CUTEK portret | Danubiana}

60 SHELVES

04. February 2017 - 05. March 2017 Curator: Dagmar Srnenská

Juraj Čutek is one of the most distinctive representatives of Slovak sculpture. A wide variety of themes rendered in a broad range of artistic expression in visual art forms make him a Neo-Renaissance artist. His small and monumental sculptures, paintings, drawings, extraordinary design of functional sculpture and atmospheric interior design bear a distinct stamp of his artistic concept and use of expressive devices rare in Slovak sculpture. He prefers to explore the contrast in his works – the relationship between the density of the wooden figure and the surrounding space, the contrast between the smooth surface of worked tree trunks and ready-mades and subtle polychrome. Functional objects have become intellectual interpretations of various contexts, imbuing his works with surprising new meanings and a distinct artistic depth.
His perception of small sculpture, its treatment as to the handcrafted, technical, artistic and conceptual perspective, is exceptional in Slovak sculpture. His works reverberate with remote forms of the technical and constructive elements of Leonardo da Vinci’s objects, alternating with the fantasy and reality of Jules Verne as modern science fiction. Naturally, this includes his extraordinary works replete with romantic ideas seemingly associated with the humour of Zeman’s Baron Münchausen. Historical figures representing literature, theatre, music and history alternate in Čutek’s works creating an amazing panorama of the world along with the pioneers of technology and civilisation. The combination of traditionally worked wood with parts of machinery and metal objects no longer in use shows an astonishing display of hyperbole, metaphor and symbolism, referring to the expression of speed, movement and flight. These motifs are accompanied by themes of the distant past, archetypal centaurs, angels, ancient warriors, mythological figures and history makers. Music, street musicians and musical instruments form an integral part of his interpretations of themes.
Juraj Čutek is an artist presenting the contemporary period replete with associations, philosophical mementos, psychological twists, human wins and losses. The works exhibiting the artist’s rich inner life are conceptually and artistically associated with dreams of inventors, sailors, generals and emperors. This fascinating display truly captivates the viewer.

Biography

Juraj Čutek was born in 1957 in Žilina. He studied from 1972 to 1976 at the Bratislava School of Applied Arts with Prof. Ľ. Korkoš and from 1977 to 1983 at the Prague Academy of Arts with Prof. J. Malejovský. In 1989 he became a member of the renowned Gerulata Association. In 1999 he co-founded Spectrum Art that enabled him to regularly attend international exhibitions and the Art Fair in Monaco. He exhibited at the Dutch Art Fair in The Hague and began to cooperate with foreign galleries and their owners: the Galerie Eric Severine Morren in Utrecht and Gerard Meulensteen of the Danubiana Art Museum. The artist in residence programme in the Cité Internationale des Arts in Paris enhanced his artistic and intellectual development. The artist exhibited in Switzerland, Italy, the Netherlands, France, Germany, Austria, the USA, Israel and Monaco. Juraj Čutek, an empathic organiser and excellent communicator, has been engaged in artistic activities in Slovakia and the Czech Republic. He co-organised several symposia, workshops and meetings of artists, especially in Banská Štiavnica and on the farm of Bolek Polívka.