allows virtually every print to become an original. Sovak's pictorial themes, from the sterility of the media society or the elemental experience of nature in the wilderness to an autobiographical collage, entrance viewers with a crystalline precision of design. Clear, almost minimalistic structures, networks and grid lines predominate, convincing the viewer with their fine obfuscation and powerful objectivity.

Ulrike Lorenz is director of the Kunsthalle Mannheim, a museum of modern and contemporary art.