Ondrej Mares
Encyclopedia
Ondrej Mares was a Czech
-Australian artist and furniture designer that lived in Macclesfield, in South Australia
. His work has been exhibited in Adelaide
, Sydney
and Prague
. Mares is most famous for his Kachina
pieces. In 2002, he was diagnosed with cancer
. This had the effect of moving his work from larger pieces to smaller more compact pieces. Also, clues to his sickness manifested in later works, such as his Kachina titled 'Stem Cells'.http://www.bmgart.com.au/individual_artists/mares_ondrej/large_picture_pages/page_1.htm Mares work has been said to be 'jamming as much experience, humour and detail into each of his arte povera
pieces, usually about 50 cm (20 in) high, as is aesthetically possible.'
, and was exceptionally skilled in this area of work, reaching the rank of Toolmaker First Class prior to the Prague Spring
of 1968. Mares recalled going to work one morning during this time to find several tanks parked outside the factory at which he worked. It was during this time that Mares describes how his tools were stolen, leaving him with a debt to the state that had to be paid off. Mares and another toolmaker worked nights until the debt was paid off. Once he paid this debt to the state, he decided to leave Czechoslovakia
and emigrate
.
, Mares worked in several different locations, including Darwin
and Broome
. Mares worked in his own workshop at Macclesfield, South Australia producing furniture and sculpture
from 1975 onwards. In 1979, Mares completed a Diploma in Art and Craft in South Australia. He was a skilled carpenter, and in addition to building this house, he also built a house in Goolwa, South Australia. During this time through personal travels and experiences, Mares developed his own unique style of work, which was manifested in several furniture designs and some sculptures. His rate of work at this time was prolific, and his daughter recalls that he was always working in his workshop from early morning to dusk.
(Flores
), India
, Sri Lanka
, and Afghanistan
. Again in 1990, Mares traveled to Europe to undertake a study of furniture design in Prague
and Paris
. Mares did travel back again to Prague in 2004, and once again in 2007.
in March 2008, along with works from his collection.
.
in 2002, Mares continued to work feverishly producing a large amount of sculptures, tables and Kachinas. A large amount of his work remains unseen by the public.
Ondrej Mares died in hospital on 19 March 2008.
He was cremated shortly after his death.
Ondrej Mares at Stephen Sinclair Gallery, Adelaide
Monument Magazine Number 16, 1997
Modern Australian Furniture, M. Bofle and P. Landman 1994
Czech people
Czechs, or Czech people are a western Slavic people of Central Europe, living predominantly in the Czech Republic. Small populations of Czechs also live in Slovakia, Austria, the United States, the United Kingdom, Chile, Argentina, Canada, Germany, Russia and other countries...
-Australian artist and furniture designer that lived in Macclesfield, in South Australia
South Australia
South Australia is a state of Australia in the southern central part of the country. It covers some of the most arid parts of the continent; with a total land area of , it is the fourth largest of Australia's six states and two territories.South Australia shares borders with all of the mainland...
. His work has been exhibited in Adelaide
Adelaide
Adelaide is the capital city of South Australia and the fifth-largest city in Australia. Adelaide has an estimated population of more than 1.2 million...
, Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
and Prague
Prague
Prague is the capital and largest city of the Czech Republic. Situated in the north-west of the country on the Vltava river, the city is home to about 1.3 million people, while its metropolitan area is estimated to have a population of over 2.3 million...
. Mares is most famous for his Kachina
Kachina
A kachina is a spirit being in western Pueblo cosmology and religious practices. The western Pueblo, Native American cultures located in the southwestern United States, include Hopi, Zuni, Tewa Village , Acoma Pueblo, and Laguna Pueblo. The kachina cult has spread to more eastern Pueblos, e.g....
pieces. In 2002, he was diagnosed with cancer
Cancer
Cancer , known medically as a malignant neoplasm, is a large group of different diseases, all involving unregulated cell growth. In cancer, cells divide and grow uncontrollably, forming malignant tumors, and invade nearby parts of the body. The cancer may also spread to more distant parts of the...
. This had the effect of moving his work from larger pieces to smaller more compact pieces. Also, clues to his sickness manifested in later works, such as his Kachina titled 'Stem Cells'.http://www.bmgart.com.au/individual_artists/mares_ondrej/large_picture_pages/page_1.htm Mares work has been said to be 'jamming as much experience, humour and detail into each of his arte povera
Arte Povera
Arte Povera is a modern art movement. The term was introduced in Italy during the period of upheaval at the end of the 1960s, when artists were taking a radical stance. Artists began attacking the values of established institutions of government, industry, and culture, and even questioning whether...
pieces, usually about 50 cm (20 in) high, as is aesthetically possible.'
Early life
Mares started his working life as a toolmaker in PraguePrague
Prague is the capital and largest city of the Czech Republic. Situated in the north-west of the country on the Vltava river, the city is home to about 1.3 million people, while its metropolitan area is estimated to have a population of over 2.3 million...
, and was exceptionally skilled in this area of work, reaching the rank of Toolmaker First Class prior to the Prague Spring
Prague Spring
The Prague Spring was a period of political liberalization in Czechoslovakia during the era of its domination by the Soviet Union after World War II...
of 1968. Mares recalled going to work one morning during this time to find several tanks parked outside the factory at which he worked. It was during this time that Mares describes how his tools were stolen, leaving him with a debt to the state that had to be paid off. Mares and another toolmaker worked nights until the debt was paid off. Once he paid this debt to the state, he decided to leave Czechoslovakia
Czechoslovakia
Czechoslovakia or Czecho-Slovakia was a sovereign state in Central Europe which existed from October 1918, when it declared its independence from the Austro-Hungarian Empire, until 1992...
and emigrate
Emigrate
Emigrate is a heavy metal band based in New York, led by Richard Z. Kruspe, the lead guitarist of the German band Rammstein.-History:Kruspe started the band in 2005, when Rammstein decided to take a year off from touring and recording...
.
Early Life in Australia
Once in AustraliaAustralia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, Mares worked in several different locations, including Darwin
Darwin, Northern Territory
Darwin is the capital city of the Northern Territory, Australia. Situated on the Timor Sea, Darwin has a population of 127,500, making it by far the largest and most populated city in the sparsely populated Northern Territory, but the least populous of all Australia's capital cities...
and Broome
Broome, Western Australia
Broome is a pearling and tourist town in the Kimberley region of Western Australia, north of Perth. The year round population is approximately 14,436, growing to more than 45,000 per month during the tourist season...
. Mares worked in his own workshop at Macclesfield, South Australia producing furniture and sculpture
Sculpture
Sculpture is three-dimensional artwork created by shaping or combining hard materials—typically stone such as marble—or metal, glass, or wood. Softer materials can also be used, such as clay, textiles, plastics, polymers and softer metals...
from 1975 onwards. In 1979, Mares completed a Diploma in Art and Craft in South Australia. He was a skilled carpenter, and in addition to building this house, he also built a house in Goolwa, South Australia. During this time through personal travels and experiences, Mares developed his own unique style of work, which was manifested in several furniture designs and some sculptures. His rate of work at this time was prolific, and his daughter recalls that he was always working in his workshop from early morning to dusk.
Study Travels
Mares did travel extensively early in his career, and the inspiration from his travels is evident in his styles of work. Between 1973 and 1974, Mares did a formative study travel trip through Europe, and Asia, including IndonesiaIndonesia
Indonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia , is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 13,000 islands. It has 33 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an...
(Flores
Flores
Flores is one of the Lesser Sunda Islands, an island arc with an estimated area of 14,300 km² extending east from the Java island of Indonesia. The population was 1.831.000 in the 2010 census and the largest town is Maumere. Flores is Portuguese for "flowers".Flores is located east of Sumbawa...
), India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
, Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka is a country off the southern coast of the Indian subcontinent. Known until 1972 as Ceylon , Sri Lanka is an island surrounded by the Indian Ocean, the Gulf of Mannar and the Palk Strait, and lies in the vicinity of India and the...
, and Afghanistan
Afghanistan
Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
. Again in 1990, Mares traveled to Europe to undertake a study of furniture design in Prague
Prague
Prague is the capital and largest city of the Czech Republic. Situated in the north-west of the country on the Vltava river, the city is home to about 1.3 million people, while its metropolitan area is estimated to have a population of over 2.3 million...
and Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
. Mares did travel back again to Prague in 2004, and once again in 2007.
Solo exhibitions
Mares during his life exhibited a total of 17 times between 1984 and 2006. In addition to this, Mares was exhibited after he lost his battle to lymphomaLymphoma
Lymphoma is a cancer in the lymphatic cells of the immune system. Typically, lymphomas present as a solid tumor of lymphoid cells. Treatment might involve chemotherapy and in some cases radiotherapy and/or bone marrow transplantation, and can be curable depending on the histology, type, and stage...
in March 2008, along with works from his collection.
| Year | Gallery and Location |
|---|---|
| 2009 | Stephen Sinclair Gallery, Adelaide "Ondrej Mares - A Lifetime" [Posthumous] |
| 2006 | BMG Art, Adelaide |
| 2005 | One Off Gallery, Macclesfield, Sala Festival |
| 2003 | Soho Gallery, Sydney |
| 2003 | BMG Art, Adelaide |
| 2000 | Galerie Gambit, Prague "Kaciny" |
| 1999 | Greenaway Art Gallery, Adelaide "Postcards from B.H." |
| 1999 | Framed Gallery, Darwin "Stitched" |
| 1998 | One Off Gallery, Macclesfield "New Work" |
| 1997 | Greenaway Art Gallery, Adelaide "Mere Sketches" |
| 1996 | One Off Gallery, Macclesfield "Gulas" (Festival Exhibition) |
| 1995 | D'Lux Gallery Adelaide, "Czech Connection" |
| 1994 | One Off Gallery, Macclesfield "Old New" (Festival Exhibition) |
| 1991 | Foyer Exhibition, Crafts Council of SA Aptos Cruz Galleries, Stirling, South Australia |
| 1988 | L'Unique Gallery, Adelaide, South Australia |
| 1986 | Elmswood Gallery, Adelaide, South Australia |
| 1984 | Greensleave Gallery, South Australia |
Group exhibitions
In addition to the 17 Solo exhibitions during his lifetime, Mares also was exhibited as part of over 25 group exhibitions both in South Australia and MelbourneMelbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
.
Final Years
Despite being diagnosed with cancerCancer
Cancer , known medically as a malignant neoplasm, is a large group of different diseases, all involving unregulated cell growth. In cancer, cells divide and grow uncontrollably, forming malignant tumors, and invade nearby parts of the body. The cancer may also spread to more distant parts of the...
in 2002, Mares continued to work feverishly producing a large amount of sculptures, tables and Kachinas. A large amount of his work remains unseen by the public.
Ondrej Mares died in hospital on 19 March 2008.
He was cremated shortly after his death.
Further Reading and Examples
Ondrej Mares at BMG Art, AdelaideOndrej Mares at Stephen Sinclair Gallery, Adelaide
Publications Featuring Ondrej Mares' Work
Masters of Their Craft, Dr Noris Ioannou, 1997Monument Magazine Number 16, 1997
Modern Australian Furniture, M. Bofle and P. Landman 1994