Dana Vachtova

phone: +420-261 218 349


http://www.vachtova.com
Czech, born Prague 1937. Attended the School of Sculpture and later the Academy of Applied Arts in Prague where she was in the class of Professor Kaplicky. Since 1963 she has been an independent glass artist. Her formation as a sculptor is clearly discernible in her works in glass, which she has often uses in combination with other materials such as metal, bronze and wood. Although she has occasionally worked as a designer, Vachtova is primarily a sculptor using either blown or cast glass. She is interested chiefly in the spatial relationship between the various component parts that make up the whole in her sculptures, and often works on large scale. She is represented by work in the major museum collection of glass including those of the Corning Museum of Glass, The Kunstsammlungen des Veste Coburg, the Musee des Arts Decoratifs de Lausanne and the National Gallery in Prague
Dana Vachtova´s work has always been influenced by a sculptor's sentiments. One can see this in previous cycles, where a blown-glass shape exuding expression would be organically connected with strict form of metal parts in which it was framed. Work with pieces modeled from wax and finished as glass melted into moulds afforded the author new opportunities. Gradually one can see a growing tendency to replace spontaneous glass formations with modeling that can be extremely precise even down to the finest of details. The newer juxtapositions of melted glass with bronze reinforce this. The artist covers the sculpture's surface in places with silver plate and achieves a confrontation between the soft model with its metallic appearance and the seemingly inner light that illuminates the glass. The sculpture's motifs are strongly emotionally colored; many works are direct scenes from dramas of a purely personal nature as well as those common to all mankind.
Phdr. Alena Adlerova


Training:

Vytvarna skola, Prague 1952-1956
Vysoka skola umeleckoprumyslova - school of Prof.Josef Kaplicky,
Prague 1956-1963


One Person Exhibition:

  • Lost and Found, Gambit Factory, Prague 2004
  • Sklenene plastiky, IPB, a.s., Praha 1998
  • Moderne Glaskunst, Neue Rathaus, Weiden 1996
  • Dum U Jonase, Pardubice 1995
  • Eliska Stölting Glasgalerie, Hittfeld, Hamburg 1994
  • Galerie U prstenu, Praha 1993
  • New Czech Sculpture, Heller Gallery, New York 1991
  • Galerie Fronta, Praha 1984 (cat.)
  • Galerie Rob van den Doel, ´s-Gravenhage 1983
  • Divadlo v Nerudovce, Praha 1980
  • Chebske muzeum, Cheb 1980 (cat.)
  • Galerie Centrum, Praha 1977
  • Galerie Karolina, Praha 1974
  • Galerie Lobmeyer, Wien 1974



Selected Group Exhibition


2007: Pruzracny svet / Die Durchsichtige Welt, Galerie moderniho umeni
v Roudnici nad Labem / Landschloss Pirna-Zuschendorf (cat.);

2006: Sakrale Kunst aus Glas, Glasstrassengalerie, Regensburg; Z prazskych atelieru I, Galerie U Prstenu; Coburger Glaspreis 2006, Kunstsammlungen der Veste Coburg (cat.); Zensky prvek, Galerie Diamant, Praha;

2005
Design in an Age of Adversivity, Czech Glass 1945-1980, Museum Kunst Palast, Düsseldorf, The Corning Museum of Glass (cat.); Czech Contemporary Glass, Expo 2005, Aichi (cat.); Opojna plasticita a ztelesneni duchovniho sveta (Figura v ceskem socharstvi 20.stoleti), Manes, Praha (cat.); 60. leta (1958 - 1968), Vychodoceske muzeum Pardubice;

2004
In Glut geformt - Moderne Glaskunst aus Tschechien, Neumünster, Langefeld, Lübeck / Expo 2005, Nosticky palac, Prague / Relief, Galerie Vaclava Spaly, Prague / 2003: Sculpture and Glass, Galerie U Prstenu, Prague; Landscape and Home, S.V.U. Manes, Galerie kritiku - Palac Adrie, Prague

2003
Sculpture and Glass, Galerie U Prstenu, Prague; Landscape and Home, S.V.U. Manes, Galerie kritiku - Palác Adrie,

2002
Sensitive Touch, Art and Design Gallery, Staffordshire University, Stoke on Trent
2. Festival umeleckeho skla, Vridelni kolonada, Karlovy Vary

2001
Sensitive Touch, Contemporary Czech Glass Sculpture, The Studio Glass Gallery, London (cat.)
Mozna prvni a zatim posledni, Spolek vytvarnych umelcu Manes, Prague

2000
Exhibition Czech Art Glass, Guan Shanyue, Shenzhen (cat.)
Tschechische Statue 2000, Tschechische Ambassade Wien (cat., CD)
Light Transfigured - Contempory Czech Glass Sculptor, Hida Takayama Museum of Art, Takayama, (cat.)

1999
Tavena sklenena plastika, Galerie W, Novy Bor
The Best of Czech Glass - Masterpieces, Art & Craft Central Store, Beijing, P.R.China (cat.)
3.Internationale Glaskunst Trienale - Art 99, Kunstmark Nürnberg (cat.)

1998
Na tema Pes, Galerie v Lazarske, Narodni museum v Praze (cat.)
Nou Vidre Txec, Espai Vidre i Biosca & Botey, Barcelona (cat.)

1997
Tschechische und Deutsche Glaskunst, Glasgalerie Hittfeld, Seevetal
Tavene autorske sklo´97, Ledebursky plalac, Praha (cat.)
Raum und Gleichgewicht, (aus dem Tschechischen Bildhauerschaffen), Tschechisches Zentrum, Wien (cat.)
Verres & Papiers, Abbaye du Val Saint-Lambert, Cour du Val, Seraing (cat.)

1996
Vytvarne leto ´96, Topicuv salón, Praha
Slavnost, Inalfa Industries, Verney (cat.)
Venezia Aperto Vetro, Palazzo Ducale, Museo Correr, Venezia (cat.)
Slysme hlas (Socha v myslenkach Stareho a Noveho zakona), Klaster premonstratu, Praha (cat.)
La magie du verre, Galerie d´art Annie Chevalley, Montreux

1995
Ceska tavena sklenena plastika´95, Muzeum skla a bizuterie, Jablonec nad Nisou (cat.)
Zeitgenössische tschechische Glaskunst, Glasmuseum Rheinbach

1994
Sklo 20. stoleti, Vychodoceske muzeum, Pardubice (cat.)
Tschechische und Amerikanische Glaskunst, Glasgalerie Hittfeld
The Czech Glass Sculptures, Cultural Foundation Abu Dhabi (cat.)
Prager Glaskunst, Historische Museum Bamberg (cat.)

1993
Tschechische und Schwedische Glaskunst, Glasgalerie Hittfeld
Vystava soucasneho ceskeho socharstvi, Manes, Praha (cat.)
5 let Glasgalerie Hittfeld
Art 93, Glaskunst Triennale, Messezentrum Nürnberg (cat.)

1992
Prague Glass Prize 91, Heller Gallery, New York (cat.)
Souvztaznosti, Dum umeni mesta Brna (cat.)
Neues Glas aus Böhmen, Galerie an der Bernauer Strasse, Prien am Chiemsee
La magie du verre, Galerie d´Art Annie Chevalley, Montreux (cat.)
Festival ceskeho a japonskeho skla 1992-1993, Muzeum dekorativniho umeni Azabu, Tokyo (cat.)

1991
Configura, Kunst in Europa, Erfurt 91 (cat.)
New Czech Sculpture, Heller Gallery, New York (cat.)
Sklarska cena Praha ´91, Manes, Praha (cat.)
Voyage Extreme, Carpe Diem Gallery, Paris
Zeitgenösische Fotografie und Glaskunst, Kunsthaus, Hamburg
Exposition Internationale de Verre Contemporain, Espace Duchamp-Villon, Centre Saint Severe, Rouen (cat.)
Friends of Birdyland, Carpe Diem Gallery, Paris

1990
Kunsthuis v.h.Oosten, Enschede (cat.)
International Exhibition of Glass, Kanazawa ´90 (cat.)
Lasitaidetta Tsekkoslovakiasta, Vaasan Taidehalli
Tschechische Glaskunst, City Nord, Hannelore Grave Galerie, Hamburg
Tolerance II, Galerie CS, Praha (cat.)
ART Hamburg Internationale Kunstmesse, Messegelände Hamburg (cat.)
Niederländische Treffen, Art Glass Centre, Schalkwijk, Utrecht

1989
Verres de Boheme, Musee des Arts Decoratifs, Paris (cat.)

1987
Expressions en verre, Musee des Arts Decoratifs de la Ville, Lausanne (cat.)

1982-1986
Prostor I, II, III (cat.)

1980
Zentralschweizer Glaspreis, Luzern (cat.)
Visual ART ´8O, La Biennale di Venezia (cat.)

1977
Coburger Glaspreis 77 (cat.)

1976
Modernes Glas aus Amerika, Europa und Japan, Museum für Kunsthandwerk, Frankfurt M. (cat.)

1973
Bömisches Glas der Gegenwart, Museum für Kunst und Gewerbe, Hamburg (cat.)

Expo 67, Montreal, Canada



Public Collections

Amstelveen, Van der Togt Museum
Brno, Moravska galerie
Bruxelles, Musee Royaux et d´Histoire
Corning, N.Y., The Corning Museum of Glass
Coburg, Kunstsammlungen der Veste
´s Gravenhage, Galerie Rob van den Doel
Jablonec Nisou., Muzeum skla a bizuterie
Lausanne, Musee des Art Decoratifs de la Ville
Liberec, Severoceske muzeum
Palm Beach, FL, Lannan Foundation
Pardubice, Vychodoceske muzeum
Praha, Narodni galerie
Umeleckoprumyslove muzeum
Weiden, Die Regionalbibliothek Weiden


Awards

1977 Coburger Glaspreis 77 Ehrenpreis
1992 - The American Interfaith Institute, Kristallnacht Project Silver Award