One point of view on historical comprehending of art consists from an engagenment into generations, an articulation of artists community into generations waves of authors who are close to each otherī by age and artistic expression. From this aspect in contemporary Czech visual art declaration of the middle generation is still alive: it contains painters and sculptors who had been born between the middle of fourties and the middle of fifties, who-after studies-entered civil and artistic life at the end of sixties and during the seventies. And thatīs also a reason why their position is sometimes called forgotten generation: at the begining of their artistic career they could no more meet relatively cultural freedom of the second half of the sixties (especially their possibilities of presentation) and/but on the contrary since the start of their creative development they were stiffled by the so called normalisation; after 1990 the creation and work of middle generation have been superimposed by coming of younger authors, forcibled in organising and publicity activites, as well as -being included into contemporary wave of postmodernism - in expressing. Therefore, in spite of undisputed high quality of itīs contribution the middle generation hasnīt been rightfully accepted. There wasnīt even helpful any suplementary association into creative groups (letīs remember for example casual association 12/15). On top of that some exclusive individuals remained apart from this mutual promotion; also Ilja Sainer belongs to those personalities.
Ilja Sainer (born in 1947) studied (between 1968-1972) math and a subject of arts and crafts on the PF UK in Prague. He began his proffesional career of artist as cartoon-film maker in the Short Film Company, at George Trnka Studio. But very soon, in 1978, he left that (even very successful) work to devote himself, with higher concentration, to free creativity. Artistic creation has become really the way of his vested sense, he obtained means for existence by a number of worker jobs. However Sainer didnīt loose contact with reality: by artistic language he made a statement to the cruelty of days, his work became critical memento, sometimes even margin festify about the life of the artist and man in general.
The range of expressive means of Ilja Sainerīs works is wide, it extends from drawings via paitings up to creating objects; authorīs distinctive brush-work is noted by penetrating of plans of abstract areas, which include - by turns - protruding or, on the other hand, falling back drawings, often almost of naturalistic look. At the nonfigurative compositions tachism is strongly headed, the technique of dropping is often used for encreasing expressive effect (by
spreading and splashing colors). On the other hand realistic elements of paintings construction are also composed by collage of inserted printed materials, threedimensional effect of assamblages is done by the application of found ready-made, often waste pieces. For building objects Sainer uses melted reinforced rod with inserted, again ready-made segments (like, for example, electronic chassis, printed contact boards etc.). This is also the way of special symbolism of achieved compositions: in the cycle Boots we can see for example, visual reflection of journey philosophy (metaphor of boots as wandering of man, crossing horizons), of living time, as well as artistic statement to the negative world phenomena (see themes from environmental pollution by litters to the drawback of human mentality leading to, for example, concentration camps: boots scrummages evoke view of Oswicim or Dachau; for such interpretation there assists also a wire-netting, symbol of prison fence). Sainer works rise therefore like mementos, as critical hint on human misery and distress, but - at the same time - they are also the morning star of hope: by included belief into revival possibility. In the done discourse about Ilja Sainerīs works we have shown their concentration on the drama of human existence. But Sainerīs works donīt turn only to very physis, to establishment of the earth and physical world. In trancendental output they refer to the word "behind", from plausibility lead towards thle touch of disclosed mystery, by their own overlap they are coming to the secret of higher order; the spirit of Sainerīs works is not only latent, they turn themselves, step by step into direct implicative way of iconographical character: This spirituality could be visibly understood already in cycles Biorythm, Biospaces and Fragments, fully in subordination to the idea of cosmic order the cycle of Islands is done. By interpretating paintings we would be able to refer to many comparisous of spiritual mankind ways related to religions concepts (including for example iconography of colors: of red as symbol of blood, of gold as expression of purgation and eternity) and to hermetic tradition (leading to interpretation of cabbala, of Sephirs ect.); but such discussion would not ouly cross size, but also purpose of this essay. Letīs only mentione that Sainer by this way, like other great painters, is looking for "kye of everything" (Paul Klee), he is fulfilling the goal of the very graphic art: seeing the world from a distance, not seeking outward, but under the tecture of paintings to attain feeling of deeper, almost goodlike unity.
Coming to the questions oriented to the sense of art we attain also deduction of our look back at Ilja Sainerīs work and creation. Merleau Ponty in his essay Eye and Spirit reminds notice by Cesanne "invisibility is a depth of visibility", that is to say: art is a process leading to archetypal experience. And Sainerīs work by itīs spiritual dimension: by unveiling inner of the world structures (vivid in the patterns of his last pictures) brings us this spiritual awereness. This is also the way (coming from memento to an inspection of all and every) of itīs harmony, giving us hope. And in hope there is also our prospect. That is, as well, the value of Sainerīs work.
Ivo Janouek, NTM, Praha 1997
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