Maria Bartuszová

"For me, the full round shapes are the symbol of all that is alive, soft, malleable, but also vulnerable endangered, warm, fluid / water-like...The angular stones are symbolic of the earth, but also of coldness and hardness. The negative hollow shapes signify things that existed in the past but are no longer. The ropes, strings, and hoops that sometimes bind the rounded shapes could be symbolic of human relationships or the constraints that limit the possibilities of living things - the diseases and stresses that undermine what is alive and already restricted by its lifespan."

This beautiful book on Slovak artist, Maria Bartuszová (1936-1996) will introduce readers to the ethereal and other-worldly forms that dominate her oeuvre as well as exploring her influence in a broader global and political context. Discovering her talent in Prague in the ceramic studios at the Academy of Arts, Architecture and Design, Bartuszova went on to pioneer the techniques used in experimental and abstract plaster casting. Creating unique methods such as 'gravistimulated' and 'pneumatic' casting, Bartuszova defined the world of sculpture on her own terms. From rain drops and eggs, to parts of the human body, Bartuszova was interested biomorphology and how she could use the organic nature of casting in plaster to create simultaneously solid and delicate works.

Edited by  Juliet Bingham , Text by  Gabriela Garlatyová , Text by  Marie Kimešová , Text by  Lisa Le Feuvre , Text by  Harald Krejci

Tate Publishing, 2023
English
Hardcover, 192 pages
190mm x 245mm