Zdeněk J. Preclík - Fragments of a Life

This book showcases and surveys the work of sculptor Zdeněk J. Preclík (*1949). Alongside Vladimír and Mojmír Preclík, this is the last of the three Czech sculptors who bear this artistically famous surname; the last yet to receive his due appraisal. And one might dramatically proclaim – the best is saved to last! Preclík’s wholly original creations out of various materials rank him among the major figures of Czech post-modernism. Novelty is what makes this artist a demiurge, one who shuns loud and empty exhibitionism. Exceptionally expert in his craft, Preclík tests the boundaries of form and content. He moreover works with categories that are not necessarily wholly intelligible in the Czech milieu. His works are truncated forms, fragments, and unorthodox stylisations, even of Classical forms (generating a dialogue between the European canon and Oriental and exotic sources of inspiration), reaching through the gaps in the grand edifice of modernism. The book includes an autobiographical section and a catalogue of selected works.