I'm a fan and have been for a long time now. A Randy Shull fan, that is.
A fan of his paintings, his furniture and of his design work which includes most recently his multi-year re-design of the Black Mountain Museum + Art Center in Asheville, North Carolina.
All of Randy's varied work shares a fundamental strength—a cogency of concept and shape, not only beautiful but also deeply intelligent.
In addition to these many talents, Randy is also a traveler. And that brings me to today's post.
Randy spent August 2016 in Prague participating in an artist residency program that is jointly sponsored by the American Embassy and the Czech Ministry of Culture.
When Randy and I saw each of recently at a Weatherspoon Art Museum event we discussed Prague as a city of surprises.
The truth is that many of us think we know the real Prague. That it is a sweet and appealing jewel box of a city—heartbreakingly beautiful but perhaps just a bit frozen in time.
Ah, but there is so much more. Historical jewel box, yes, spared from the destructions of World War II as was no other European capital, but also a living breathing city, modern, vibrant and humming with cultural life.
As evidence of this one need look no further than Randy's photographs and video taken during his recent visit. They run the gamut from the Royal Gardens to the city's justly celebrated Cubist architecture (this one with a nod to one of her most celebrated native sons—Kafka) to the DOX Center for Contemporary Art, making it clear--Prague literally spans centuries.
The video above gives a view of the courtyard of the Bubec Sculpture Studio, founded by the Czech Republic’s foremost sculptor, Cestmir Suska, and host site for Shull’s month-long residency.
Come to Prague with us next May and you will see for yourself. It is a wonderful city, packed full of surprises...
