Dan, Wassily and me

Author: Metelková Marie

Year of foundation: 2021

Technical University of Liberec
Faculty of Art and Architecture
Department of Art
Degree: Bachelor
Year of studies: 4

The bachelor's thesis is based on the work of W. Kandinský and D. Flavin, whose different approaches he tries to hide. It deals with composing in space by means of light elements. The result will be presented as a spatial installation responding to a specific space and reflecting its specifics. The work is inspired by D. Flavin's realizations, especially his use of industrially produced lights in artistic expression. At the same time, the compositions will argue with the content of W. Kandinsky's book Point - Lines - Area and develop issues of using basic elements that can be both observed and violated. In my bachelor's thesis I deal with objects intersected by a fluorescent lamp, in which an elusive light line and a material object, which we encounter daily, meet together. This creates objects of a sculptural nature, functioning both individually and together as one installation. In many cases, I find an absurd situation by intersecting everyday objects, plugging them in and lighting them up. The title of the thesis is based on the connection of my approach with the approach of Dan Flavin and Wassila Kandinský. Both artists accompanied me from the beginning and were my inspiration. I created austere, minimalist and geometric compositions from light tubes based on the Flavin pattern and complemented them with shapes and tendencies based on the book Point - Lines - Area. I followed quite strictly the principles used by these two great artists in their work. Although their work is a model for me, over time I decided to take the situation more into my own hands and take this work with more playfulness and foresight, which should partly evoke the title of the work. I began to intersect the objects that normally surround us with fluorescent lights. I was interested in what would arise from such a connection and how I could create absurd and illogical situations in this way. There were two installation options in the game - arranging objects around the studio and placing them next to various drawers or assembling a kind of still life, acting almost as part of an apartment or room. For the final realization, I chose a layout around the space, which has a more light effect on me and gives us the opportunity to better focus on individual objects and situations. In this case, the objects are distributed in different parts and corners of the studio and surround us. At the same time, we are aware that they belong together and together form one related installation.