Jaroslava Votrubová

1951 - born in Cheb

1970 – 1972 – High school of Creatives Arts in Prague

1973 –1979 – Academy of Applied Arts Prague

(prof. St. Libenský)

1972 –1988 – Designer - Kavalier Glass Works

in Sázava

1988 – 2007 – independent artist

2007 - 2017 teached Arts at  Secondary School in Prague

2017 - 2018 teaches Arts and Art History at SPŠS Panská in Prague

Glass engraving and the contence

A few words on the programme

In the nursery school little boys play with toy cars and other inventions serving people to run and conquer the world. The little girls train bringing up and caring for people on their dolls. In simplification there is a certain trend on the part of men to adapt to the world and a tendency on the part of women to adapt people to the world. Naturally the period of globalisation confuses these roles more than at any time. Under the banner of feminism women comprehend their liberation as acceptance of male roles, while men go on maternity leave. It may all contribute to mutual acquaintance. It is a matter of the male I in the woman and the female I in the man. Which I explain as the mutual acquaintance and mastery of the two roles being beneficial as long as a person does not ignore his own self.

Women’s main tool are feelings. Feelings are also a very important part of an artistic message and now they have even been put on the programme of science! And that interests me very much. Artistic work is a game and a search - of form, content and how form depends on content. I test how various colours, rhythms and geometric relationships are interrelated to the expression of sensations and moods. There exists an interesting theory in psychology, something like a map of the human inward nature or rather more a map of experiences undergone, to which relevant bodily states are related. If I simplify it greatly and add artistic experience, the directional rosette of this map would probably have on it :

• static relaxation
• static tension
• dynamic tension
• dynamic relaxation

For comprehension it is best to imagine that you are to dance to music of those characteristics.

Engraving

Glass engraving is a technology known even in the ancient world. This technology was brought in to my country right during the times of Rudolph II. Habsburgh's reigning. In that time, thanks to the interest of the Emperor, the Czech glass makers knew how to make plain lead crystal glass for engraving. For ages it has been the richest people's privilege to owe engraved glass bowls or plates or polished and engraved crystal. The two layer plane glass has been produced by an ancient technology, same like the one used for very old window glass - unrolling of a cylinder to a flat plate. A thin layer of coloured glass has been added on the surface of the cylinder, during the process of blowing the cylinder in to a large cylindrical cast. The blown cylinder is scored, unrolled on flat surface and smoothened. The engraving has been done by cutting off the thin layer of coloured glass by small wheels. These ones are riveted to exchangeable shafts inserted in the engraving machine tool. The finished work is framed in a patinated brass stand.