Rony Plesl is a contemporary Czech glass artist, sculptor and designer. He graduated from the University of Applied Arts in Prague, where he has been leading the Glass Studio since 2008 and was appointed professor in 2017. He creates works in the field of applied and free art and often collaborates with leading Czech brands. His works are represented in many domestic and international art collections.
In the photograph from the Dough Portraits series, which depicts Roman and Sylva Pilíšek, also includes a work entitled The Rest from 2023. This work is a prime example of his work, which combines technical precision and classical themes from art history. The artist emphasises a motif popular in the Middle Ages and early modern period - memento mori - referring to the transience of human life. The sculpture depicts a human skull "planted" in a vase instead of flowers. This vase also resembles a kind of urn displayed on a simple but distinctive red table. The combination of the cleanly executed vase/urn with the perfectly sculpted skull adds emotional tension to the work and opens up the question of life and death, especially its latent ubiquity. At the same time, a kind of posthumous calm can be seen in the smooth surface. The work is created using the Vitrum Vivum technique. It is a technique of casting molten glass into moulds without seams. This makes it possible to create precise works without the need for further intervention. Therefore, there are no joints or cracks in the sculptures and the glass looks like a perfect sculpture. The Rest is also made of clear transparent glass.
