Keramika – Taberyová Marta (2015)

This monograph presents the work and career of Marta Taberyová, a sculptor and ceramic artist who ranks among the leading figures of the post-war Czech artistic generation. Born in Olomouc, she is now fully rooted in Prague both through her life and her work. After studying at secondary industrial schools in Železný Brod and Prague, she received a solid artistic education at the Academy of Arts, Architecture and Design in Prague, in Professor Otto Eckert’s studio, from 1949 to 1954. Her professional life has been devoted to her own studio work, which is recognised both at home and abroad. Taberyová’s art has the quality of a kind caress. At a time when a misunderstood freedom of expression and the desire for originality often promote a world of disasters, distortions and monstrosities, she presents positive, optimistic and lyrical aspects of human existence. A love of life accompanies every one of her reliefs. Her ceramic pictures create miniature worlds through masterfully controlled ceramic techniques and sensitive sculptural modelling. This playful yet demanding process is combined with expertly developed glazes studied over many years, whose matt surfaces are enlivened by rich textures. The reliefs are composed across two or three layers of perspective, and in landscape views Taberyová can create the illusion of distant horizons in the background. Her architectural works can be found in Frankfurt am Main, Essen and Bad Königstein in neighbouring Germany, as well as in Ostrava, Pardubice, Neratovice and many other places. In Prague, her work appears at numerous sites, including the “Landscape” composition at the Smíchov railway station metro station and “After the Performance” at the Estates Theatre. A member of the International Academy of Ceramics in Geneva, Taberyová has received numerous distinctions and medals, and her work is represented in many Czech and foreign collections and galleries of contemporary art. Her ceramic pictures and sculptures continue to delight viewers through their positive attitude towards the philosophy of life. The book is in Czech.