Studio: international art (82.1921)

STUDIO-TALK

MONUMENT FOR A GRAVE
DESIGNED BY JAN KOTERA
SCULPTURE BY JAN STURSA

Artelists did not swerve from their pur-
pose, and it is to the credit of these
energetic pioneers that they finally made
their way. At the present time the small
art objects, the vases, toys, brooches, the
pottery and the precious glass they pro-
duce, are sought for at home and abroad,
and the " Artel " is accepted as representa-
tive of modern Czech art and craft. 0
It has been a burning question how
to rejuvenate the national art—how to
apply the old Slav ornamentation to the
present art of daily use, and to solve this
problem our best artists set to work,
examining the very sources of the national
decorative powers. The Czech artist
has inherited strong decorative tendencies,
and the keen desire of his peasant ancestors
for colour. A highly developed imagina-
tive power and a generally high standard

save him from plunging into the abysses
of abstraction. Only a few objects can
be detected as " dressed up " in treat-
ment or design, but on the whole the,
objects reveal a strong accentuation of the
architectural side of the problem. Indeed,
most of the members of the " Artel "
are architects, and this gives a special tone
to their productions. 000
Our illustrations, comprising a few
specimens,,of toys by the famous Czech
painter, Spala, two paper knives and
brooches by Horejc, and a wooden casket
with metal fittings by Vlastislav Hoffmann,
show the ornamental power of the young
Czechs in its purest form. Horejc in
particular is looked upon as the most
prominent of them on account of his
seriousness when approaching any art
problem. H. S.

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