Martin Velíšek / Little red riding hood and other stories

chateau Klenová

26. 8. - 31. 10. 2018

opening reception 25. 8. 2018, 15:00

In six painting cycles in six rooms at Klenová Castle, Martin Velíšek (1968) tells six different stories. The main series is Little Red Riding Hood, which shows death as sleep, painted on a bedsheet. The subject of death or the temporary nature of existence is essentially the common thread running throughout the entire exhibition. The ephemerality of quiet moments is the ultimate theme of the still-life, and it is made present through the chairs, kitchens, light bulbs, or flies from the other cycles. At the same time, viewers are treated to the pleasure of seeing beautiful paintings with impressive detail. For instance, working with the precision of the Old Dutch Masters, Velíšek depicts thirty-one apples, one for each day in October, gathered from the grass beneath an apple tree. The viewer is witness not just to the process of decay, but also to the beautiful range of color in the mold and brown rot of the decaying fruits of autumn. By comparison, we find a touch of humor and joy in the more dynamic and narrative cycle Darw-in, in which Velíšek imbues animals with human characteristics and places them in situations more common to homo sapiens. His art invovles much forethought, as he combines conceptual principles with a mastery of painting. His works possess an intellectual spark and the emotional charge that comes from personal engagement.