Jan Kubíček

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1929 - 2013 KOLÍN, CZECH REPUBLIC

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ABOUT THE ARTIST:

Jan Kubíček was one of the most consistent artists who developed conceptual thinking, moving on the edge between visual expression, natural sciences and philosophy. In his work, the sense for revealing the laws and setting the rules by which he constantly followed and to which he returned was clearly expressed. Their use allowed him to constantly connect and mutually enrich various procedures.

He was always able to describe exactly how thoughts and ideas gradually developed. At the same time, however, we can fully perceive Kubíček's work even without a verbal explanation, because we can derive the principles of his expression ourselves. It is actually unbelievable how many possibilities it has to work with simple geometric elements, such as horizontal, diagonal or vertical, square, circle and their division or combination.

Thus, Jan Kubíček discovered the expressive possibilities in the development of certain systems, which took place in a given time period, by which he could verify how far it can go in reducing shapes, or, conversely, in their gradual enrichment and addition, rotation or shifting. These events took place not only in a series of drawings, graphic sheets and paintings, but also in objects in which the artist further complicated his expression by entering into a three-dimensional solution. He has a special position in his generation. He deliberately chose a very narrow direction, which, however, allowed him to go as deep as possible with extreme concentration, similarly to, for example, Radek Kratina in his variable objects.

His work has become a natural part of not only Czech but also European art, developing the legacy of pure abstraction and constructive tendencies. It gets into the international context, it is certainly related mainly to the experiments presented by concrete artists, it is naturally close to the speech of some members of the international group Zero (Günther Uecker, Otto Piene,…). And in our art it has its clearly defined place among such personalities as Zdeněk Sýkora, Stanislav Kolíbal, Milan Grygar, Dalibor Chatrný or Vladislav Mirvald.

Text by Jiří Machalický

EDUCATION:

  • 1954 - 1957 Academy of Fine Arts, Prague
  • 1943 - 1953 Academy of Arts, Architecture and Design, Prague

SELECTION FROM SEPARATE EXHIBITIONS:

  • 2017 Jan Kubíček, Galerie Závodný, Mikulov
  • 2016 Jan Kubíček: Journey to the Future, Miroslav Kubík Gallery, Litomyšl
  • 2015–2016 Jan Kubíček: A Prague Constructivist, Leopold-Hoesch Museum, Düren (DE)
  • 2014 Jan Kubíček, Caesar Gallery, Olomouc
  • 2014 Jan Kubíček: Retrospective, Prague City Library, Prague
  • 2013 Jan Kubíček: 2000 + 13 Systems, Structures and Progression, AP Ateliér (Josef Pleskot), Prague
  • 2012 Jan Kubíček: Systems and Geoconstructions, Kampa Museum - Jan and Meda Mládek Foundation, Prague 1
  • 2011 Jan Kubíček: Geoconstructions, systems and coincidences, Zlatá husa Gallery, Prague
  • 2010–2011 Jan Kubíček: Form - event (from private collection), Institute of Geophysics AS CR, lecture hall, Prague
  • 2009 Jan Kubíček: Photographs and Photograms from 1962 - 1985, Dvořák Museum in the Kolín Region, Kolín
  • 2006 Jan Kubíček: Graphics, Gallery of Modern Art in Hradec Králové, Hradec Králové
  • 2001 Jan Kubíček: Retro, Louny Telecom Exhibition Hall, Louny
  • 2000 Vladimír Boudník Award 1999, Old Town Hall, Prague
  • 2000 Kubíček: Form, project, order, Václav Špála Gallery, Prague
  • 1998 Jan Kubíček: Paintings, Exhibition Hall Sokolská 26, Ostrava
  • 1995 Jan Kubíček: Paintings from the Early 1960s, ´60 / ´70 Gallery, Prague
  • 1994 Jan Kubíček, Gallery Hands, Prague
  • 1993–1994 Jan Kubíček: Gemälde 1958 - 1993, Wilhelm-Hack-Museum, Ludwigshafen am Rhein (DE)
  • 1992 Jan Kubíček: Principles, systems, constructions, House of Arts of the City of Brno, Brno
  • 1990–1991 Jan Kubíček: Pictures - objects - drawings 1968 - 1990, Galerie & Edition Hoffmann, Friedberg (DE)
  • 1989 Jan Kubíček, Opatov Gallery, Prague
  • 1988 Jan Kubíček: Photographs, photograms, Small gallery Na hradbách - Arton, Kolín
  • 1986 Jan Kubíček: Illustrations, Artotheque, District Library in Prague 4, Prague
  • 1985 Jan Kubíček: Photographs and Photograms, House of the Lords of Kunštát, Jaromír Funk's Photography Office, Brno
  • 1984 Jan Kubíček: Illustrations, Birth House of Václav Šolc, Sobotka
  • 1970 Jan Kubíček, Benedikt Rejt Gallery, Louny
  • 1969–1970 Jan Kubíček, Václav Špála Gallery, Prague
  • 1967 Jan Kubíček, Regional Museum Kolín, Kolín
  • 1966 Jan Kubíček: Graphics, Drawings, Illustrations, District Public Library, Třebíč
  • 1965 Jan Kubíček: Graphics, Collages and Drawings, Hollar Gallery, Prague

SELECTION FROM GROUP SHOW:

  • 2017–2018 New works in the collections of the GHMP, Municipal Library of Prague, Prague
  • 2017 Too Many Teeth - Czech and Slovak Art of the 1960s from the Collection of the Golden Goose Gallery and the Kampa Museum, Kampa Museum - Jan and Meda Mládek Foundation, Prague 1
  • 2017 New Acquisitions from the Collections of Prague City Gallery, Delegation of Prague to the EU (Pražský dům), Brusel (BEL)
  • 2015 Vladimír Boudník Award Winners 1994 - 2014 / Vladimír Boudník Prize: 20 Years, Colloredo-Mansfeld Palace, Prague
  • 2014 Czech Posters for Film. From the Collection of Terry Posters, National Museum of Modern Art (MoMAK), Kyoto (JAP)
  • 2013 Open Book, DOX, Little Tower, Prague
  • 2010 Parallelograms and Intersections, Gallery of the National Technical Library, Prague
  • 2008–2009 Czech and Slovak Art of the 1960s, House of Arts, Zlín
  • 2008 Czech Art XX. century: 1970-2007, Aleš South Bohemian Gallery in Hluboká nad Vltavou, Hluboká nad Vltavou
  • 2007 Prague Biennale 3 - Global and Outsiders: Connecting Cultures in Central Europe, Karlínská Hall, Prague
  • 2005
  • Strenght and Will: Czech Prints from behind the Iron Curtain, a Gift of the Anne and Jacques Baruch Collection, Cincinnati Art Museum, Cincinnati (USA)
  • 2004
  • World of Stars and Illusions: Gems of the Czech Film Poster Tradition, Consulate General of the Czech Republic, Los Angeles (USA)
  • 2003
  • The world of stars and illusions. Czech film poster of the 20th century, Mánes, Prague
  • Minisalon, Center tchèque Paris, Czech (Paris)
  • 2003 World of Stars and Illusions: Gems of the Czech Film Poster Tradition, Czech Center London (České centrum Londýn), Londýn (GB)
  • 2002
  • Minisalon, Galeri Nasional Indonesia, Jakarta (IDN)
  • 2000 Two Ends of the Century 1900 2000, House of the Black Madonna, Prague
  • 1999 Klub specifistů / Klub konkretistov, Slovak National Gallery, Bratislava (SK)
  • 1997 Minisalon, Telfair Museum of Art, Savannah (USA)
  • 1996 Minisalon, The Museum of Fine Arts, St. Petersburg (USA)
  • 1995 W kręgu Galerii H, Czech Center, Warsaw (PL)
  • 1994–1995 New Sensitivity, Vysočina Regional Gallery in Jihlava, Jihlava
  • 1993 Minisalon, Musée des Beaux Arts, Mons (BEL)
  • 1993 Geometria Bohemia: Czech Geometry / Czech Geometrikus Müvészet, Műcsarnok (Kunsthalle Budapest), Budapest (HU)
  • 1992 Member exhibition of the Association of Fine Artists Mánes, Mánes, Prague
  • 1990 New leaves from the Czechoslovak Socialist Republic, Kupferstichkabinett, Dresden (DE)
  • 1989 Review and Preview - Prints, Drawings, Photographs, Tapestries and Wallhangings, and Sculpture, Jacques Baruch Gallery, Chicago, Illinois (USA)
  • 1986 Trends in Geometric Abstract Art. Gift from the Riklis Collectiion of McCrory Corporation and works from the Tel Aviv Museum Collection, Tel Aviv Museum of Art, Tel Aviv (ISR)
  • 1980 Die Kunst Osteuropas in the 20th century, Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Garmisch-Partenkirchen
  • 1979 Construction, Relief and Color, Jacques Baruch Gallery, Chicago, Illinois (USA)
  • 1978Minędzynarodowe triennale rysunku / The International Drawing Triennial, Museum of Architecture, Wrocław (PL)
  • 1970 Edition Hoffmann, Zürich-Galerie, Frankfurt am Main / Frankfurt am Main (DE)
  • 1969 4 Artists from Prague, Young Gallery-Ernst Hühn Buchhandlung, Kassel (DE)
  • 1969 22 graphic artists of Slovakia, Libreria Feltrinelli, Firenze (IT)
  • 1968–1969 Biennial of Graphic Arts, Bradford, Bradford
  • 1960–1961 New graphics of members and guests of The Hollar Association of Czech Graphic Artists, Hollar Gallery, Prague
  • 1958 The City through the Eyes of Contemporary Painters, Gallery of the Czech Fine Arts Fund, Prague
  • 1958–1959 Art of Young Artists of Czechoslovakia 1958. Paintings and Sculptures, Prague Castle Riding Hall, Prague
  • 1953 Jiří Balcar, Jan Kubíček, Municipal Museum, Kolín

REPRESENTATION IN COLLECTIONS:

  • National Gallery in Prague
  • Galerie hl. of the city of Prague
  • Galerie Benedikta Rejta, Louny
  • Moravian Gallery, Brno
  • Museum Folkwang Essen,
  • Municipal Art Collections Nuremberg,
  • Amsterdam Museum Museum
  • Wrocław National Museum
  • McCrory Corporation New York