Clear Sculpture ‘Balance I’ by Ivan Illovský

Made with optical glass, this clear sculpture has a smooth, polished front facet and smoky sides that provide an intriguing delve into the epicentre of the artwork.

‘Balance I’ is cast, cut, and polished with a copper base that provides stability.

A real centrepiece for a mantel or side table that projects more than the sum of its parts.

This is an artwork that commands attention without overtly taking over the space within which it is placed.

27 x 22 x 9 cm

Clear Sculpture – Artist

Glass artist Ivan Illovský from Slovakia, specialises in combining glass and metal to wondrous effect.

His completed works blend the fragility of glass with the toughness of metal, bringing a harmonic balance that draws together the finest quality of each medium.

He utilises casting, cutting and polishing to great effect, incorporating optical glass and metal sheets of copper.

Ivan was born in the Slovak Republic in 1978 and began his path towards a career in art with the School of Applied Arts in Kremnica between 1994 and 1998. It was here that he learnt about the artistic casting of metal.

Between 1999 and 2004 at Comenius University in Bratislava, he continued his studies in creative art. Finally, his Master’s at the Academy of Fine Arts and Design from 2004- 2009 in the Department of Applied Art.

His work explores themes of tensioned space, clarity of vision, and the power of the reflective qualities of glass.

The individual’s perspective breathes its own influence into the visual experience and reflects in the mutual collaboration of viewer and artist.

Early pieces by Illovský were creations called ‘Renewed Machines’, where non-functional metal parts from obsolete or defunct machinery were infused into solid glass.

His style has evolved to be more minimalist in recent creations. Architectural hybrid medium creations that contrast the smooth outer form with the richly textured interiors. This allows the thickness of the glass to determine reflection depths. The width enhances the interplay of colour, light and reflection to great effect.

Ivan Illovský glass artist pieces have been exhibited in Slovakia, the Czech Republic, Austria, Germany, the Netherlands, Denmark, France, and the USA.

His work was exhibited at Prague Festival of Contemporary Glass in the Czech Republic in 2009 and 2011 and Talente in Munich, Germany, in 2009.

Ivan’s work has featured in: 

Slovak Glass – Decades 1960 to 2010 by Sabina Jankovičová.
Slovak Contemporary Glass by Dan Klein, Sabina Jankovičová,  K. Beňová and M. Zeman.
European Glass Context by Susanne Joker Johnsen and Bornholms Kunstmuseum.

Cena Galerie Nova Sklo by K.Beňová and Galéria Nova.