A collaborative glass practice
Stanislav Libenský trained as a painter and glass artist in Czechoslovakia. In 1954 he began working with Jaroslava Brychtová, whose training was in sculpture. He developed drawings and painted designs; she translated designs into sculptural models. Their partnership continued until his death in 2002.
Drawing, modelling and depth
Their Animal Reliefs for the 1958 Brussels exhibition used cast glass with animal forms in negative relief on the reverse. Viewed through the smooth front, the forms appeared within the glass. Later collaborations included abstract windows for the St. Wenceslas Chapel in Prague’s St. Vitus Cathedral and large sculptures for Expo 67 in Montreal.
Where to begin
Begin with the relationship between a drawing, a model and the depth of a cast object. That sequence gives both collaborators a visible role and makes glass more than a transparent surface. Compare a freestanding work with an architectural commission to examine how setting changes the encounter. A brief devoted to Libenský should retain Brychtová’s contribution wherever it discusses their jointly made work.