Crystal clarity
The Plastic Oceans exhibit was held in Venice, featuring Bohemian crystal sculptures with a message.
16 September 2021
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As part Venice Glass Week, Plastic Oceans showcased the Bohemian crystal sculptures by Ela Smrcek and Jaroslav Prosek, bringing attention to the alarming amounts of plastic in the oceans.
Venice Glass Week is an international festival founded in 2017 to celebrate, support and promote the art of glassmaking: the artistic and economic activity for which the Lagoon City of Venice has been renowned around the world for over 1,000 years. The fifth edition #VivaVetro! took place from 4 to 12 September 2021.
Plastic Ocean is an installation where glass sculptures in shapes of marine forms are covered with plastic. It is an alarming installation showing the devastated state of the ocean, which forces the viewer to consider the pollution of the oceans.
Ela Smrcek and Jaroslav Prosek, both young artists and environmentalists, are calling for action by drawing attention to what individuals can do to prevent the pollution of oceans.
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“The beauty of Bohemian crystal sculpture sharply contrasts with the plastic installed with the sculptures,” stated the artists. “We can all do something about pollution.”
Jaroslav Prosek, from Beroun in the Czech Republic, is not a typical artist who loved art from his childhood. He is constantly being educated and doing practical work, and his journey into the world of glass art took some time.
Always manually skilled, he uses several techniques to create his sculptures – melting in mould, grinding and engraving.
Inspiration for Prosek’s sculptures come from the sea, nature and common things.
Ela Smrček from Ceska Lipa, Czech Republic, has always been fascinated by nature‘s ability to give her inner peace and energy.
This fascination translates into her sculptures, which are often inspired by the sea, the forest or the various elements of the weather.
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