Ondřej Basjuk
Mobile Stone
Artist
Ondřej Basjuk
(1983, Domažlice), Czech
Original Title
Mobile Stone
Date2019
Mediumgouache and acrylic on paper
Dimensions 100 × 70 cm
Classificationspaintings
Credit LineKunsthalle Praha
DescriptionOndřej Basjuk’s work is defined by a conceptual intermedia approach and a thorough mastery of painting which he tends to combine with readymades, site-specific installations, video, photography, and graphic design. His artistic persona can be seen as that of a visual explorer engaging with narration and mystification while also pursuing an interest in redefining painting and its legacy. His work often draws on personal experiences, historic and scientific knowledge, and adventurous, travelogue-like elements stemming from his interest in different civilizations, Jules Verne’s adventure novels, and Zdeněk Burian’s illustrations. In his quasi-archeological approach, Basjuk explores questions of aesthetics, history, and society. In his more recent work, he also reflects on the changing political climate and shifting societal opinions and values caused by the threats of dominant contemporary ideologies, thus fusing both critical and romantic elements in his artworks. His paintings are marked by meticulous technique and a simple black-and-white color palette with occasional dashes of color. Basjuk views the medium and history of painting as a treasure box of styles, themes, and artistic approaches, which can be freely experimented with and developed for use in his distinctive visual narratives. Some of his works betray a fascination with untraditional materials, which he uses as a base layer for his paintings and a means of exploring the boundaries between painting and objects.
This painting titled Mobile Stone (2019) depicts a slab of marble wrapped by a charger cable with a phone loosely hanging at its end. It conveys a somewhat ironic and humorous commentary on the connotations of mobile phones, thematizing questions of mobility, similarity of appearance and shape, as well as the linguistic similarity captured in its title. It also demonstrates Basjuk’s ability to pseudo-scientifically examine seemingly banal motifs.
Ondřej Basjuk (*1983, Domažlice) lives and works in Prague. He studied book design as well as media illustration and didactic illustration in the Laislav Sutnar Faculty of Design and Arts at the University of West Bohemia in Pilsen. Subsequently, he studied graphic design in Vladimír Kokolia’s studio at the Academy of Fine Arts in Prague. In 2013, he received second place in the Critics’ Prize for Young Painting. He regularly exhibits at independent galleries and larger institutions around the Czech Republic. He has solo shows, for instance, at the Gallery of Modern Art in Roudnice nad Labem (2018) and the White Unicorn Gallery in Klatovy (2020).
This painting titled Mobile Stone (2019) depicts a slab of marble wrapped by a charger cable with a phone loosely hanging at its end. It conveys a somewhat ironic and humorous commentary on the connotations of mobile phones, thematizing questions of mobility, similarity of appearance and shape, as well as the linguistic similarity captured in its title. It also demonstrates Basjuk’s ability to pseudo-scientifically examine seemingly banal motifs.
Ondřej Basjuk (*1983, Domažlice) lives and works in Prague. He studied book design as well as media illustration and didactic illustration in the Laislav Sutnar Faculty of Design and Arts at the University of West Bohemia in Pilsen. Subsequently, he studied graphic design in Vladimír Kokolia’s studio at the Academy of Fine Arts in Prague. In 2013, he received second place in the Critics’ Prize for Young Painting. He regularly exhibits at independent galleries and larger institutions around the Czech Republic. He has solo shows, for instance, at the Gallery of Modern Art in Roudnice nad Labem (2018) and the White Unicorn Gallery in Klatovy (2020).
