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“Posmrtnost” / “Afterlife”
ciklus / cycle

Vrt Komenskega 8, Ljubljana, iz cikla Štirje letni časi na Vrtu / Jesen 2006
Garden Komenskega 8, Ljubljana, From cycle Four seasons in the Garden / Autumn 2006
13. 9. - 10. 10. 2006

Karmen Jazbec je že med študijem kiparstva na Likovni akademiji začela razvijati svoj poliestrski cikel, pri čemer je ostala zvesta klasičnim kiparskim postopkom odlivanja. Ukvarjanje s snovnostjo kiparskega materiala ji pomeni poseben izziv in le na videz zgleda, kot da gre pri njenem delu zgolj za fascinacijo nad figuraliko. Za tem pa stoji bistveno kompleksnejši koncept. Material kot je poliester ji omogoča razbremeniti težo samega dela, hkrati pa se avtorica loteva kiparskih postopkov, ki so po meri človeka in jih je sama fizično zmožna izvesti. Le na tak način se lahko približa tistim vsebinam, ki jo najbolj vznemirjajo - absurdnosti materialističnega človekovega bivanja v današnji družbi in banaliziranju Erosa in Thanatosa.
Kiparski svet Karmen Jazbec je eden tistih, ki zares spregovori šele takrat, ko odmislimo trenutno realnost, se spustimo vanj in ne obstanemo le pri posameznem kosu umetnine, ko pravzaprav onkraj njegove, sicer doživeto obdelane materije, zaznamo pravo
bistvo avtoričinega zanimanja. Le-to je bilo nakazano že v delu Končnost minljivosti, spirali, kjer je avtorica ustvarila časovni model cikličnega vračanja v ponovno življenje, ki je nasproten krščanskemu linearizmu. Pred nami se razprejo vprašanja o možnostih bivanja, o vsem, kar je neznanega in okoli česar so že starodavne civilizacije in kulture spletale svoje zgodbe in mite. Mezopotamska ljubimca (delo z naslovom Skupaj), ki so ju usmrtili, sta le ena od številnih, ki porajata vprašanja o tem, kako sta se v trenutku ločitve drug od drugega in od tega sveta počutila ter kakšno je bilo presenečenje njunih duš, ko sta se znova srečali v onostranstvu, saj kultura, kateri sta pripadala, nasprotno od Egipčanov, ni verjela v posmrtno življenje in ponovno rojstvo.
Številne figure iz njenega poliestrskega cikla Posmrtnost, ki nastaja zadnjih deset let, so večinoma v parih. Dela Zadnja podoba ter Speči in Speča se nanašajo na avtoričinega partnerja in najboljšo prijateljico, ki sta tragično preminula, vendar pa ji njena vera v
reinkarnacijo in ponovno snidenje daje moč in tolažbo ob izgubi ter smisel bivanja ob zavedanju, da ta izguba ni dokončna. Deli Večna ljubimca in Pasti za duše pa sta podobi nenehnega vračanja in avtoričinega verjetja v reinkarnacijo. Trenutek prestopa ni tisto, kar avtorico najbolj fascinira, saj ne posveča toliko pozornosti samemu prehodu v svetlobo kot pa ponovnemu snidenju v posmrtnosti. “Tako poliestrske mase, iz katerih so kipi odliti, ne predstavljajo plastičnih vreč, v katerih gnije meso mrtvecev, temveč sugerirajo prodor svetlobe
v izpraznjeno lupino telesa. Kip, ki naj po ustaljenih obrazcih izraža voluminoznost, se tukaj spremeni v podobo, izpolnjeno s prosojnostjo.*1

Barbara Sterle Vurnik

Already during her sculpture studies at the Academy of Fine Arts, Karmen Jazbec started her polyester series, while remaining faithful to established sculptural practices. She finds great challenge in working with sculptural material, and it is only on first impression
that her work appears to focus merely on figures and forms. However, a more complex concept underlies her art. Material such as polyester enables her to reduce the weight of a piece, while she employs sculpting methods for which she requires no assistance and is
capable of doing herself. Only this way can she address the issues which interest her most: the absurdity of materialistic way of life in modern society, and the commodification of Eros and Thanatos.
The artistic world of Karmen Jazbec is one of those which speak to us when we forget present reality, delve into it, and do not linger only on a particular piece of art - when we feel the true essence of this work, which lies beyond the precisely carved and exquisitely
artistically shaped material. This was already indicated in the work Finiteness of Fleetingness, a spiral which represents the time model of cyclic return in life, opposite to Christian linearism. Questions emerge on the possibility of being, on the unknown, a subject of stories and myths of the ancient civilisations and cultures. The work depicting two Mesopotamian lovers (piece entitled Together) who were executed is only one of the many which ask how they felt when they were separated from each other and this world, and how dumbfounded their souls were when they met again in the great beyond, as their culture, contrary to Egyptians, did not believe in afterlife and reincarnation.
Statues from her polyester cycle Afterlife, which she has been creating for the last ten years, mostly depict a pair of figures. Works Last Image and Man and Woman Asleep refer to the artist’s partner and best friend, who passed away tragically; however, upon her loss, her faith in reincarnation and reunion fills her with strength and consolation, and gives meaning to being, as she realises that the loss is not terminal. The works Eternal Lovers and Traps for Souls are images of eternal return and the artist’s faith in reincarnation.
It is not the moment of transcendence which fascinates the artist most, as she does not focus mainly on the passage into the light, but on meeting in afterlife. “The polyester mass, from which the sculptures are cast, does not represent plastic bags with rotting meat of the dead, but point to the penetration of light into the empty shell of the body. A statue, which traditionally expresses spaciousness, changes into a figure permeated with transparency.*1

Barbara Sterle Vurnik

*1 Igor Papež, Posmrtnost, Rast, XIII, 3-4, 2002, p. 347.

Fotografija 1: Onkraj, 1997-2002, poliester, 90 x 50 x 40
Fotografija 3: Tostran, 1997-2002, poliester, 80 x 50 x 35

Krajša predstavitev / Short biography
Rojena 4. 5. 1965 v Brežicah. Nekaj časa študirala umetnostno zgodovino in angleščino na Filozofski fakulteti. Leta 1993 bila sprejeta na Akademijo za likovno umetnost, smer kiparstvo. Leta 1998 diplomirala. Leta 2001 opravila magisterij iz kiparstva pri prof. Matjažu Počivavšku.
Trenutno ima status samostojnega kulturnega delavca, občasno dela kot likovni pedagog. Od leta 1997 ustvarja v ateljeju v okviru Metelkove mesta.

Born 4 May 1965 in Brežice. For a while she studied History of Art and English at the Faculty of Arts in Ljubljana. In 1993 she was accepted to the study programme of sculpture ar the Academy of Fine Arts, where she graduated in 1998. In 2001 she obtained her master’s degree under Prof Matjaž Počivavšek. She holds the status of independent professional worker in the field of culture, and occasionally works as an arts teacher. Since 1997 she has been working in a studio in the autonomous zone of Metelkova City.

Samostojne razstave - izbor / Selected solo exhibitions
• Galerija Alkatraz, Metelkova mesto, 1997 / Alkatraz Gallery, Metelkova City, 1997
• Stara šola Komen, 2001 / Stara šola Komen (former elementary school in Komen), 2001
• Galerija Simulaker, Novo mesto, 2002 / Simulaker Gallery, Novo mesto, 2002
• Galerija Alkatraz, Metelkova mesto, 2003 / Alkatraz Gallery, Metelkova City, 2003 Skupinske razstave - izbor / Selected group exhibitions
• skupinska razstava podiplomskih študentov ALU, Miklova hiša, Ribnica / Group exhibition of postgraduate students of the Academy of Fine Arts, Miklova hiša Gallery, Ribnica
• v letih 2001, 2003 in 2005 sem se udeležila Majskega salona / May Salon in 2001, 2003 and 2005
• udeležba na razstavi Rdeče zore, Galerija Alkatraz, Metelkova mesto, 2001 / Red Dawns exhibition, Alkatraz Gallery, Metelkova City, 2001
• udeležba na Ikonografiji metropole, 25. bienale Sao Paulo, Brazilija, 2002 / Metropolitan Iconography, 25th Sao Paulo Biennial, Brasil, 2002
• Metelkova mesto v Sao Paulu, Bežigrajska galerija, 2002 / Metelkova City in Sao Paulo, Bežigrad Gallery, 2002
• Evropski trienale male plastike, Murska Sobota, 2004 / European triennial of small-scale sculpture, Murska Sobota, 2004
• Oko in duh, Magistrat Ljubljana, 2005 / Oko in duh (The Eye and the Spirit), Ljubljana Town Hall, 2005
• udeležba na Procesu Metelkova, Galerija Alkatraz, 2005 / Proces Metelkova (The Metelkova Trial), Alkatraz Gallery, 2005
• Prostor mesta, predstavitev likovnih ustvarjalcev Metelkove mesta, Galerija Kresija, 2006 / Prostor mesta - predstavitev likovnih ustvarjalcev Metelkove mesta (Spaces of the City - presentation of artists from Metelkova City), Kresija Gallery, 2006
• udeležba na Majskem salonu,Slovenska Bistrica 2oo6 / May Salon, Slovenska Bistrica, 2006
Nagrada / Award
• Študentska Prešernova nagrada, 1997 / Student Prešeren Award, 1997

Naslov / Address
Karmen Jazbec, Celovška 264, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenija

Organizacija razstave in izdajatelj / Organization of the exhibition and publisher:
Društvo likovnih umetnikov Ljubljana, zanj / Represented by: Alenka Vidrgar in Dušan Muc
kustosinja razstave / Curator: Barbara Sterle Vurnik
postavitev razstave / Installation of the exhibition: Karmen Jazbec
besedilo / Text: Karmen Jazbec, Barbara Sterle Vurnik; lektorica / Text editing: Mateja Juričan; prevod v angleščino / English translation: Tina Škoberne;
fotografija / Photography: Karmen Jazbec;
Katalog: priprava in tisk / DTP and printed by: Mat-Format d.o.o.; naklada / Print run: 100 izvodov / Copies; september 2006; Ljubljana, Slovenija