černý slon

(black elephant hotel)

pavel called me yesterday because he just returned from his skiing trip and wants to know how he can help me. i...don't...know. i haven't touched the pieces of linoleum on my shelf yet, and i don't really have any ideas. i should think of something i can do, but then the idea of calling him back (when?) to ask for help with tools or to use his studio (how?) is not a warm and fuzzy one. 

zoo praha

this morning i went to a lecture on the history of graphic design with alan záruba, and then to the prague zoo, where i ran straight for the elephants because i had to meet again with saul and pavel this afternoon to see an exhibition of the national gallery's dance-themed paintings and prints at the wallenstein riding school. 

at dinner yesterday pavel hardly addressed me, which i had no qualms about because i was just happy to look and listen without any motives (although it was reassuring when i ventured to share an opinion and found him nodding vigorously), but then he offered to help me with learning linocut, suggesting that i can use his tools and studio, and that he can help me in the lithograph workshop at school. and then i somehow got an invitation to come with him to venice for the biennale, where he is a commissioner of the czech/slovak pavilion and has an extra room in the apartment he keeps there. yes, i am curious, but i had to decline!

pavel piekar

dr. saul myers invited me to dinner with pavel piekar, who is an artist and technician at the national gallery in prague.  we had dinner at his private studio.  he is quietly eccentric, which is slightly intimidating, but with time (and moravian wine) he shared his views on modern art and showed me his work, which consists of very complicated, multiple-color linocuts. he had several recent prints hanging up, one of which i immediately recognized as a portrait of the russian poet marina tsvetayeva. just the day before i was searching though her poetry, wondering if she had ever been to prague.  i found out from pavel that she had lived in prague for several years, and the city's influence can be found in some of her work.  this was like a little birthday present, and also the strangest birthday i have ever had.