Transcript for Episode 013 – Painter, Zbynek Sedlecky (Prague, CZ)

Published on September 2, 2019

Recording here: https://wisefoolpod.com/contemporary-fine-art-podcast-with-painter-zbynek-sedlecky-prague-cz/

Transcribed by https://otter.ai

Matthew Dols 0:12
Please pronounce your name correctly.

Zbynek Sedlecky 0:14
Okay. My name is Zbynek Sedlecky

Matthew Dols 0:16
and you are from.

Zbynek Sedlecky 0:19
And I’m from Prague from Czech Republic. Originally I was born in Australia, Australia is the third biggest town and Czech Republic.

Matthew Dols 0:30
One thing I’m always interested in is people’s upbringing. So their their families, how they sort of came to be an artist and a creative person. So what did your parents do? What was your upbringing, like?

Zbynek Sedlecky 0:42
I don’t know if there is connection between, like, my parents work and my work, but my father was an architect. And so maybe me and my brother, we were like, drawing from our childhood. Because our father like, stuff, so. But he’s not really like, interested in contemporary art or something like that. So this was my own way. But my brother is also architect, like, my father, and brother of my father is also architects. So this is a bit like, family.

Matthew Dols 1:25
So you’re the black sheep by going into the creative arts? Yes,

Zbynek Sedlecky 1:27
yes. Yes, it may be it’s possible, but nobody has problem with that. But maybe I had also interest and and then in architecture, and and maybe in my early paintings after school, I also like work with the space and architecture and memory and in, in public space, you know, so and CDs I was interested in so maybe there is a connection between this to like, to Rs painting and visual art architecture. It’s not so so far.

Matthew Dols 2:08
No, not at all. And so and then you went on a new have gotten an education, the visual arts

Zbynek Sedlecky 2:14
went to school. You mean, when were?

Matthew Dols 2:17
Well, that just that you just actually do you even did because a lot of people in the arts don’t didn’t get any sort of formal training

Zbynek Sedlecky 2:24
and Okay, no, no, no, I was in secondary school and in a different city than I was born, so it was in it was secondary school for Applied art. So and then in times, I didn’t know that. If I want to do heart or if I want to be somewhere in as a graphic designer or something like that.

Matthew Dols 2:50
Yes. There’s just as a translation for like American listeners and things like this Applied Arts generally refers to is like, what might be to commercial arts? Yes, yes.

Zbynek Sedlecky 2:59
Yeah.

Matthew Dols 2:59
So graphic design, web design, that kind of thing

Zbynek Sedlecky 3:02
that it’s on all secondary schools, you are like, have possibility to meet ours and also like, design fashion, and things like that. So I was on a studio of painting, but many people who are after the school are, are not like freelance artists more, they’re going to work to do so graphic designers and, and similar activities. So when the time I didn’t know how it will be, but after this secondary school, I was, I’ve decided that I will not be a painter and I was applying to art schools. And at first I was an art school and burner for three and a half years. And after that, I was that the Indian Academy of Fine Arts in Prague for next three and a half years. Okay, for me, it was very good because it was like combination between cities and different people and different institutions because of the school and boroughs really knew. And, and but school here in Prague was much more like with atmosphere and memory. And so it was good to, like, compare this to to study impossibilities. Oh, yeah. Well, I

Matthew Dols 4:33
mean, when I was in the US and going through my education, they they always encouraged students to don’t not do their sort of their master’s degree at the same school. They did their undergraduate degree, so they should additionally get extra opportunities and different insights and different perspectives on their work from different teachers and different locations basically. So like I went to one school for my undergrad and they basically said don’t go to the same School for your graduate program, because you should get that additional input by different teacher. Yeah, it was like this. He has

Zbynek Sedlecky 5:08
I think that now nowadays it’s very casual if a student is in one year in one studio and and, and next year he is next door studio and it’s cool and you can meet more people, more professors, and it’s okay. But for me it was that I was in one school with one, like head of the department and and on a second school, it was very different. Both were a man’s from mostly from 70s. Like, artists. But it was great. Because it was really different. Okay.

Matthew Dols 5:56
And so then when you graduated, did you you graduated with fine arts or painting degree? So what happened to you? Did you just immediately go out and some gallery rep picked you up and you were incredibly successful? And you’re now world famous or no.

Zbynek Sedlecky 6:13
I think that when I graduate in Prague, there was not so many possibilities for painters like I am. So because you have like different attitudes to this area. And I think that we were several people who meet each other and and plan some exhibitions. So we had exhibitions, we had like connections to one or two curators who were interested in and, and that was all but it wasn’t about like contract with the girl gallery or things like that. It was more like in some independent basis. Yeah.

Matthew Dols 6:58
When did you graduate? When 2002. So when you got out of school, you were just doing like an NGO like nonprofits, gallery, exhibitions, exhibitions and things like that. And the gallery scene was maybe what not just not interested in what you did, or

Zbynek Sedlecky 7:17
I think that it’s in maybe you know, that it’s in small plays, like Czech Republic is it’s very, like, several groups. And they are not too much talk to each other. And it’s a bit like, you know, it’s like, one group don’t like the other group.

Matthew Dols 7:40
How are these? I mean, this happens everywhere, everywhere I’ve

Zbynek Sedlecky 7:44
talked to, I think that

Matthew Dols 7:45
there are always little cliques of the people who do this, people do that, but how are they sort of separated here? Are they separated by like, medium age?

Zbynek Sedlecky 7:55
I mean, I think mattered. Yeah, um, it was always like, conceptual art and non conceptual, raw art, and also like painting and traditional painting. But I think that more so often it was about in which studio, you were on academia, it was nonsense, because when I after 10 years after my, after I finished Academy, I think it doesn’t matter in which studio I was studying. So

Matthew Dols 8:27
that is a very popular thing here too. Yeah. To a pretty like, basically, like, collectors and curators have, they really love the mentor apprentice relationship. And they, they Oh, this person studied with so and so. So now they’re the next generation of that influence. And so now, we should encourage that person to get more well known kind of thing. Yeah. Is that Is that good or bad? I mean,

Zbynek Sedlecky 8:54
I don’t know. I don’t like it so much. In my case, because I wasn’t on one school for seven years or something like that. So I always felt that I I am not part of one concrete group, you know, so I was trying to like, be a bit like, go through this, this this borders, because I dislike that. And but sometimes I recognize that somebody made me and you are you were studying there and there and it was 10 years after school. And I don’t know why it is so important, because I’m not so so similar, like my professors, you know, so it was good studying for me, but I think my way is different because I’m not the next generation. Right? But this was and this inside

Matthew Dols 9:48
of you though, is interesting, because now you are also a teacher.

Zbynek Sedlecky 9:53
Yes, I teach you but I don’t teach art Exactly. Because I teach like Drawing for people on Academy of applied art here in prak. So it’s not about talking about how you how you think about art, it’s much more like technical discipline that how to draw and making model and, and, and so on. So everybody needs the foundations, though. But to be back to this groups in charterparties, I think that I, because I had a small like frame experience. So that was really, really nice to people who didn’t know this see this, like, how it works here. So they look at you as an artist, and that’s all. And it’s really as it should be. Yeah.

Matthew Dols 10:46
So when you say for small for an experience, what do you mean by this? You went on a residency or you had some exhibition

Zbynek Sedlecky 10:53
on silver or residencies, but it was really different. But I was more talking about it. I had, I was participated in 2010, on her Liverpool Biennale. And after that, I had some connection to Hungary, and gallery in Budapest. So it was several years that we are meeting quite often and speak about Ireland. And it was, for me, like, important that they were looking at my work and not at my education and Jpop. I’m sitting here in Prague with

Matthew Dols 11:32
people. Wait, is that important? Should I be going to a particular cafe?

Zbynek Sedlecky 11:36
Please? Yes. Yeah, but that’s true.

Matthew Dols 11:42
What cafe Should I go to?

Zbynek Sedlecky 11:44
I think that, I don’t know. My, but it’s a bit different that if you are showing your work to somebody who didn’t know this, this things around, so he maybe could be concentrated just to do the work. And sometimes it’s better, I think,

Matthew Dols 12:05
okay, so do you. Are you working with these galleries still, like so?

Zbynek Sedlecky 12:10
Not really, because it was for several years. And I think that there was there are some, like different preferences from from these galleries. And now I, I think that it’s very good gallery, but is more concentrated to Hungarian conceptual art from 70s, I think. And it’s, they a little bit like change their program, but I think that they’re still on very high quality. And so I’m watching then from the distance, but we are not in some spatial connection now.

Matthew Dols 12:52
Okay, well, maybe you can send me their information. I can go do a broadcast with

Zbynek Sedlecky 12:57
a very nice people. And they know a lot about bicycles. And

Matthew Dols 13:02
yeah, I love Budapest.

Zbynek Sedlecky 13:04
Yeah, Yeah, me too.

Matthew Dols 13:06
So okay. So this is an interesting thing that’s come up a number of times, in discussions, that oftentimes artists are sitting in a community and they’re making their work, but their market place for them to exhibit that where their work is appreciated, oftentimes, is not where they live. But it’s some other market. So you say like Liverpool and Hungary, but you live in Prague? So is this something that maybe you find that people outside of the your your local community seem to appreciate your work more than?

Zbynek Sedlecky 13:38
I think that it depends, if you like, if you have lucky, or if you I don’t know if if there is a system, and then because I think that maybe it’s very, it could be very pleasant to have like, international galleries, and they work for you. And you can leave, for example, in Prague, and it’s all because I think that in Prague, there is no market for that. So it’s quite, it’s not easy to be concentrated just for market here because it’s very small. But I think that it’s also very, it’s not easy, because I think that might be one of the problems that I had at the end with the gallery with in Hungary was problem that I was not Hungarian painter, because they were like International, but also they have many of Hungary collectors and they wanted more Hungarian painters. So So

Matthew Dols 14:39
yeah, I mean, I’ve run into that same thing here where a lot of gallery Yeah,

Zbynek Sedlecky 14:42
I think that show che

Matthew Dols 14:44
i mean, because I’m a foreigner here, and they’re not as receptive. Now maybe, I don’t know, maybe my work isn’t the subject matter or the techniques that they want, but they also seem to actually express Yeah, we only work with Czech and Slovak

Zbynek Sedlecky 14:58
things. Maybe This is typically here also because the collectors did I know here are they have most of collection is from Czech art. And I think that sometimes for them is better at not so good Czech art than better for an art.

Matthew Dols 15:19
That’s fascinating. I mean I, I’m also a professor and when I teach my general position is always make the best art you can make regardless of your personal situation. So, like you’re not making the best check figurative paintings, you’re making the best paintings you can make, period. Regardless the fact that you’re a Czech artist.

Zbynek Sedlecky 15:41
Yeah, I think it’s important, like something like bass for you that you you was born somewhere. I’m not against. I’m not thinking that because I love colors that I can use the same color as people from California. Right. Yeah, the you know that I was born in Ostrava, and some prefab building, you know, everything was gray around and I’ve got a lot of holes in your tone. Yeah. And it was important. And I think that it’s important that I know that so. But that’s all, you know. So that’s my thinking about that. This is our, for Czech Republic. It’s not like my thinking about this stuff. So

Matthew Dols 16:35
because I’ve had this conversation I, I worked in the United Arab Emirates. And a lot of my students were often saying, like, well, but but my work is Muslim, because I’m Muslim. And I’d say no, your work is your artwork. The fact that you’re Muslim is just the way you were born and choices that you’ve made in your life. But that’s not relevant to your art, or it shouldn’t be relevant to your art or your your art simply be the best art you can make. And the fact that your Muslim hat just happens to be

Zbynek Sedlecky 17:02
so that maybe,

Matthew Dols 17:05
like, I’m a white, male, American Christian born. But I know nothing about my artworks as white male, Christian American, though some people do say I have a distinctly American look to my work, but it’s not screaming that it’s not, you know, the work should stand on its own as strong work, regardless of where you’re from, or where it’s being exhibited. It should just be strong work.

Zbynek Sedlecky 17:32
Yeah, that’s true. But I think that maybe in like, work, like process of contemporary art, if you were watching some biennials or things like that. So we can see that. Where are we from tastes important. And maybe the color of your skin is important. And maybe politics situation around you is important. So I’m not sure if always it’s, it’s like visible and the staff, but I think that the people are interested in. But I think that it could be also in a very natural way. You know, you can sit in your studio and paint apple and it’s, it could be very political, because you are Iranian painter, and maybe this is Iranian. Apple. Yeah. I’m not sure that if it is always so visible, and it’s always so important, but I think it’s a part of. Okay, so

Matthew Dols 18:37
back to another previous thing you just heard passed on was, you did some residencies. Yeah, I’m fascinated with residencies are they seem to be a gateway to meeting curators, collectors galleries, things like this. It was certain ones do not All right, so did you How many did you do?

Zbynek Sedlecky 18:57
I think that I was for three or four years agencies, but it was really different. Because all give me residency is not like residency. So I was after school, I was one. It was just for several months. I was on the school and on Turpin, so it was residency but connected to college. So there was not connection to other residents or things like that. So, but I had a studio and entrepreneur and I had I don’t know too much to do something. And it was great because it was great. Because now for example, I had, I feel connection to artists, painters in Belgium and but in the times because it’s, I don’t know 10 years ago. So in that time, it was much more about to spend two months somewhere and speak in different language and or care about yourself. And that’s the So, I didn’t meet some people who, from which connection I will leave next year. No, no, no, no. But it was great and secondaries and he was also strange residency because it was on the Czech center in Bucharest. And it was like residency for the first time there. And there also, were not other residents. There, I was alone in like, embassy building and I have a flat, I had a flat there and I had I don’t know, I think two months to, to do something there. But it was great because Bucharest was amazing. And the time and I worked on something like diary or small paintings and, and I met some artists there. It was very, very nice. But it’s also it wasn’t like, classical residency place like,

Matthew Dols 21:12
with like the factory. My girlfriend’s crossed, eating dinner together and talking about idea. Yeah, sure. The

Zbynek Sedlecky 21:21
most important presented then where I was in New York, and it was great institution, there were 40 residents, and it was great. There were people from all over the world. Do you feel that

Matthew Dols 21:37
you needed to do sort of those two first ones to like, learn either what you wanted in a residency, what you didn’t want in residence, and also even to like, practice your skills of writing the applications and getting the maybe maybe it was to get to that New York one?

Zbynek Sedlecky 21:53
Yeah, that might be that was like, I was like, a bit better. And in writing this applying stuff. After several experiences, that was true. And it also was, like my own fight. I feel that because the residents in New York was here, quite known, and people who want help Escobar there were like, send it there for some months. And I was there with a different way because I was applying directly to the institution. And what

Matthew Dols 22:34
what what residency in New York was,

Zbynek Sedlecky 22:37
the name is ICP.

Matthew Dols 22:38
Yeah. Wait, International Center photography,

Zbynek Sedlecky 22:41
and then an international curatorial and studio curatorial program. Okay. And they will, they accepted me and, but I had some time to, to collect some small amount of money and they had to collect more money for me.

Matthew Dols 23:04
So there was a little matching. Yeah, academics like you, you spent, you did what travel and they gave you a flat. I haven’t done anything like that.

Zbynek Sedlecky 23:12
Yeah. But it was not possible to buy it by yourself. You had to have a sponsor for that. Okay. Because they, they had some stories like that, somebody from India and from China, I did not know for granted that they, the family like sold the house and you know, and send one member of family to, to make a career to the New York and, of course, nothing was happened and then February was without without houses. So there was some like, thinking about it. It’s better if somebody will sponsor you. Then you have a paid from your family.

Matthew Dols 24:00
Money. Interesting. Okay. Well, yeah, don’t don’t mortgage the house for an art.

Zbynek Sedlecky 24:05
Yeah, because it sounds like that. Everybody who was in New York, it’s successful artists, but it’s nonsense.

Matthew Dols 24:15
Yeah. And that’s a lot of what I keep listening to and hearing in these conversations is that people perceive like the general people in the world and even young artists and all this, they have this, these beautiful, romanticized dream theories of like, what an artist life is like, and all this, but it just doesn’t happen. I mean, it’s these. They’re the only those rare occurrences they’re like, wow, random, like, some gallery owner happens to just see a piece of art on the street while somebody is moving their art between studios and they’re like, this is amazing. Those things don’t happen at all. I mean, they’re they’re made up by movies and TV and books. They’re not real as a general I mean, okay, yes. In the history of art, there probably are like maybe a dozen of those over the past 1000 years that it has happened, but it’s very rare. And the reality of the art industry, especially these days, is just quality work, and hard work. And persistence.

Zbynek Sedlecky 25:19
Yes, that’s true.

Matthew Dols 25:21
Because like, I know a lot of people who are extremely talented, and stop for making work, because other issues come into their lives, families, medical concerns, whatever, like, there are things that sort of get in the way of their ability to either financially or mentally be able to be in a studio to be able to create work, or even just buy their art supplies or whatever. So the I mean, it’s tough these days.

Zbynek Sedlecky 25:48
Yeah, that’s true. So it’s, I don’t know, if somebody’s, like, count,

Matthew Dols 25:53
how many people after school is doing that after 10 years? Oh, there are actually statistics, they say that only shoot what was it was like, after five years out of school, like 90% of art majors No longer are making art. And then after another 10 years is another, another 90%. And there are statistics that say that only 1% of practicing artists sustain themselves by their art. And of the 1% of that 1% that was then extrapolated out to 100%, again, of the 1% who sustain themselves 1% of those will become a household name. You know, your your Andy Warhol is your, whatever your Damien Hirst, etc. So yeah, I mean, the deck is stacked, totally stacked against us, there is nothing in any statistical data or any sort of factual basis that should say, art, that’s a great industry to get into. But yet, we choose to do it. You know, what, what makes you need to continue to make your art.

Zbynek Sedlecky 27:02
Now, I think there’s, I’m not like, thinking about all these problems each day, you know, because I think that I had some years when I was like, satisfied with how our works are going. And I also know some years where I was not so satisfied. So I think that if I’m somewhere in the middle, and I, I, I’m not like thinking too much about it. Because I think that, of course, it’s important to me to earn some money for my family and things like that. But also, I want to do something, what I really feel that it has a sense. And this is like, adventure, because this is like a way and if you are opening the doors of some new problems there, and you can see what’s what’s under next doors. And this is I think, the sense of the work. So I’m not really thinking about this big questions. Okay.

Matthew Dols 28:12
So what’s your general studio practice? Do you come into the studio nine to five every day? Do you have like set times door? Do you just come in when you’re inspired? Not exactly the same time. But

Zbynek Sedlecky 28:25
I think that in combination with my teaching at school, I have, I don’t know, three or four days per week, but maybe several more hours, and I am spending the day in my studio, and I’m working on on, like my projects. So I have some ideas about what to paint and how to paint it. And I’m trying to do that. So but when I am when I started so often I have to change my, my imagination about how it will be and it’s it’s like way, you know, so. So I’m not sure how it will be finished. But it’s very

Matthew Dols 29:13
rare for us to have a vision. And it actually works out exactly that.

Zbynek Sedlecky 29:17
But I think that for some people, it’s like normal thinking about their work, but in my case, it’s not possible. Sometimes I have some strong idea and I feel that I know how to do that. And sometimes, I don’t know and I have a minus and I don’t know so I’m trying it again again. And usually after sometimes I will like catch ideas again. And

Matthew Dols 29:48
you know, so I’ve just tested materials for six years alone. Yeah, just just find the most appropriate material that expresses the look and the text During the field that I desire, I’m a huge advocate of like, appropriate material. So it’s not an expensive materials quality, even quality materials, but it’s the appropriate material that really expresses the idea you’re trying to do.

Zbynek Sedlecky 30:13
Yeah, of course, I understand exactly. Because I think that sometimes it could be like, two materials together that you don’t know. And it doesn’t work and,

Matthew Dols 30:24
or two materials together that every all of your friends say, No, that won’t work. No, that won’t work. But because you have a unique vision, it works for you. So a lot of times not listening to what everybody else says about being mixing of materials and blending materials, ends up being the thing that makes that most amazing thing.

Zbynek Sedlecky 30:44
Yes, that’s true. I like to experiment with different materials. Sometimes I used like papers and and glue it on the canvases. And I don’t know, whatever we want. But, and a lot of that doesn’t work. But I think that it’s important because it’s, you can really, like invent something new and it’s important part of my work. There’s also a reason why I don’t feel that, um, as we were spoken about with residency is I think that I’m not so good artist for residency, you know, because I’m much more like studio artists that, that I have to try it again, again, again. And so I need a studio, I’m not able to be somewhere with a computer and somewhere in in the foreign country for one month and do some, like work with sense.

Matthew Dols 31:51
The idea of a residency is amazing, but I’m very particular about my materials, I’ve tested materials, I figured out materials. And so the idea of going to a completely new place with different stores that then have might have different materials that I then have to take the time to test and practice, try and figure out how they work. That doesn’t, in some ways that doesn’t count.

Zbynek Sedlecky 32:12
It could be good that you have to try something new. So maybe it could be beneficial for you. But sometimes, it hurts.

Matthew Dols 32:25
When you come into the studio to make a new set of work art, do you already have a exhibition lined up for a work? Or do you make work and then find exhibitions for works you have previously produced?

Zbynek Sedlecky 32:38
It depends, but I think that the mostly I have somewhere in future something concrete like that, I know that I will have exhibition next year in some in a space. So I am thinking about how to do that there. But there are also some periods that I had no concrete plan. So I was just doing doing stuff. And it also mostly, I have more more exhibition in the future. So I’m thinking about several spaces. So sometimes I’m doing somewhere sent, am I doing something and I think that it could be good together with the other thing. But maybe the third stuff I will put on the different exhibition, there were also a bit like thinking about it here in studio, and I think that how to make paintings and what will be good next to the other. It’s like a very important part of my work. Because quite often, I think think about architecture of installation, and it’s for me important how it will be as on exhibition, I’m not thinking just about one paintings so much more thinking about like a story, which is like, created between the connections between different paintings. If I have group shows, usually I I don’t think so much about the space because usually there is a curator and I’m just borrowing they just come into the studio and say I like that one that one. So if I thinking about space and about architecture and installation and things like that, this is always like a solo show. So

Matthew Dols 34:42
right so you’re having some upcoming solo shows. And are you represented by these galleries? How does this this sort of representation limited represent or just exhibiting and represent? No, I’m

Zbynek Sedlecky 34:56
not represented by gallery Nothing like closes with a contract. I don’t have now but I had some connections with galleries in this closer way. But I think that this connections must be always beneficial for both sides. So, and it was not so now I’m

Matthew Dols 35:20
like, but not beneficial for you or not beneficial for them.

Zbynek Sedlecky 35:24
I think that as we were speaking about the gallery in Hungary, because it was not beneficial for me, so I asked them for my paintings that I had and their storage and returned the stuff and it was all and it’s individual I had different experiences with other galleries. And if it doesn’t work well for both sides is not necessary to be in this like closer connection. So now I have connections with galleries, when we are doing some project together, and we are talking about the concrete projects and so, so if I have some collection of my paintings that I prepare for exhibition, I think that they have to keep it for half a year or something like that. And it’s

Matthew Dols 36:25
and I’ve spoken to a lot of galleries. So I’m interested to hear from an artist side, what’s the split of the sale prices 5050 6040 7030 into bands?

Zbynek Sedlecky 36:35
I think that it depends. And I have connections, where that was 5050 and, and I also have connections with galleries where there is I think 6040 but to tell you through I don’t know exactly, because I think that’s not so important. I think that the like, you know, the result price is the same. And for me after that is important if they are able to sell it, you know, and

Matthew Dols 37:11
this percentage is not so important. Do you so do you give a gallery a piece and you say this the retail price of this is this much with the expectation that’s 5050 or do you give it to a gallery and say the amount of money I want to take home is this much?

Zbynek Sedlecky 37:27
No I think that we are speaking about the final price of that size. It’s between that and that and that’s all

Matthew Dols 37:36
okay, so users were range that you’re you would like this much but you’re willing to go as low as this kind of thing. I

Zbynek Sedlecky 37:42
think that my prices are I don’t know how to say it. It’s nothing crazy.

Matthew Dols 37:50
reasonable,

Zbynek Sedlecky 37:50
reasonable. Okay, so I think that’s not problem for for galleries and we can talk about that and also sometimes there is possible to make some sales or things like that so it’s very individual I think and but for me it’s important that the final price must be same if somebody is in my studio and if somebody is one gallery or second gallery It must be the same

Matthew Dols 38:18
Yeah, that’s a big issue is like consistency of pricing. A lot of people will be more expensive one place less expensive in another

Zbynek Sedlecky 38:26
Yeah, that’s that’s bad because I think that everybody knows that especially after school if you are for the first time pricing your work but I think it’s dangerous because you know on the internet you can find everything and it’s not good. Yeah these days the other hand for you also, you don’t know what will happen with your paintings after the first buyers will decided to sell it and you know,

Matthew Dols 39:00
the secondary market the auction market is it’s

Zbynek Sedlecky 39:05
it’s bad because I sometimes I am able to find my work from school and some auctions on very low price and it’s not good for me but you know, I don’t know where somebody finds that and

Matthew Dols 39:23
the idea of auction market for sort of contemporary work and all this this is sort of foreign to me in america that’s not very common usually.

Zbynek Sedlecky 39:33
I think it’s it’s it’s speciality here. And it’s not so good because if you’re cooperating with some gallery and good gallery and I think that if they have some collectors there is some connections and they are able to speak about like, if there is valuable and if what is the way of the artists and and and all the things around what if you are On auctions, you have to one piece in a book. And that’s all, you know nothing. And I think it’s very easy for people who are organized. And but I think that is not good for artists and, and not good for buyers.

Matthew Dols 40:20
Yes, indeed. You mentioned that you have a family and you do have children.

Zbynek Sedlecky 40:25
Yes, I have two children do children.

Matthew Dols 40:27
One question that I, you know, keeps coming up. And I, again, again, is sort of balancing that work life relationship, like how to how to give enough time and enough effort and money to your family, in your house in your household, while still having the freedom and the time to have put the effort into your art? Like, how do you find that balance has been eat Was it easy, like so got married, your wife is super supportive your kids can

Zbynek Sedlecky 40:54
my wife is supported, I have to say, but she’s from like, similar area, because she is restoring all paintings. So she noticed this space, and you know, how it works in this area. So so I think that I could can handle it. But that’s true that I have a bit more time for work before I had children. But now it’s a bit different situation. And I don’t know how it will be in future because now it’s not bad, because I’m like, to try to connect my teaching and also my time in the studio and also time with my family. And now it works, how it will be the children will grow. And maybe I don’t know how long I will be at school. So usually I like working with the current situation.

Matthew Dols 42:01
But is it something you worry about or something you think about? Or you just you and your wife just sort of working out and you make it happen? And do you all fight about it? Or is it is it reasonably easy?

Zbynek Sedlecky 42:14
It’s not every day’s easy, but I think that we are doing what what we can you know,

Matthew Dols 42:22
my wife and I used to have at some point we had fights about how much time I spent in the studio versus the household?

Zbynek Sedlecky 42:29
Yes,

Matthew Dols 42:30
that’s true. But I think that look, because it’s hard because, like your teachings, so you go to your job teaching and it’s sort of a one for one, you put in a couple hours, they pay you for those hours, it’s it’s direct sort of time for money. Whereas when you come into a studio, you can put in months worth of work and see no return financial and you can dump a bunch of money on buying artemus resources and materials and paying rent on the studio and not have any return for months, if not years. And then that could that puts a strain sometimes, like how did you find that balance?

Zbynek Sedlecky 43:05
That’s true. If I’m, that’s true, I think that that knows everybody who was working in a studio that if I’m at home, saying that I have to go to school because people are waiting at me. So it’s no problem to go. And if I have to say that I have worked with my studio, sometimes I have some other tasks from my wife. But I

Matthew Dols 43:31
think that I understand,

Zbynek Sedlecky 43:32
I think that it’s not so bad. And I think that we can speak about that. And because she her Her job is a bit different. But she has also studio work. And she also sometimes must like wait for, for money for her job. So we are like,

Matthew Dols 43:54
I think that a whole family of freelancers. But sometimes,

Zbynek Sedlecky 43:58
you know, when I don’t have, for example, when I have holidays, and it’s cool, I can help her with some work. And so for her, it could be also beneficial because she doesn’t pay me. But I feel that I did something good for family and for her. So sometimes

Matthew Dols 44:22
it works. Looking forward to the future of like your art and your art practice in the contemporary market. What do you feel like are your challenges going forward? So everybody has like a definition of some sort of success or some sort of progress they want to make in their career. So when you’re sitting back, what are your aspirations?

Zbynek Sedlecky 44:45
Through? I don’t know, because I think that when I was a bit younger, I had some plants in that era, but there were some periods where I feel that I’m on the right way, you know, but there was all pay periods that nobody was interested with I’m doing. So I think that now I’m somewhere in the middle. And I don’t have exact plans for future, I think that I’m happy about each possibilities, if comes to me, and I really like to be in connection with foreign countries, and then the people who are interested in my work from friend galleries and things like that, but I don’t have something really concrete now that I know what it will be how it will be in next 10 years. I’m not sure. But if you mean that, what I think success in this era is I think that it’s good to be in connection with, with glory, to be presented in some possibilities, maybe art fairs or good museum exhibitions, and also to have some money to to to be able to continue in work and also to leave the familiar life on some casual level.

Matthew Dols 46:14
How much time and effort do you put into what I would call like public relations and publicity, so writing of grants, writing of grant residency applications, social media, and all the other things that are sort of the public face of your artwork versus the amount of time and effort you put in the studio itself?

Zbynek Sedlecky 46:34
I think that it depends. But in this time, I’m not like applying for some residence, things like that. Because family, it’s not possible for me to go somewhere now. And grants I don’t, I don’t know about some grants will be, like possible for me, nowadays, so but I’m trying to presented myself on Instagram some times or I was working on some book. And I’m also in some conversation, through emails, survey, the galleries and things like that. So it takes some time. But I think that most of the time, I’m spending in my studio and playing the game with the paints, it’s not so time to that I spent with thinking, how to represent myself,

Matthew Dols 47:31
have you found that social media has been beneficial for you? This is a question I asked everybody.

Zbynek Sedlecky 47:35
I’m not sure because I think that it’s, it’s, it’s pretty new for me because I’m on Instagram. Two months, I think, Oh, yeah, that’s very new, it’s possible to, to spread your stories to more More, more audiences. So it’s, for me, it was very interesting that had it I can show my, my work to other people. And I am able also sort of similarities in the art world, somewhere in a really different space that are people who are thinking a bit, like, similar like me, so. So this is what I feel like benefits from social social medias, I don’t have some like, result like that I have new connection to some gallery or, or collectors or things like that

Matthew Dols 48:36
something a lot of artists selves often struggle with is how they get how to even get connected with art, with galleries and curators. So like, what has been your experiences with? How have you been able to approach your gallery or curator? Or has it been something that you have actively proactively sort of going out and saw it? Or was it just you happen to meet somebody or they happen to see your work in an exhibition? Like what how did those relationships begin?

Zbynek Sedlecky 49:03
I think it’s hard because I think that the galleries usually don’t like if artists is talking to them that here and I’m great and portfolio. But I was trying that sometimes I think, but I was not very successful. But all my connections, even with good galleries were several things together. I was somewhere and my paintings were somewhere and somebody was interested and ask somebody who knows who is the author and somebody connect us and you know, so.

Matthew Dols 49:43
Right. So the idea there would be that basically participate in when you’re younger and newer, and sort of just getting into the arts like participate in these group exhibitions when they come available, because oftentimes, these other people, these curators, these gallery owner stuff, Somehow, the the war if the work is good, it’ll get to them. People will say, oh, did you see this piece in this show? And so like those kinds of group shows are very still beneficial,

Zbynek Sedlecky 50:13
it depends where the group show is and how on a whole level it is. And so you are not able to expect that the people from Germany will look at your work if you have a group exhibition and some nonprofit space in practice. It’s a bit like, different, different world, and maybe for that could be like, the social media could be a new sort of way. But I think there’s dangers that too, you know, to put the like, somebody, it doesn’t cost something. So right,

Matthew Dols 50:58
the investment Yeah, reputation is put onto account. Yes,

Zbynek Sedlecky 51:02
but I think that it’s so easy to like somebody. So if you have some snapshots of your painting, and it could be full of likes from whole world, but it doesn’t mean nothing, you know, because nobody was like investing something more than one second to this support for you. Right?

Matthew Dols 51:25
So So back to the group exhibition. So the then so what you’re saying with that would be if you want to be in a particular market, or a scene like so let’s say you want to be in Berlin, the best way to is to or not best way, but a way to approach getting into that scene would be to start by doing some group exhibitions at some reputable places in order for people in that scene, or that markets of collectors or gallerist, or curators to start to see your work. But you can’t just sit in Prague, in this case in Prague and just wait for the collectors and the curators come to you. And so something like a group show might be a good starting point to get into that market. Of course,

Zbynek Sedlecky 52:08
you’re right. But, you know, I want to be seen in Berlin, and I’m not. So if I have some, you know,

Matthew Dols 52:16
what have you done? I mean, because I’m interested in the both people’s successes and people’s failures. So like, have you tried anything to get to Berlin?

Zbynek Sedlecky 52:24
No, not in Berlin. But when Munich

Matthew Dols 52:27
or Vienna or any, any place around here,

Zbynek Sedlecky 52:30
I’m not really, I had this connection in Hungary, and I also had some galleries. She’s French. And she has a gallery on Slovakia. But also, she’s a part of international like market. So but I don’t have some facial impacts to city like Berlin, because I didn’t know how maybe

Matthew Dols 52:55
for and that’s the struggle because when we all go to art school, we’re all or whether even if we got an education, if we go to school, we’re taught how the techniques of making a piece of art, we’re talking about the materials and all this but they don’t really offer courses in how to publicize and market and write contracts and write artist statements though they do artist statements a little bit, but

Zbynek Sedlecky 53:18
but I think that it’s also because, you know, my professor, were 60 when I was when I was at school, and they haven’t this experience also. So they are not they were not able to teach it. Right.

Matthew Dols 53:34
And I think this is a problem with with a lot of art schools. I

Zbynek Sedlecky 53:37
think that next generation is very clever how to do that. And I think that maybe the borders won’t be so important in the future. So but by generation I think that oh people has a bit problems with that because we are not so like fluent re running between, you know, the scene in Prague and Berlin and somewhere

Matthew Dols 54:03
it’s tough. Yeah, I understand one little question that I have you work at this moment you work figuratively? Have you found that working with figurative work is a advantage in certain ways or a disadvantage? there?

Zbynek Sedlecky 54:20
It’s a question of view because I think that it’s really important. The point of view I think the Torah many people especially from this check, like conceptual scene, they have problems with figurative painting. If they take paintings as a serious medium, I think that you must be somewhere different that like to classic for them, but I think that there is a many position similar like me and no growth and maybe some collectors are really specialist in that area. And and I think that there are people who really like figurative works. So it’s, it depends of people. Okay,

Matthew Dols 55:10
I’m just wondering whether it’s a hindrance.

Zbynek Sedlecky 55:15
I think that it’s also in this area of figurative paintings, there are people who are doing really different stuff than me. So I think that there are also, for example, collectors who like, just one part of that era. And for some people not so serious for some people aren’t too serious, you know? So for some people, I’m not so traditional painter, because I use acrylic and newspapers, and I didn’t know what and for some people aren’t too traditional, because I’m not working in a different way. So I think it’s questionable.

Matthew Dols 55:54
So generally, when I come to the end of this, so the whole podcast, I have these two questions that I ask everybody. So the first question that I generally ask is, if you had any sort of recommendations about the, to other people in the world, you know, through this podcast of something that they may not know, about the arts, the practice of being an artist, is there any sort of advice or help, or some sort of thing that you guidance that you could give the profound words of wisdom,

Zbynek Sedlecky 56:27
I’m not sure if I’m positioned to,

Matthew Dols 56:30
specifically actually I’m thinking more towards it. So it’s not about the practice of making art, but it’s about the business, like how to do to how to make a living at it, how to sustain yourself how to whatever

Zbynek Sedlecky 56:42
thing, especially in in Rs, like Central Europe is, is most of the people that I know. And most of the people that I know, in quality that I like, I think that they must, like, combine several incomes to, to that it’s a possibility to teach or do something more. Sometimes it’s, it’s hard, because if you are five days per week, and I work, it doesn’t work, and I institutio. So it, it’s to find this balance, it’s not easy. But I think that if you are able to combine this more situation together, it’s you could be able to survive. And this is my way, because I think that, because I had some periods that I was able to live just from my paintings, and I also know, period, that it was hard. And I think that the most important is like to, to continue, you know, because I know that it’s possible to have some brag, but if the brag is, is big, it could be programmed for for work.

Matthew Dols 58:05
Yeah, consistency, just yeah.

Zbynek Sedlecky 58:06
For me, it is important maybe for somebody else is not important. But for me, it is important to

Matthew Dols 58:11
just be I mean, there’s the old saying about the artists in their studios is that the first thing you have to do is be in the studio.

Zbynek Sedlecky 58:17
Yeah, that’s true. And I, my professor in burness, told that it was funny, because he said that it’s important to be institutio. Just if you are just washing if you are I don’t know, cleaning the studio, but it’s important to be here. So I think that for me, it’s similar. Sometimes I’m here and I’m trying to think about something. And after the holiday, I’m not a bit more prepared for next painting. But I think that it was important to be here and think so

Matthew Dols 58:52
my final question that I asked everybody is, is I’m asking everybody, so I’ve put a quantifiable result on the idea of this podcast, I want to try to understand the industry of the art world enough that I could get a piece of my artwork exhibited in the Museum of Modern Art in New York, not a whole solo exhibition, but just just one piece, if that’s my goal, what what sort of stepping stone What, what, what do you believe would be a good part of that process to push me in that direction?

Zbynek Sedlecky 59:27
And you mean, what’s my ideas about how to do that? Okay, correct. I think that it’s important, started very young. And maybe to be in to be participating on some, like students shows and things like oh, no, no,

Matthew Dols 59:46
I’m saying me. Yeah, literally, you I am 45 years old. I am here in Prague. How can I get a piece of my work into the Museum of Modern Art? Oh,

Zbynek Sedlecky 59:56
I don’t know. I think that maybe I don’t know. I’m 42. So I don’t know.

Matthew Dols 1:00:04
It’s fair not to know. I mean, if I knew the answer, I think

Zbynek Sedlecky 1:00:07
that of yours that if you are, if you have exhibition in one institution, it’s, like easier to have it in a second institution and maybe the final institution will be or Memorial. Sure. Yeah. So it’s always it’s, it’s the way but I don’t know how to do that. Exactly. Now.

Matthew Dols 1:00:29
Well, if you knew how to do it, I’m sure you would have a piece in MoMA as well.

Zbynek Sedlecky 1:00:32
Yeah. Thank you.

Matthew Dols 1:00:34
Okay. Well, lovely. Thank you for your time.

Zbynek Sedlecky 1:00:36
Okay. Thank you for

The Wise Fool is produced by Fifty14. I am your host Matthew Dols – www.matthewdols.com

All information is available in the show notes or on our website www.wisefoolpod.com