While wandering through the Cesky Krumlov castle and over the castle bridge (repaired in 1990 or sometime close with money from Taiwan... go figure), I saw posters advertising an exhibition of the local artist Milan Posselt. From what I’ve gathered he was an artist in communist Czecheslovakia and since the Velvet Uprising, has made quite a name for himself (at least in the ((now)) Czech Republic). The work was modern and somewhat surrealist. Bathroom sinks cast in the shape of horses mouths, out of scale/ proportion fingers and legs as benches, cast door handles representing oversized fingers... it was cool stuff. But what was really cool, and so very appropriate, was the gallery where he chose to show, the caverns underneath the castle. It was so fitting, these heavy and brooding pieces living in these heavy spaces. It was the complete opposite of what we know as a successful, modern gallery... it was not light, it was not airy and it was not clean, but it was so appropriate to the work it housed.

It is probably about time I got into the idea of Mass and Void, since that is the name of the blog. The caverns underneath the castle are a maze tunnels, stairways, ramps and arches. They are made of heavy, dirty materials. Rubble stone, concrete and rough sawn lumber. The caverns do the dirty work that allow the castle to take all the credit. This is where my interests in architecture lie. The spaces that are pure and obvious. They are not pretending. They reveal themselves very easily. They are raw but powerful and their forms are born out of necessity. I like these dirty, heavy, functional spaces that reveal truth... I realize this probably sounds academic, but if you know me, and are reading this, you probably know that I am not an academic. I am, and the work I appreciate, tends to be more blue collar. I like fart jokes and poop stories... they are real, everyone has them, but not everyone chooses to share them.

It is ironic... at the castle at Cesky Krumlov, you can pay lots of money for three different tours that tour you through the formal living areas, the private living quarters and the theater of the castle. You get to see all kinds of ornate and precious Rococo bullshit that makes me want to throw up... Or you can pay a couple bucks to see modern art in a perfectly complementary and raw space, strewn throughout the castle underbelly. That was an easy choice for me.