SEEN: Vladmira Klumpar’s evolving geometric sensibility at Heller Gallery

"Breakthrough Series" by Vladimira Klumpar, 2011

VladimÍra Klumpar’s work has, up until the past few years, been a re-examination of nature. Seeds, leaves, flowers, trees, water, and waves informed previous work. Smoothly contoured lines dominate pieces that, with their earthy tones of blue, green, brown and orange, feel almost organic. In her new exhibit, New Sculpture & Drawings, which just opened and is on display until May 28^th at New York City’s Heller Gallery, she doesn’t jettison all of the naturalistic elements found in her past pieces, but applies them in different and surprising ways.

She replaces the curved lines that once ruled her glass sculptures with sharp, angular lines and acute angles. Five of the nine new pieces on display are part of what she is labeling her “Breakthrough” series. Flat, dimpled sheets of glass sit upright as smoothly rendered shapes protrude outwards in shapes that resemble rhombuses, pyramids and isosceles triangles.

"Ryder" by Vladimira Klumpar

The four pieces not a part in this series are similar in their rough tactility and penchant for harsh angles. Even the composition that seems most closely tied to Klumpar’s past work, an orb missing a quarter of its sphere called “Ryder,” is still angular, the edges almost jagged. The colors of the pieces, though, are where the strongest ties to her past work are seen. The yellows, oranges, blues, and browns are vivid, especially where they are deepest—in most cases in the protruding geometric anomalies. These shapes and edges keep viewers at a distance, as interior reflections make each piece difficult to enter. Ultimately, though, the architectural tenor of the pieces, when married with the warmly vibrant, naturalistic colors make for interesting juxtapositions and suggest a reflection upon nature’s place in city landscapes and how it is incorporated into architecture in general.

Klumpar, a Czech artist born in Rychnov nad Kneznou, studied at the Specialized School of Glassmaking before doing post-grad work at the Academy of Applied Arts in Prague where she worked with the venerable Stanislav Libensky. She has done solo shows in the U.S. as well as in Europe at galleries like Habatat, Sanske, and previous shows at Heller. Her work has found homes in private collections as well as museums such as The Corning Museum of Glass.

-Jason Guiterrez