Michaela Pospíšilová Králová: Let's create outside the boundaries of mainstream likability
*Michaela (40) ★ graphic designer, illustrator and photographer -> created the art project Subjects of Maternity with her three-year-old daughter Klára ✗ enjoys the unlimited freedom of creative play, long walks in nature with family and friends, quiet late evenings and loud music
instagram.com/michaelapospisilovakralova
www.michaelapospisilovakralova.cz
What is your art project Subjects of Maternity about?
The collection Subjects of Maternity is about the contrast between the grayness of the adult, rational world and the colorful creative openness and emotionality of small children, which is not yet limited by anything. It was created when Klara was around three years old. I drew objects that I normally use with my daughter – objects that are general symbols of childhood. I deliberately made the drawing descriptively with a pencil, so that it describes well our adult, organized world. My daughter then intervened in the pictures with typical childish courage, free-spiritedness and the attitude "more is more" with bright crayons, markers, paint and glue.
“The period of unlimited imagination before princesses and unicorns has always fascinated me.”
How did you come up with the idea of starting a joint project with your daughter and how did you both enjoy the process? Did anything surprise you?
I have always admired the freedom and ease with which the smallest children create, the period of unlimited imagination before princesses and unicorns has always fascinated me. I wanted to preserve this initial creative activity in a comprehensive art ensemble and give it a concept. For many years, I have been working on the principle of additional interventions in the finished image (most often photographs). I somehow naturally followed this path with my daughter.
I returned to realistic drawing after a long time, and I was surprised how much it helped me. I am rather restless by nature. So drawing calmly for a long time is a challenge for me, but these forced periods of concentration benefited me. At the same time, I spent a lot of time with my daughter. I think it is important to do something together with the children for pleasure, beyond the everyday interactions. In addition, my daughter recognized one of the ways in which it is possible to think: not to consider the finished article as definitive at first glance and to move it further.
"I admire the early years before they start to be regulated by self-criticism, comments from adults and imitation of the aesthetics of the surroundings."
When I look at the drawing of the balloon, it seems to me that your daughter saw the head in it and painted the ears and hair on it - I really enjoy the imagination behind it. How do you think the creative world and the thinking of adults and children differ?
What I admire most about children are the early years before they start to be regulated by self-criticism, comments from adults and imitation of the aesthetics of their surroundings. When they are not afraid of what someone will tell them about the picture, and they don’t even have a clearly defined idea of how the picture should look. Adults, on the other hand, have a great advantage in being able to think through the work conceptually, and perhaps, point out some important social topic or problem. I admire artists who manage to combine these two approaches – playfulness and concept.
On your website you write: "Klára (your daughter) enriched and also destroyed the drawings to a certain extent. The same is true of life with children: they enrich and also can destroy what their parents do.” Can you elaborate on this idea?
Tendencies to idealize parenthood and see it through an advertising lens still prevail in society. For me personally, children make life more colorful and fulfilling, but like many other parents, I sometimes find it hard to avoid frustration. In the text, I mainly had in mind the effort parents put in to keep the home in a tolerably tidy state. This is a constant struggle with small children where many hours of work are often gone in a few moments. This process was rather foreign: my considered exertion vs. the experience of the child’s quick and purposeful intervention in this ensemble, and it partly helped me digest some conflicting feelings about motherhood.
“I am convinced that every person benefits from the time dedicated to creative activity and it is not necessary to have a special talent.”
I'm sure many of us heard in school that we're not good at drawing. I personally remember being criticized for using different colors than expected. How do you view similar ratings?
I perceive the management of art education in schools as still very problematic. When I compare the experience of my generation and the generation of my children, there is an improvement, but it is still not enough. A large part of the tasks are focused only on improving fine motor skills without any effort to develop creative thinking. But I see the biggest problem with the evaluation, which often turns drawing and painting off for life, and that's a huge shame.
It is not at all necessary to devote yourself to art professionally, but I am convinced that every person benefits from the time dedicated to creative activity and it is not necessary to have special talent. I would like children to get excited about art and for it to become a natural part of their lives even later in adulthood.
How do you think we can guide children to not be afraid to express themselves creatively? And where to start, or to follow up with as adults?
I think we should, as much as possible, encourage children to be brave and experiment, and let them create outside the boundaries of normal mainstream likability. Avoid evaluation. Try all possible approaches and techniques with them. Find a way of creating that will suit them personally. To teach them to look around, point out anything that we find interesting and explain why. And sometimes go to an exhibition that might entertain them.
The same applies to adults, but unfortunately many of them are so fixated on "I can't draw" from their time in school that it can be very difficult to remove this unnecessary label. I would probably start some completely new technique that isn’t connected with school. For example, creating a diary filled in with small sketches, working with textiles, spray painting or collage.
You professionally pursue graphic design, illustration and photography – what does your varied creative background give you and what do you feel like you enjoy the most at the moment? What are you working on right now?
What pays me is mostly graphics and I'm lucky to work for friendly people from all over the world. Sometimes I also photograph and illustrate on commission. The work provides me with background, freedom and inspiration for my artistic, exhibition work. Professionally, I feel more like a graphic designer, and in my free work, more like a photographer. I am grateful that I have the opportunity to move this way within several creative realms. I am currently working on my long-standing project Re-constructed diary from the exhibition files. These are diary entries retrospectively reconstructed in a photographic studio. I "comment" on the printed images by gluing papers and embroidery.
“In my opinion, success is mainly an inner good feeling. In art, where there are no clear criteria for its evaluation, this applies even more than in any other sphere.”
What does success mean to you?
In my opinion, success is mainly an inner good feeling. In art, where there isn’t a clear criteria for its evaluation, this applies even more than in any other sphere. Although, I have to admit that every realized exhibition, award or article is a very important motivation for me. The greatest success would be a long-term feeling of work-life-family-art harmony, but that is probably an impossible requirement. It's like balancing on several moving horses at once, and I actually enjoy having a colorful and hectic life, even if there is a risk of falling sometimes.
All photos © Michaela Pospíšilová Králová