CULTURE
Literature
In the late 18th century,
a national movement began in Slovakia, with the aim of fostering
Slovak culture and identity. One of its leaders was Anton Bernolák,
a Jesuit priest who codified a Slovak literary language based
on dialects used in western Slovakia. In the 19th century, Protestant
leaders Ján Kollár and Pavol Šafárik
developed a form of written Slovak that combined the dialects
used in central Slovakia and the Czech lands. The linguist and
Slovak nationalist L’udovít Štúr, a contemporary
of Kollár and Šafárik’s, rejected the
Czech influence and set out to develop a more authentic literary
Slovak; his language was adopted by a group of Slovak poets, whose
work dealt largely with national Slovak themes. Poetry remained
an important literary form into the 20th century, and was used
by some Slovak writers to address the experience of World War
II and the rise of Communism. During the Communist period, Slovak
literary culture suffered from heavy governmental control. The
works of Dominik Tatarka, Luboš Jurik, Martin Butora, Milan
Šimecka and Hana Ponicka were exceptions to the pattern of
politically influenced works.
Folk
Art
Folk arts and crafts, which
include wood carving, fabric weaving, and glass painting, have
a long and popular tradition in Slovakia, especially in rural
areas. Examples of folk architecture, such as wooden churches
and brightly painted houses, are found throughout the country,
particularly in the Ukrainian communities of Eastern Slovakia.
The development of folk art
and crafts developed throughout Slovak history which is documented
by the abundant archaeological findings on its' national territory.
These findings were composed of tools and artefacts - over time,
these useful objects became more and more refined and thus became
what we call today's folk art. The tradition of folk art and crafts
has been handed down through the generations and is supported
by ULUV, The Centre for Folk Art Production. Since 1954 ULUV's
expositions have shown throughout 28 countries.
Fine
Art and Architecture
Slovak modern art is influenced
both by Slovakian folklore and European art and is represented
today by numerous artistic associations.
Contemporary sculpture is
divided between the old generation with artists like V. Kompanok
and A. Rudavskym who are from a classical school, using traditional
material, and the younger generation who use more original materials
and are inspired by a more psychological approach. A Slovak school
of painting emerged in the mid-19th century. Sculpture and architecture
also developed in the 19th and 20th centuries, much of it heavily
influenced by western European styles. Peter Michal Bohún
and J.B. Klemens were among the best-known artists of this period.
The work of landscape and figure painters Ladislav Medñanský
and Dominik Skutecký received widespread attention in the
late 19th century. The cubist artist Ester Simerová-Martinceková
and surrealist Imrich Weiner-Král( were influential in
the early 20th century. Other important 20th-century artists include
L’udovít Fulla, Mikuláš Galanda, Martin
Benka, and Mikuláš Bazorský. Dušan Jurkovic
was an important architect of the early 20th century.
Among the well-known pieces
of Slovakian art is the Venus of Monoravy dating from the Palaeolithic
era, art forms from the stone and bronze age, as well as religious
architecture from the Great Moravian Empire. In Slovakia, artistic
tradition in several forms developed long ago.
