Description
“Nikdo Není Dokonalý” (English: Nobody is Perfect) is a painting that delves into the existential depths of human imperfection, a concept inspired by the literary works of Franz Kafka. The title pays homage to Kafka’s Czech heritage, while the work itself is steeped in the German language of his writings, evoking the relentless and often oppressive introspection of his characters.
The painting is a visual stream of consciousness, flowing unceasingly from the lines of Kafka’s texts onto the canvas. It captures a moment of intense creative fervor, described by the artist in Kafka’s own German: “Der Prozess lief über die Buchzeilen auf die Leinwand stundenlang ohne Pause hinaus…” This translates to “The process ran from the book lines to the canvas for hours on end without a break…” This description conveys the artist’s deep immersion in the act of painting, uninterrupted even for a sip of water, despite a throat parched by the thick air laden with solvents from the paint.
The image on the canvas has undergone such a profound transformation that no echo of its starting point remains behind the figures that represent the splintering of self-awareness—without beginning and, more terrifyingly, without end. These figures are like Kafka’s “hunger artists,” finding a perverse philosophical meaning and satisfaction in self-imposed torture machines of the mind, designed to prolong agony to extremes, never allowing death to come as a release.
The artist’s description evokes Kafka’s themes of existential angst and the futility of seeking power in a world that ostensibly offers all freedoms to the willing. Yet, these figures, trapped in their own Sisyphean cycle of rebirth into the same constrained existence, reflect a devilish circle of judgment. The artwork becomes a canvas of perpetuated suffering, an eternal return to the same point without the possibility of perfection or escape.
“‘Nikdo Není Dokonalý’ stands as a pivotal piece within the Great Unmasking Series, a collection where the artist externalizes the multifaceted states of mind onto canvas, embarking on a cathartic journey towards liberation. Each brushstroke and hue is a deliberate act of unshrouding the psychological pressures that accompany the pursuit of an unattainable ideal. This series allows the artist to peel back the layers of self-imposed constraints, revealing the raw and unedited emotions beneath. In laying bare these internal tumults, the artist seeks not just to expose but to understand and ultimately free themselves from the intense burdens each state of mind carries. It is a process of artistic alchemy, transforming the heavy lead of mental affliction into the gold of creative expression and personal freedom. Through this visual diary of introspection and revelation, the artist invites viewers to witness the shedding of psychic weight and to share in the universal human quest for emotional release and authenticity.”
P.S.: the description refers to what Marlinski wrote about this painting in German – the language that Kafka used for writing:
“Der Prozess lief über die Buchzeilen auf die Leinwand stundenlang ohne Pause hinaus ohne den K. sogar für einen Moment um einen Schluck Wasser zu trinken loszulassen als seine Kehle wegen der dicker, angeheizter und mit Lösmitteln aus der Farbe gefüllter Luft austrocknete. Die Verwandlung des Bildes war schon so stark vorangekommen dass nicht mal ein Echo des Ausgangspunktes in Erinnerungen hinter den Figuren der Abspaltungen des Selbstbewusstseins noch zu sehen war – ohne Anfang und, was als viel schrecklicher zu sein erschien, ohne Ende. Wie sadomasochistische Hungerkünstler, die ihr Lebenssinn in Erschaffung eigener Machtlosigkeit in einer Welt, die all mögliche Freiheiten für den Willigen zu bieten scheint, suchen und damit immer wieder scheitern, finden diese Figuren höchstphilosophischen Sinn und Befriedigung durch in eigenen Köpfen eingerichtete Foltermaschinen, deren Zweck ist ein grausames Elend so extrem, schmerzvoll, lang wie möglich voranzuziehen und den Tod niemals zur Erlösung werden zu lassen. Ein Teufelskreis aus Wiedergeburten in dieselben Schuhe war sein Urteil.”
Title : Nikdo Neni Dokonaly
Type : oil on canvas
Size : 100 * 150 cm
Year : 2017
