Solo show Zurich

PAVEL RTUE

17.05.2021 – 22.05.2021

STILL LIFE 2

Pavel Rtue has been perfecting the abstraction of letters, a clear image line up and structural composition during his artistic path. Nevertheless, he remains hungry to find new extremes in color, style and shapes to complement and create balance within his work. His new series entitled Still Life 2 is presented at Kolly Gallery from May 17th to 22nd 2021.

In his 2020 Still Life series Pavel Rtue focused in particular on the very traditional way of representation in art – still life paintings. Last year’s paintings represented spaces of silence, pause and reflection, due to the global pandemic. The difficulty and sensitivity of the new situation with harsh restrictions has brought out a vulnerable side of life. In the artist’s perspective, this years is different: quieter, serene and adapted to the new circumstances. Rtue’s paintings therefore are bold and strong in color. He wants to portray lightness and balance, contrasting the diluted images of wilted flowers and bright spots that show the viewer the purity of colors and lines.

Discover PAVEL RTUE original artworks

„ It’s important for me to stay active as a writer without losing my activity in the studio.“

PAVEL RTUE, 2021.

Rtue’s recent series Still Life 2 seems lively and vibrant due to a vigorous utilization of color as well as straight and traversed lines. The subtle but multilayered and painterly background recalls the vulnerability and unease of last year’s series, as well as global situation. The foreground is dominated by hard edges, which have a stencil-like, two-dimensional, geometric effect. One can literally feel the sharply delineated applications of paint against each other. Although the painting techniques in the background and foreground couldn’t be more contrasting, the works seem captivating, full and well-balanced at the same time.

In Rtue’s paintings there is only a fine line between abstraction and figuration. Rtue’s activity as a writer is always distinguished in his artistic practice. The constant curiosity and the steady urge to research and practice from outside to inside and vice versa is of supreme importance for the artist. Thus, it is noticeable that his activity in public space as well as in studio painting nourish mutually. The viewer is allowed to plunge into the composition and find their own new meanings.

Tania Di Brita

More about Pavel Rtue

Installation view

Pavel Rtue – Still Life 2