Čestmír Suška Artist of Alchemical Proportions

Oxidized and corroded metal beer and gas tanks get a second chance at life, thanks to Suška’s vision – the opportunity to become a piece of art. Suška envisions something the ordinary eye might not ever see. This is the genius of his work. In these gigantic pieces, he imagines patterns – most stemming directly from nature, while others are extracted from textile and fashion designs. While he has excelled in the areas of metal and glasswork, he astounds when using natural objects in a more organic state. Tree trunks are one of his mediums of choice. Some of the titles are Rusty Flowers, Wood, and Universes. He does not shy away from large-scale sculptures. As a matter of fact, it appears as though he welcomes the challenge. The challenge goes far beyond the object itself – while large in stature, what’s captivating is his ability to create a new narrative for these objects. In this way, his mission becomes being a storyteller carving new timelines and chapters. In his pieces, one feels the rebirth of something on the verge of dying, as if he’s imbued life into something where life was on its way out. Perhaps Suška is equal parts alchemist and healer. There’s a sense of Shiva the destroyer and Brahma the creator in his creative process. It’s refreshing to witness an artist care about the cycle of life in such a meaningful and intimate fashion. Alchemists John Dee and Edward Kelley surely would have collaborated with Suška had he been alive during the reign of Rudolf II – alchemists are like birds of a feather, gathering on the branches of the same tree.

Inspiration happens without warning, on the fly, even. “I get the ideas when I’m on the move, like when walking or on a train. Preferably when implementation is very complicated.” When asked who his muses are, Suška is quick to respond, “My wife and nature all around.”

Nature speaks to Suška. He is drawn to trees and feels a kindred relationship with them. “I respect trees and their stories and I leave trunks as they have grown over the course of time. I make geometric openings in them from which, for example, old cramp irons or nails protrude that people have hammered into them.”

Of course, he is not the first or last artist to consider the tree trunk. However, what sets Suška apart is how he brings in elements of sacred geometry. Might the golden ratio be hidden among the geometric shapes?

Consider the egg, which happens to be Suška’s favourite shape – full of sacred geometry, the cycle of life, birth, death, and rebirth, it’s the quintessential emblem of continuity. His pieces reiterate the same sensation. A reclamation of something, transmutation, and the sturdy hand of a man on a mission.

He says Johann Sebastian Bach is his favourite musician, autumn his month of inspiration, and the hen his spirit animal. His opinion of favourite pieces goes as follows, “I do not have any favourite pieces, and the least favourite ones are the unfinished ones.” When a piece remains unfinished, it does not fulfil its duty. The cycle is not closed; a gap remains, longing for union with its starting point. Suška dangles in unrest, incompleteness – until the final cycle reaches back to the beginning, he will not be satisfied. He reminds us that finishing is a vital part of the artistic process – starting again and again, the cycle and the continuation, creating and recreating something new every time.

In the vein of a true alchemist, Suška says if he were not making art, he’d be a hermit. One can only imagine the cave where he would dwell. It would be covered in geometric patterns and textures from floor to ceiling – and in the corner, a wild-eyed Suška debating his own nature as an artist, gripping the blunt end of a sharp tool ready to sculpt yet another shape, another masterpiece that will last for decades to come.

Interview With Pavel Kopp

Do you think that poetry can only be conveyed by words? Then you haven’t seen the beautiful work of Pavel Kopp.

By Elena Ludovisi

Pavel’s vast portfolio is a beguiling example of contemporary street photography. Using his Leica M5 (a tiny, practical, almost silent camera, perfect for using on-thego) the elegant 80-year-old has been capturing candid moments on the streets of the Czech Republic and Italy throughout his extraordinary life. Many of his best captures are spontaneous and embedded within city landscapes, with monuments and churches serving as picturesque backgrounds. A romantic at heart, some of Pavel’s best work embodies tenderness, with subjects like couples hugging and sharing the intimacy of a kiss.

While his most noteworthy work is in black-and-white, as a true master of depicting live action, Pavel also has a magnificent eye for capturing scenes with stunning colour palettes. However, he believes that the dichotomous filter gives a better sense of romanticism to the whole scene.