Robert Jančovič

19. 6.–30. 9. 1999

Cankarjev dom Gallery

Robert Jančovič, Cut I (Prison, Trap), 1996, colour etching and mezzotint; recipient of the International Jury Prize, 22nd International Biennial of Graphic Arts, Ljubljana, 1997.

The exhibition included nine prints made between 1989 and 1996. Due to the long-lasting endeavours for a new image of the printmaking medium, Robert Jančovič has a special place in contemporary Slovak graphic art. The printmaking techniques he employed were mezzotint, etching and lithography. He devoted a lot of time to analysing the artistic form and the structure of space. One of the characteristic principles of his work is the contrast between light and darkness, which also has a broader spiritual meaning, for light and darkness determine the limits of our existence and space. Light is a composite part of his image and composition, since, with their emanation, the light sources emphasise the elements of the image’s composition. His sign language draws inspiration from ancient and pre-Columbian ages and other layers of human cultural history.