Two

The Life and Career of Peter Pollág

Peter Pollág enters the scene in Levoča, Slovakia, born on February 19, 1958. His roots in this region anchor a career defined by a wide-ranging technical versatility. He does not limit himself to a single medium. Instead, his practice spans the roles of painter, graphic artist, illustrator, draftsman, sculptor, and monumentalist. This multidisciplinary approach allows him to move between the delicate precision of a graphic work and the physical presence of sculpture.

His professional identity is shaped by a deep engagement with various forms of visual communication. Beyond the studio, he has shared his technical knowledge through work as a teacher. His background is tied to his Czechoslovak citizenship, a period that informs the context of his early development. He remains active in his craft today.

Notable Works and Artistic Series

The year 1984 marks a moment in his output with the creation of Dvaja. This period of production continues through various thematic explorations, moving from the mid-eighties into the new millennium. In 2003, he produced Lapis refugii, followed by the 2009 work Stopy v meste. These pieces reflect a career that shifts between different subjects and formal approaches.

Religious themes find a specific focus in his Biblia series. This collection includes Svadba v Káne Galilejskej (2012) and Ježiš, Mária a Marta (2012). The series examines scriptural narratives through his particular lens, establishing a recurring motif in his later years. His engagement with historical and musical figures also appears in works like Hus pre Beethovena (2016) and Zmeškal Beethovenovi (2016).

In 2016, his work St. John’s wort emerged, part of a series inspired by a photograph from a family album taken in the photographic studio of Eugene Kopasz in Levoča between 1921 and 1932. The composition draws directly from this historical visual record.

The Altars Series and Triptychs

The architecture of the medieval altar informs a significant portion of Pollág's output. In 1999, he produced Painting – on solidarity, trust and other virtues, a work that adopts the physical form of an altar triptych. This piece features movable wings and a central panel measuring 45 cm in height and 40 cm in width. The two altar wings each reach a height of 45 cm and a width of 20 cm. The composition is executed using oil and aluminium on a timber panel, utilizing a combined technique.

This specific triptych acts as a tribute to his native town, its history, and the artistic monuments that define it. The form of the winged altar provides the structural basis for a broader series of works. While the 1999 piece remains a notable example of this interest in religious and historical forms, other compositions within the Altars series include:

• Kiss (1995)
• Prayer (2003 – 2004)
• Canopy (2003 – 2004)
• Virgin (2003 – 2004)

Works Represented in Public Collections

The presence of Pollág’s work in institutional settings highlights the reach of his diverse practice. In the Tatranská galéria, the 1983 piece Renesancia v Spišskej Sobote remains a part of the permanent record. This work sits alongside other significant pieces that have transitioned from private hands into the public sphere. For instance, the 1999 timber panel titled Painting – on solidarity, trust and other virtues is held within public collections, existing as a complex assembly of oil, aluminium, and combined techniques on a movable altar triptych.

Recent years show a continued engagement with specific thematic series. The 2016 work St. John’s wort belongs to the Herbal Plants series. This particular piece, executed on canvas using a combination of acrylic and oil, draws its composition from a historical photograph taken in a Levoča photographic studio between 1921 and 1932. Such works bridge the gap between contemporary painting and the visual history of the Spiš region.