Painting has died so many times that it has become a zombie. Our own experience teaches us that there has always been and always will be painting. The medium of painting is not going through a crisis but an ongoing redefinition of its role, as indeed is the whole of contemporary art.
The studio’s emblem features the medium of painting. Painting is the key medium for both tutors (Dub, Meduna), albeit in different forms and to varying degrees. We are convinced that painting (as a means, a form) is not at odds with, but rather inseparable from, thought (concept, content). In the day-to-day running of the studio, we regard the medium of painting as a kind of guiding principle, not as a fateful obligation for every student. The choice of the medium through which each student will express themselves is their freedom and responsibility.
The students of the studio have different artistic goals. Some delight in expressive painting, others in abstraction; some gravitate towards photography, whilst others lean towards spatial expression. Some work in a single style and medium. Others change their strategy and form from semester to semester, or from one work to the next. The totality of practical skills and talents a student requires to perform well cannot be predicted. Tutors engage in an ongoing ‘dialectical’ debate with students regarding specific choices. Studio consultations are the main tool of studio teaching.
With a certain degree of hyperbole, it can be said that a student gradually becomes a graduate whilst still studying. It is therefore extremely beneficial for students to attempt to engage with the art world. When else but during their studies is there time to strike a good balance between collaboration and individual initiative when setting up galleries, online platforms, and exploring new exhibition formats? Graduates should leave the school equipped with social capital in the form of professional relationships, communication skills, the ability to think in terms of projects, and a desire to make their mark on Czech (and global) visual arts.
Previous tutors at the Painting 4 studio were Martin Mainer (2012–2018) and Zdeněk Beran (1990–2012). Martin Mainer’s assistant was Samuel Paučo, whilst Zdeněk Beran’s assistants were, in turn, František Remeš and Pavel Holas. The studio’s modern history dates back to 1990, when it was established as a space for classical painting, which for a long time meant an emphasis on illusionism, photorealism and smooth glazing techniques.
