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Štepán Pala

  • Glass sculptor
  • Bratislava, Slovakia
  • Master Artisan
Štepán Pala Glass sculptor
Contact
Slovak, Czech
Hours:
By appointment only
Phone:
+421 905661057
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When geometry and glass add up

  • • Štepán draws inspiration from maths, geometry and poetry
  • • He applied to art schools when he was just 14
  • • He fell into glass after failing to get into his art school of choice

Štepán Pala studied first at the glass art school in Kamenický Šenov and then in the department of architectural glass led by Vaclav Cigler at the Bratislava Art Academy. Between these two periods of study, Štepán worked for a while in a Czech glass factory. In 1975, after leaving the Bratislava Art Academy, Štepán set up a studio with his wife in the same city and started to work as an independent artist. After the collapse of the communist regime, he began to exhibit his works internationally. Štepán uses optical glass, melted and moulded to create geometric glass sculptures. His works have a drawn quality and emphasise movement through the inclusion of contrasting geometric forms.

Read the full interview

Works

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Infinity 2

Štěpán Pala's Infinity project began a few years ago when he started to create spiral glass objects. His inspiration was the mathematical notion of the Moebius strip, a one-sided surface. However, here, Štěpán has not created a flat form, but has given the object spatial development, with the possibility of seeing up to eight sides.

Length 53 cm
Width 12 cm
Height 53 cm

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Blue Space

This blue sculpture is created by elliptical cuts to a cylinder. Štepán Pala's work explores geometry and mathematics through fine art. To him, glass is one of several materials that allow him to convey his thoughts about space. Variability and optical movement are significant in all of his works.

Length 80 cm
Width 50 cm
Height 80 cm

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Gray Infinity

Štepán Pala uses geometry and mathematics to construct his visions of space. Glass gives geometry another dimension; we see two sides, but the object has only one. This is a sculpture of 'infinite' architecture, opening the viewer’s mind to infinite utopian ideas.

Length 56 cm
Width 30 cm
Height 56 cm

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Yellow Undulation

This glass sculpture was mould melted from optical glass and finally cut to its final form. Štepán Pala uses geometry and mathematics to explore his visions of space. Glass can give geometry another dimension. Thanks to its transparency, we can see inside objects and better understand the complexities involved in creating them.

Length 42 cm
Width 10 cm
Height 42 cm

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