Medal of Milan Rastislav Štefánik owner, awardee of European art union prize, lives in his birthplace house at Litavska Lucka, not far from Žilina, where he was at 16th of February born, and lived here for majority of his child and adulthood. He was accompanied from here to Teplice Šanov by his parents and his beloved teacher, who recognized his artistic talent, to a school of Ceramic Arts.

     In 1951, he was admitted to Prague-based Academy of Fine Arts. The only recommendation he was given by his high school teachers was the notice of his apparent and unusual talent. This talent was later developed and perfected, along with consistent theory practice, by such excellent mentors of Pelikán, as was professor Jan Lauda, the author of J.A. Komenský tombstone who taught him figurative works, and world known sculptor Otakar Španiel, whose lectures Pelikán attended, learning portrait works, and of course medal and plaque works. Štefan Pelikán is an artist of broad focus. His collective works consist of paint and graphics works. The sculpting aspect is prevalent, however. His creative perception as an sculptor spans from big, monumental topics of mundane and sacred character alike, up to the subtle address of chamber topics, such as little plastics, or commemorative coins, medals and plaques. But the main domain of his universal sculpting technique is portrait, being the universal and specific record of human form, in which the strive for the most plastic and true form is very apparent. This strive is often defined by apparent amount of styling and artistic shortcuts.

     Štefan Pelikán works with materials as varied as clay, wood, stone, brass, bronze, copper and concrete. He uses and shapes every material to reflect the deep insight into the author's soul, into the psyche and temper of the model. This attribute of his work is most emphasized by Pelikán, this worker of arts, whether it is the portrait of plain countryman, important scientist, known cultural figure, member of antifascist resistance, or one of the greats of Slovakia history.

 

 

 

Mgr. Fedor Mikovic
F-Media publisher