Štipl Richard

Richard Štipl is regarded by many as one of the most innovative sculptors to emerge on the international contemporary art scene. Štipl's seemingly infinite search for identity is exemplified by the compositions of his oeuvre; his hyper-realistic figures function as a chronicle or "diary" of his ever-changing psychological states. So, to achieve these results, Štilp uses himself as an archetype for his works. Though the artist emigrated from Czechoslovakia to Canada in 1979, his art is not of the New World but of the Old. Using predominantly wood and cast metals, Štipl's meticulous craftsmanship hints at distinct Gothic and Baroque techniques that distinguishes Old World Europe from today's New World. The figurative influence of Old Masters, including German-Austrian sculptor Franz Xaver Messerschmidt, Dutch painter Hieronymus Bosch, and German painter Tilman Riemenschneider, is used to create surface paintings in oil or ink of a far more recent vintage. By carving tattoos and consumerist symbols onto the naked skin of his creations, the interior is materialized on the exterior. In an act of incarnation, Štipl denotes the symbols by how society chooses to represent itself. Ancient techniques with postmodern symbols, self-reflection with self-mutilation, and faces contorted in extreme facial expressions are all at the forefront of Štipl's work. Consequently, Štipl inhabits parallel worlds, underscoring the profound desire to examine the act of artistic becoming.