Even the shaft may be a nice place: Jindřich Pyško, the former Head of Promotion Department, exhibits his works in the Exhibition Hall in Havířov

HAVÍŘOV – In the Vilém Wünsch Exhibition Hall in the Leoš Janáček House of Culture in Havířov, there is an exhibition of works created by Jindřich Pyško and titled “Retrospective”, which will last until October 29, 2010. The former Head of Promotion Department of the former Antonín Zápotocký (“AZ”) Mine, today Lazy Mining Plant of Karviná Mine, exhibits around one hundred oil-paintings, watercolours, temperas, graphics and medal designs there.

The collection, prepared to mark the 80th birthday of the author, represents his works created since the 1950s and is thematically very diverse. You will find landscapes, still-life, portraits, nudes, as well as works inspired by social events and created mainly recently - their common theme is the crisis perceived primarily as a crisis of values.

“With respect to this topic, I have painted a total of fifteen pictures, of which six are exhibited here,“  the author speaks about his “crisis” project. “All of them should be exhibited early next year in Orlová. At least, there are discussions about it,” he informs.

Jindřich Pyško, the native of Orlová, comes from a mining family. His grandfather, stepfather, two of three brothers and finally, he himself were working in the mines. He came to the AZ Mine in 1964 and was working there for 36 years.

“In fact, it happened by chance. At that time, I was working in the Promotion Department of a textile company in Slovakia. During my holiday, I met Erich Volný, my schoolmate. It turned out that he was appointed the AZ Mine Director, and he happened to look for someone who would manage the Promotion Department of the Mine. In 1950 I was sent to Slovakia to do my military service there, but even after all those years, I was still homesick. Therefore, I nodded in agreement and accepted his offer,” says the painter.

In Lazy, he started to perform work that could not be seen anywhere else at that time. Besides the production and technology promotion, he also started to deal with an aestheticization and improvement of the mine appearance. Under his leadership, green lawns, flowerbeds, trees and for example, a five-meter tall fountain started to appear around the mine buildings.

“In fact, Director Volný also contributed to that,” Pyško reminisces. “I remember his asking me to come and see a grenade-like pit, which yawned in front of the main building, and he asked me: ‘Do you like it?‘ The end of the story is that when someone said in the OKD Directorate that he would go to the “garden”, then all knew that he would go to the Lazy Mine site. The miners themselves also appreciated it. Nobody drove into the lawn, nobody damaged the flowers. At present, it is already useless to talk about the need to maintain the environment suitable for human even in the shaft. It is necessary to comply with certain standards of behaviour towards the neighbourhood and also towards oneself,” says Pyško.

He has not lost his desire to paint, record and create beauty around us. “I even paint more than before because I have more time,” he smiles. “You do not paint for the needs of others, but for your own needs. Because you can see how the work is born on the canvas and you can realize your own visions. And because it's inherently satisfying,” says Jindřich Pyško.

(Bohuslav Krzyžanek)