Štefan Tóth
Mauritius N°4
Artist
Štefan Tóth
(1974, Žatec), Czech
Original Title
Mauritius N°4
Date2013
Mediumacrylic on canvas
Dimensions160 × 190 cm
Classificationspaintings
Credit LineKunsthalle Praha (Eva and Petr Zeman Collection)
DescriptionŠtefan Tóth is a Czech conceptual painter whose practice focuses on working with the principles of appropriation and reinterpretation. He looks to appropriate varied authors and pieces from a broad historical spectrum ranging from the Baroque to the present day. This approach is underpinned by his extensive theoretical knowledge of art history and of the technical nuances of exhibition practices. His appropriations do not seek accurate imitation, but rather to paraphrase the original works, often through a shift of medium, scale, or material. Tóth also aims to manipulate the context of the given work, as such a revision and recoding of the original ideas underlying a work confronts viewers with their ability to differentiate and draws attention to the necessity of developing their own sensory perceptions and understandings of the piece. Tóth usually produces his works in series, each of which focuses on a different artist and makes use of a different technique and style.
Paintings from the series Mauritius (2013) represent a sensuous portrayal of Tóth’s memories of his stay in Mauritius. Intense sensory perceptions shaped the abstract, gestural painting style, through which Tóth recorded his fading memories of the exotic landscape which captivated him to such an extent that he intended to move to the island (in the end, however, this plan did not materialize due to his family and other potential obstacles). This series represents his attempt to capture the intensity of his encounter with this place.
Štefan Tóth (*1974, Žatec) studied scenography in the Faculty of Theatre at the Academy of Performing Arts in Prague. From 2001 to 2012, he studied at the Academy of Fine Arts in Prague, in the studios of restoration and intermedia work, eventually achieving a doctorate. He also studied abroad at the École nationale supérieure des beaux-arts in Paris under Christian Boltanski in 2007. He has received several awards such as the Louis Vuitton Moët Hennessy Prize and the Miami Meets Milano Prize at the Biennale Milano, as well as the Creative Fellowship from the Ministry of Culture of the Czech Republic. From 2005 to 2007, he was a member of the anonymous art group Kontextual, and in 2008 cofounded Neue Kontextual which exclusively focuses on conceptual art and has a pioneering role in defining its context. Tóth’s work is held in public and private collections worldwide including the National Gallery in Prague, the Barceló Foundation in Spain, and in Australia. One of his pieces is also part of the prestigious Yvon Lambert Collection in Avignon, where his work was also featured in the I Believe in Miracles exhibition in 2011.
Paintings from the series Mauritius (2013) represent a sensuous portrayal of Tóth’s memories of his stay in Mauritius. Intense sensory perceptions shaped the abstract, gestural painting style, through which Tóth recorded his fading memories of the exotic landscape which captivated him to such an extent that he intended to move to the island (in the end, however, this plan did not materialize due to his family and other potential obstacles). This series represents his attempt to capture the intensity of his encounter with this place.
Štefan Tóth (*1974, Žatec) studied scenography in the Faculty of Theatre at the Academy of Performing Arts in Prague. From 2001 to 2012, he studied at the Academy of Fine Arts in Prague, in the studios of restoration and intermedia work, eventually achieving a doctorate. He also studied abroad at the École nationale supérieure des beaux-arts in Paris under Christian Boltanski in 2007. He has received several awards such as the Louis Vuitton Moët Hennessy Prize and the Miami Meets Milano Prize at the Biennale Milano, as well as the Creative Fellowship from the Ministry of Culture of the Czech Republic. From 2005 to 2007, he was a member of the anonymous art group Kontextual, and in 2008 cofounded Neue Kontextual which exclusively focuses on conceptual art and has a pioneering role in defining its context. Tóth’s work is held in public and private collections worldwide including the National Gallery in Prague, the Barceló Foundation in Spain, and in Australia. One of his pieces is also part of the prestigious Yvon Lambert Collection in Avignon, where his work was also featured in the I Believe in Miracles exhibition in 2011.
