PD Petr Dub

It is more than likely that a student under long-term supervision of Petr Kvíčala will at least once touch upon the topic of object-like perception of the painting in the form of a formal play or a visual field and will address the purely philosophic issues of the definition of painting. The result will often be represented by a sophisticated conceptual piece of work with certain elements of technological manual or a fundamental and simplistic demonstration of physical phenomena. This might be due to the fact that this particular atelier is open to analytical type of students who do not perceive painting as their sole solution. It might be due to the fact that Petr Kvíčala himself is a very defined personality - an uncritical fan of sensualism and an originator of precise forms of painting. Petr Kvíčala even seems to opt for certain technological perfection and generosity (both in material and approach) which creates a relevant part of the varied works as for elements of his life style. It is thus not easy for his students to refrain from addressing those issues. Petr Dub has been addressing the issues of symbolism of the painting for some time adopting certain sense of irony. He focused on the emblem-like features of the painting, on its functions and on the message it was to pass with respect to the current world. he also focused on its rhetoric - on its material nature and on what is represented by the substance of the preparatory work. Th above topics form fairly popular and important topic of contemporary Czech and worldwide art world. Petr Dub himself sees the works of Milan Houser, Jiří David or of the artistic couple of Alexeje Kljukov and Vasil Artamonov as related to his artistic interests. The similarity in the for and the message may also be found with works of other artists with post-minimalist sources such as Tomáš Vaněk, Jiří Skála, Evžen Šimera or Angela de la Cruz. The thesis of Petr Dub is intended as installation of paintings and with respect to its nature as well as an insight into a studio which can only with difficulty and risk be transformed into the public pace of a gallery. The works are presented in the manner which is rather common for paintings and expected. The paintings have the effect of three dimensional reliefs or objects. They seem to be ready-made and half-finished products produced on the spot and of solely temporary nature. And yet they represent the final form of a painted image. They are transformed into isolated objects which are firstly perceived through their material. The canvases tightened on the smallest number of nails and without blind frames are clearly not a suitable medium for a painting. However, a frameless canvas painted in the above described manner represents an obvious code and an isolated element of a painting - a media which is irreplaceable since it has been crated by a human. Petr Dub via simple elements (monochromatically painted areas, variety of fragments representing painter’s errors and imperfections) creates in the viewer an impression of the smallest possible amount of sacralization and the impression of the joy of painting. His installation triggers an imaginary feeling of closeness and of an encounter with classic art of which only droopy leftovers can be seen - similarly to having a weekend fair balloon burst on you. Unframed - Thesis Assessment (Michal Pěchouček, 2009)