Otakar Marcin

Otakar Marcin, a Czech sculptor and restorer, was born in 1937 in Prague. After graduating as a plasterer he worked at the studio of the sculptor Břetislav Benda. Then he applied to Secondary School of Applied Art in Uherské Hradiště to the professor Mikuláštík's studio and then continued to Academy of Arts, Architecture and Design in Prague to study monumental sculpture in studio of Jan Kavan. He graduated in 1970 and had his first solo exhibition the following year. In the year 1968 he has appeared in a film of a Czech director Jaroslav Papoušek called The Most Beautiful Age, he played a student of sculpture Jan Čech.

 

A wooden sculpture named The Philosopher made in 1971

 

In 1972 he established his own studio in Czech Highlands where he subsequently, after the Velvet Revolution in 1989, relocated. In his sculptural work, to which he has dedicated his life, he uses many materials ‒limestone, sandstone, granite, plaster, clay, wood or bronze. The base of his work is solid theoretical knowledge he has acquired not only by the academic education, but also by studying of the historical approaches to sculpture. An exceptional mastering of the sculptural techniques allows him to express his vision while respecting the given material which gives makes his work so diverse.  

 

Otakar Marcin in 1991 with his artwork called The Artists and years later in his studio

 

Many of his works were created in cooperation with his friend, a sculptor Jan Trtílek. In the artwork he made himself the ongoing dynamic motives capturing motion can be found. The persisting theme is the water, he also created many sculptures he named The Lovers, but we can find more static, figurative sculptures and portraits. 

 

A relief he made together with Jan Trtílek in 1975 for the interior of a hotel in Prague

 

Apart from his original works he has also dedicated himself to restoring he has admired since his years at the academy. Together with his team (composed of David Kopecký, Jaroslav Kubíček, Otakar Marcin jr. and Bořivoj Vítkovič) he has restored many artworks. Thanks to his versatile sculptural craftsmanship and experience with many materials he is able to resurrect the restored artworks while respecting their character and natural aging.

 

A large amount of the artworks he restored can be found in Jihlava and its surroundings. Among many others artworks in Prague he restored both facades and interiors of Powder Gate, the Gothic tower that separates the Old Town from the New Town. He did many more restorations in Havlíčkův Brod, Brtnice, Ždírec, at the castle Polná and many other places.

 

A sculpture named The Lovers made in 1982
All photography from archive of Otakar Marcin www.otakarmarcin.cz

 

Check Otakar Marcin on our website:
Lovers I
Lovers II
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