About 400 years ago, Jean de La Fontaine (1621-1695) collected ancient stories, fables, moral legends and didactic poems. He made poems of it and got a secular success. He wrote his fables, wishing that their reading would make one wise and dictate moral principles.

A large part of his success was due to the illustrations in his books, because the images are clear, allowing us to understand what would otherwise often have stayed incomprehensible.

Lukáš Kándl has brought together a number of artists in the Libellule movement. They are now working on La Fontaine's poetry. The poet was inspired by literature from India, Greece and ancient Rome, and he produced a fantastic form that has kept its freshness through the ages. They are still so fresh, that Libellule artists can reinterpret them today, each in their own way…

Extract from "The fables of La Fontaine and the painters of Libellule"

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by Professor Gerhard Habarta

At first, a bouquet must smell good, be well colored and offered to celebrate something. Unfortunately, the flowers are ephemeral and their beauty fades. To remedy this, the artist has invented imperishable bouquets, surprising and sometimes fragile, to offer carefully and only to carefully selected people.Like fireworks, they explode into a grand final bouquet, in the sky of infinite imagination.

With this collection, the artists unveil their very personal look. Their flowers are metamorphosed into a poetic or even philosophical story. Their waking dream lives on the canvas, we question and its answers are extraordinary.

By offering these bouquets, the ordinary world becomes unreal, unusual and unpredictable.

 

Lukáš Kándl

In our culture Paradise exists and everyone would like to settle there.

Hell is completely unbearable and must be avoided absolutely.

In Paradise everything is tidy, flowers smell good and even cats and mice live in peace together. In hell everything is so appalling and burning that, even by thought, you have to stay out.

But the reality is much more subtle and shows us more funny situations. Like the one where the man catches the mice to give them to the cats, which, once well fed, become edible for the man. And with their furs we make beautiful hats for paradisiac evenings where we drink to the health of angels and demons, who finally met under the presidency of Adam and Eve who have just realized that they are completely naked.

Heavenly hell or hellish paradise ???

 

Lukáš Kándl

In the traditions of many countries, we often meet strange beings, half-men, half-beasts. For example, Sekhmet - the woman with the head of a lioness, the Centaur - the horse with the bust of a man, the Mermaid - a woman-fish, or Sobek - a man with a crocodile head ...
All these beings fascinate us by their often dangerous power... Sekhmet, a warrior goddess, spreads redoubtable epidemics, but, appeased, she had the power to cure all diseases.
The Mermaid is a beautiful woman with enchanting singing and a power of seduction irresistible, so much so that her melody bewitches and leads the sailor to follow her definitively in the ocean depths. As for the Medusa, thanks to the serpents which acted as hair, she froze in stone every man bold and impudent to dare to look at her.
Each artist here reveals his favorite deity, who seduces him, frightens him, or both and offers us his intimate look at these mythical figures.

 

Lukáš Kándl

Meeting of Contemporary Art Figurative, the collection "Mexican Lottery" is an opportunity to bring together new figurative proposals on a game that is a Mexican cultural reference, in order to reinterpret the contents of each card with a contemporary vision and aesthetics of each author. Each painting must contain the number and Spanish name of the card as a part of the composition. Movement "Libellule - Renaissance Contemporaine", which brings together artists from around the world, joined the project and thus creates the ideal conditions for an interesting cultural exchange. 

 

Lukáš Kándl

When the artist looks in the mirror, he notices that he does not really ressemble himself, he seems not to be quite the same. He would need to get a second mirror to perform a double reflection ... His image would then be closer to his portrait seen by someone from the outside, such as another artist for example, who’s sharp eyes would know how to create a beautiful portrait. But then, in this case, canwe it still call it a self-portrait?

The situation becomes even more complicated when a marvelled outlooker comes in and decides that he would rather like it to be  his own portrait, although he has never painted in his whole life. He would like to become the essential detail of the composition and, thus, realize his own self-portrait. Without even painting ... Do you follow me?

However, to make sure that it is indeed a self-portrait, it is absolutely essential that there is a mirror in which to admire oneself and ensure that it shows the right person. Upon reflection, it would probably be easier for him to ask a friend who knows him well whether this self-portrait is really successful or not. But then, most probably, the friend would also want his own self-portrait to be done.

A real madness! ...

And what if Libellule Magic Realism movement could make miracles come true?

 

Lukáš Kándl

The horse is an animal which is helping humans for milleniums in their work, travels, leisure and even on the battlefields. It provides its speed and endurance. It impresses for ever those who had never seen a rider before and who assimilate him to a strange animal. It is a Centaur, the horse-human on earth or the Sagittarius in the sky, the one with wings, Pegasus. Not to forget the mysterious young lady, on a horse adorned with an unique horn in the middle of the forehead, wild and independent unicorn, symbol of purity, feminity and loyalty... Adopting a new vision, the artists offer a kaleidoscope of the horse in all states.

 

Lukáš Kándl

Going back to the roots of art is a valuable way to perpetuate the “beau métier”, at a time when master of technical craft is not the priority. To that end, from time to time, it is essential to travel to the Master’s studio, and pretend to be welcomed as an apprentice, to make a copy of his work, under his authority and guidance. Only then it is conceivable to bring a personal touch as long as the spiritual and technical quality is equal to that of the work of the Master. It is a comforting and encouraging feeling, despite the passage of time, that he enjoys the work, and he would accept, without damage to his reputation, to sign it, or better yet, hear it blow to our ears "later you will open your own studio". 

 

Lukáš Kándl

The waltz of months is infinite. All creatures of the zodiac are very aware of that. And so are we. A sign and an ascendant were assigned to us at our birth, as an additional gene, guiding our behavior and responses to our way of life. None is superior to others, in this area there are no distinction related to the birth. Each one has its own strengths and weaknesses... And the sturdiest will not necessarily be the most favored because the influences are subtle and power does not always mean subtlety and nuance ... In addition to this, we must also consider the combination of our sign and ascendant. And then, those of the people with whom we live or we interact. That is when the matters gets more individualized and rather complicated ! The magic look of the artists, who reflect the invisible, adds to this complexity of the origins and that is where the incredible can mix with the sublime. And vice versa.  

 

Lukáš Kándl

The phoenix, bird of fire, has shined for centuries from its inner light and, when we are fortunate, we can access it. In the alchemical process, there is a time when everything must be purified by fire. It is then that the dragon breathes and we encounter the risk that the dragon’s breath will scorch us, as we have only one face against a danger with multiple faces. Only a sharp and pure consciousness has the power to lead us through this ordeal. After, when all matter has been consumed and only a small pile of burning ash is left, comes the rebirth and its accompanying new, more elevated visions. The cycle of the Phoenix starts again for life anew and, as acknowledged by ancient writings, the bird of fire declares, "I am the God of fire, the one who lives from truth." 

 

Lukáš Kándl

« We often say “ for a buck you get nothing”, but what can one get for $1,000,000? Sometimes a broken Hoover, when it has the appropriate signature, on a pedestal, in the King’s bedroom... But the true artwork, the one that grabbed Kings interests, turns about to be as complex as the alchemy work. This transmutation, which transforms dark metals into sparking gold, has had a lot of people dream about as a way to fulfil all their desires. On the dollar banknote it is written “In GOD we trust”, and little is required, very little, just a small tiny letter of the alphabet, to obtain “In GOLD we trust”. And all is said. Here we are. They didn’t realize that transmutation was successful, for a long time, so successful that everything, even their soul is from now on in gold, such a solid gold, which sparkles with such a blinding brilliance, that it prevents them from seeing the simple and hard reality: unlike genuine alchemists, they forgot to look for both gold and the Philosopher’s Stone. »  

 

Lukáš Kándl

« We didn't choose the theme for economy reasons; no, if the artists worked with black and white colours it is only because as we let our eyes roam over our surrounding world, we are inspired by Black and White thoughts. The grey shadows of these thoughts let augur a future much richer in colours »

 

Lukáš Kándl

« It is rather rare that Fantastic world Artists perform a comedy.They genuinely glance at the world around them and excel in the provocations they chose to achieve. And if, in spite of that, they fancy a comedy, it would be excellent that they paint it as Divine. »  

 

Lukáš Kándl

« Literature or poesy are able to create images in our subconscious. It is rather rare that pictorial art evokes a rhythm belonging to writing. Shout, provocation or wonder take their place in this composition where Artists express a colorful scream. » 

 

Lukáš Kándl

« Être ange, c’est étrange dit l’ange… » Prévert (Fatras)« As a wink at the “exquisite cadaver”, game played by surrealists, a group of world Artists worked to realize a monumental art piece based on one format, and one theme, to create a huge “Ange Exquis” whom wings slowly open to this new century. »  

 

Lukáš Kándl