MAXIM (Maxim Havlicek) in his studio, Downtown Los Angeles
Photo by J Whitaker
Artist's Statement
Paintings are my testament to our world's crudeness and beauty, freedoms, and indoctrinations. My paintings directly manifest my internal vying to find higher meaning and order in our human character.
I create contemporary art that encapsulates my vision of one's quest for finding the ultimate truth and all the obstacles and arguments one would have to endure on such a journey. Myths against facts, religions against science. Primordial versus modern, and most of all, the conception and meaning of the one constant that defines and limits us all the same - time.
Like rivers run over mountains, I lay down streaks of seemingly riddled calligraphy across the massive textured base. I record my innermost thoughts that run through my head down to my fingertips in these words and sentences. Each painting records a particular time and space and the state of my mind. It documents my insignificance as an individual in the grandiose scale of the universe. It reveals the past, makes the present, and allows for the future.
Bio
Born in Prague, the Czech Republic, during communism, MAXIM's artistic process began early. His parents frequently visited his uncle's famous "attic-art studio" in old Prague, where he would get lost in labyrinths of large-sized canvas works while admiring their sheer size and play of color.
MAXIM attended the prestigious Graphic Arts school in Prague in his formative years, where he obtained multiple degrees in graphic design, photography, lithography, calligraphy, and letterpress. He takes several classes on drawing and painting during his studies.
MAXIM's undying need for expression prompted him to learn to play guitar & drums, leading him to join a well-known band Posmrtne Zkusenosti soon signed by EMI, releasing a few albums earning him recognition in his native land Czech Republic.
At the age of 24, adventure calls MAXIM to America. He makes a few stops, first San Francisco, then Chicago, where he makes his mark as a reputable graphic designer earning him a collaboration with Doug Fogelson, one of Chicago's most acclaimed photographers. His next stop is Los Angeles, where he's instantly drawn to it. His desire to create art began in an atelier in DTLA where he first started focusing solely on painting.
MAXIM draws his inspiration from studies of history, nature, cosmology, physics, and socioeconomic and political events (past and present). His yearning for new experiences, exploration, and inspiration brings him to work in different places worldwide.
