Silvester Komel - Čutenje svetlob in barv

Čutenje svetlob in barv
Perceiving Light and Colour





CIP - Kataložni zapis o publikaciji

Narodna in univerzitetna knjižnica, Ljubljana

75(497.4):929Komel S.

KOMEL, Silvester

Čutenje svetlobe in barv = Perceiving light and colour / Silvester Komel ;
[avtorji besedil Marko Arnež, Boštjan Komel, Nelida Nemec ; prevod v angleški
jezik Katarina Ropret ; fotografije Boštjan Komel ... et al.]. - Kranj : Galerija
Prešernovih nagrajencev = Prešeren Award Winners Gallery : Zavod za turizem
in kulturo = Institute for Tourism and Culture, 2019

ISBN 978-961-6815-22-2 (Zavod za turizem in kulturo)

COBISS.SI-ID 301520128

Čutenje svetlob in barv
Perceiving Light and Colour

12. september–20. november 2019

Izdala in založila | Published by: Galerija Prešernovih nagrajencev Kranj | Prešeren Award Winners Gallery Kranj;
Zanjo | For the publisher: mag. Marko Arnež
Zavod za turizem in kulturo Kranj | Institute for Tourism and Culture Kranj;
Zanj | For the publisher: mag. Tomaž Štefe

Uredniški odbor | Editorial Board: mag. Marko Arnež, dr. Nelida Nemec, Boštjan Komel, Lidia Horvat

Avtorji besedil |Texts: mag. Marko Arnež, Boštjan Komel, dr. Nelida Nemec

Prevod v angleški jezik | English translation: Katarina Ropret

Jezikovni pregled | Language revision: Iza Lucija Korošec

Fotografije | Photography: Boštjan Komel (reprodukcije | reproductions ),
Tihomir Pinter in Joco Žnidaršič (portreti | portraits ),
foto arhiv družine Komel | ( Komel family photo archives )

Grafično oblikovanje |Graphic Design: Boštjan Komel s.p., Nova Gorica

Tisk | Print: Grafika Soča, Nova Gorica

Naklada | Print run: 500 izvodov | copies

Kranj, september 2019

Vsebina | Contents

Marko Arnež

7 Predgovor | Preface

Boštjan Komel

10 Šestnajst let in naprej …
Sixteen Years and Beyond …

dr. Nelida Nemec

13 Čutenje svetlob in barv
Perceiving Light and Colour
39 Razstavljena dela |Exhibited Works
155 Dokumentacija | Documentation

Predgovor Preface

mag. Marko Arnež Galerija Prešernovih nagrajencev ima svoje The primary mission of the Prešeren Award Winners
osnovno poslanstvo v predstavljanju in zbiranju del Gallery is presenting and collecting works by the winners
Galerija Prešernovih nagrajencev Kranj dobitnikov najvišjih državnih priznanj s področja ume- of the highest national art awards, Prešeren Awards and
Prešeren Award Winners Gallery tnosti, Prešernovih nagrad in nagrad Prešernovega Prešeren Fund Awards. The gallery has always welcomed
sklada. Čeprav so vrata galerije odprta vsem nagra- all award-winning laureates; however, special attention
jenim lavreatom, se s posebno pozornostjo posveča has been devoted to the visual arts, and fine art in parti-
vizualni umetnosti, predvsem likovnikom. Stalna cular. Silvester Komel exhibition will endow the perma-
zbirka, ki obsega 96 nagrajenih umetnikov, bo z raz- nent collection, which is comprised of 96 award-winning
stavo Silvestra Komela bogatejša za še eno izjemno artists, with another outstanding heritage of a renowned
dediščino tega priznanega primorskega umetnika. coastal artist.

Razstava, na kateri je osrednji motiv kraška in This is not the first time that the Prešeren Award Win-
primorska (po)krajina, v Galeriji Prešernovih nagra- ners Gallery hosts an exhibition devoted to the Slovene
jencev ni prva. Prvo večjo razstavo na to temo sta Karst and Littoral landscapes. The first major exhibition
na skoraj sto grafikah leta 2001 predstavila Lojze with this topic was mounted by Lojze Spacal and Vladimir
Spacal in Vladimir Makuc. Sledile so razstave Zvesta Makuc in 2001, when they presented nearly a hundred
Apollonija, Janeza Lenassija, Avgusta Černigoja, prints. In the following years, the Gallery hosted exhibi-
Franka Vecchieta, Klavdija Palčiča, Aleksija Kobala, tions by Zvest Apollonio, Janez Lenassi, Avgust Černigoj,
pa razstava del iz zbirke KB 1909 in Prešernovi nagra- Franko Vecchiet, Klavdij Palčič and Aleksij Kobal, an
jenci iz Slovenske Istre, kjer sta razstavljala tudi Živko exhibition of works from the KB 1909 collection and an
Marušič in Andraž Šalamun. Vsi ti avtorji so poleg exhibition of Prešeren Award winners from the Slovenian
Zorana Mušiča tudi v stalni zbirki galerije. Silvester Istria, which included Živko Marušič and Andraž Šalamun.
Komel je torej eden zadnjih umetnikov, ki ga še nismo All these authors are included in the permanent collec-
predstavili v naši galeriji, zato smo njegove razstave tion of the Gallery, together with Zoran Mušič. Silvester
še posebej veseli. S tem se počasi tudi zaokrožuje Komel is one of the last artists who has not been
naše predstavljanje likovnih del z nagrajenimi primor- presented in the Gallery yet, which makes us particularly
skimi umetniki. delighted with his exhibition that will gradually complete
our presentation of fine art works by the coastal award-
Pri predstavljanju nagrajenih umetnikov se pove- winning artists.
zujemo s številnimi slovenskimi galerijami in muzeji,

pri pripravi razstave pa velikokrat sodelujejo tudi When putting on an exhibition of award-winning arti-
umetnikova družina in drugi skrbniki likovnih del. sts, we cooperate with numerous Slovenian galleries and
museums. Often, the artist’s family and other custodians
Tudi tokratna razstava je nastala v sodelovanju z of works of art participate in the process as well.
umetnikovo družino, podobno kot Spacalova, Maku-

čeva, Miheličeva, Lenassijeva, Tuškova … Skoraj ve- This exhibition was mounted in cooperation with the
dno se najde družinski član (največkrat so to sinovi), artist’s family as well, as were the exhibitions of Spacal,
ki jih je oče s svojim delom priklenil nase in jim odprl Makuc, Mihelič, Lenassi, Tušek etc. Nearly every time,
pot v svet umetnosti. Ti se mu želijo oddolžiti z ohra- there is a family member (most often a son) whose father

8 njanjem spomina na očeta umetnika (nonota), zato attached them to himself through his work and initiated

del svojega življenja posvetijo predstavljanju njegove them into the world of art. In return, they want to keep
umetniške zapuščine. Mednje spada tudi Boštjan the memory of their father (nono), the artist, by devoting
Komel. V pričujočem tekstu Šestnajst let in naprej … part of their lives to presenting his artistic legacy. Boštjan
nam nazorno opiše, da je bil njegov oče Silvester tudi Komel is one of them. In his essay Sixteen Years and Be-
človek s posluhom za družino. yond …, he carefully describes that his father, Silvester,
was a family man, too.
Umetniška pot Silvestra Komela je bila podobna
poti številnim drugim slovenskim ustvarjalcem tiste- The artistic path of Silvester Komel resembles that of
ga časa, ki so kmalu po šolanju spoznali, kako trpek je many other Slovenian artists of that time, who learned
lahko kruh umetnika. Sebe in svojo družino so največ- soon after finishing their studies how painful the life
krat preživljali s poučevanjem, hkrati pa so potrpežlji- of an artist could be. Most of them made a living and
vo čakali na čas, ko se bodo lahko posvetili svojemu supported their families with teaching, while waiting
poslanstvu. Komelovo zavzeto poučevanje na osnovi patiently for the time when they can devote themselves
šoli v Mirnu in Šempetru pri Gorici je pustilo globoko fully to their mission. Komel’s enthusiastic teaching at
sled pri mnogih učencih (tudi pri avtorici osrednjega the elementary schools in Mirna and Šempeter pri Gorici
besedila v tem katalogu, Nelidi Nemec), da so svet left an indelible mark with many of his pupils (including
lahko dojemali tudi skozi prizmo umetnosti. the author of the main essay in this catalogue, Nelida
Nemec), showing them how to perceive the world throu-
V 80. letih prejšnjega stoletja se je predal slikar- gh the prism of art.
stvu in razvil samosvojo likovno govorico, ki ga je
postavila med najpomembnejše slovenske slikarje In 1980s, he devoted himself fully to painting and
druge polovice 20. stoletja. Katalog in razstava pred- evolved a unique artistic expression that made him one
stavljata predvsem dela iz tega obdobja. of the major Slovenian painters of the second half of
the 20th century. This catalogue and exhibition include
Kljub prezgodnji smrti je Komel kraško pokrajino mainly the works from this period.
s toplino barvnih kromatskih stopnjevanj in svetlobo,
ki proseva iz njenih globin kot upanje in optimizem, Despite his untimely death, Komel managed to use
spremenil v sliko, ki gledalcu razpre ta svet skozi oči the warmth of colour chromatic enhancements and the
in dušo subtilnega umetnika. light that radiates from the depths of the Karst landscape
as hope and optimism to transform that very same Karst
landscape into a painting that opens this world to the
viewer through the eyes and soul of a subtle artist.

9

Šestnajst let in naprej … Sixteen Years and Beyond …

Boštjan Komel Ne vem zagotovo, kako daleč nazaj mi sploh seže I do not know for certain which is the earliest memory
prvi spomin na očeta. Spomnim se le, da sem bil kot of my father. I do recall the immense happiness I felt as a
zelo majhen otrok vedno neizmerno vesel, če sem bil little child whenever I was still up in the evening when he
še vedno pokonci, ko je prišel zvečer domov v Bilje, came home to Bilje, where we lived at that time. I would
kjer smo takrat živeli. Zadovoljen sem mu sedel v sit on his lap contentedly and help him with his dinner. If
naročje in mu pomagal pri večerji. Če še ni bilo prepo- it was not too late, we would move to the couch for a few
zno, sva se za nekaj minut preselila še na kavč, da mi minutes and he would speak to me about his day. Those
je povedal, kakšen je bil njegov dan. Ti trenutki bližine moments of closeness and tenderness with my father
in očetove topline so se mi globoko vtisnili v srce. made a profound impression on me.

V ranem otroštvu še nisem dobro razumel, zakaj In my early childhood, I could not quite understand
ga čez dan, razen ob koncih tedna, nisem videl prav why I didn’t see much of him during the day, except for
veliko. Njegovi delovni dnevi so se takrat začeli v the weekends. Back then, he began his working days at
osnovni šoli v Šempetru pri Gorici, kjer je poučeval the elementary school in Šempeter pri Gorici, where he
likovni pouk, svoje delo pa je nadaljeval »na Bajti« v taught art, and continued at “the Hut” in his native Rožna
rojstni Rožni Dolini pri Novi Gorici, kjer je ustvarjal vse Dolina near Nova Gorica, where he would paint until the
do večera. Tako s(m)o poimenovali takrat nastajajočo evening. The Hut was how we called our family house in
družinsko hišo, kjer si je oče najprej uredil prostor za the making, where my father first set up a room for paint-
slikanje, atelje, ki je bil nujen za njegovo ustvarjalno ing, a studio that was essential for the development of his
pot in razvijanje njegovega slikarskega potenciala. creativity and painting potential.

Na Bajto sem vedno rad hodil, saj je bilo tam zame I always loved going to the Hut, it was so full of new
veliko novega in zanimivega. Tako sem imel priložnost and interesting things. It gave me the privilege of seeing
videti očeta slikati že od majhnih nog. Kmalu sem my father paint already as a little child. Soon, I began
začel spoznavati, da moj tata ni bil »čisto običajen to realize that my dad was not “quite an ordinary dad”.
tata«. Dostikrat sem se spraševal, zakaj tata nosi I often wondered why he wore a stained white smock,
popackano belo haljo in dela slike. Podobne »čačke« why he made paintings. Some of his “doodles” also hung
so visele tudi po stenah hiše v Biljah. Ko ni slikal, je on the walls of our house in Bilje. When not painting, he
opravljal še mnogo drugih del – obrtniška zidarska, would undertake many other works, from craftworks to
lesarska, kamnoseška, pleskarska –, da bi čim prej masonry, woodworks, stonecutting and house painting, all
dokončal nov dom za našo družino. Poleg vsega si je of this just to finish the new home for our family as soon
znal vzeti tudi čas za izdelavo mnogih zabavnih igral as possible. In addition, he would take the time to make
za otroke, izdelal je celó žičnico in bazen! Na bajti many fun toys for children, he even made us a cableway
je pogosto mrgolelo otrok. Večjih, manjših, bližnjih, and a pool! The Hut was often crowded with children.
naključnih ... Nikdar jim (nam) ni bilo dolgčas. Older kids, younger kids, kids from the neighbourhood,

Ko sem začel obiskovati osnovno šolo v Šempe- kids just passing by … We were never bored for a
tru, sva z očetom zjutraj skupaj odhajala od doma in second.

po končanem pouku običajno tudi na Bajto. Takrat When I started attending elementary school in

10 sem z njim lahko preživel več časa kot dotlej. Večkrat Šempeter, my father and I would leave home together in

sem ga lahko opazoval pri delu v ateljeju ter se mu the morning, and usually go to the Hut in the afternoon. I
včasih celo aktivno pridružil. Med svojim slikanjem was able to spend more time with him then. I would often
se je rad posvetil tudi mojemu ustvarjanju, kjer je observe him work in his studio and sometimes I even
koristno uporabil svoje pedagoške izkušnje. Tako sem joined him actively. While painting, he liked to supervise
se od njega veliko naučil in pridobil tudi precejšnje my creative attempts, using his teaching experience use-
veselje do risanja, kakor tudi drugih ročnih spretnosti. fully. I learned a great deal from him and gained consider-
able pleasure in drawing as well as other hand skills.
Leta 1976 je potres v Furlaniji starše dovolj pre-
strašil, da s(m)o na Bajti pospešeno uredili najnujnej- In 1976, the earthquake in Friuli scared my parents to
še za bivanje in postopoma uredili udobne stanovanj- the extent that they quickly arranged the essentials for
ske prostore. Tako je Bajta postala naš pr(a)vi dom. living in the Hut, which gradually turned into comfortable
living quarters. The Hut became our true home.
Oče je po selitvi zopet začel slikati z večjo inten-
zivnostjo in zanosom, saj smo lahko drugače zaživeli, After moving, we could finally live together as a fam-
kot družina. Spominjam se njegove neustavljive ily, and my father started painting
zagnanosti pri slikanju. Večino dneva je preživel v again with more intensity and
ateljeju, ki je bil poln slikarskih platen. Z odraščanjem passion. I recall his unbridled en-
sem njegovo delo vse bolj spremljal in tudi bolje razu- thusiasm for painting. He spent
mel. Prisotnost na številnih očetovih razstavah mi je most of his day in the studio
pomagala, da sem njegovo slikarstvo začel dojemati that was full of canvases. As I
vedno bolje. Tam sem zaznaval odziv publike, tudi grew up, I became increasingly
strokovne, ki je z navdušenjem gledala očetove slike aware of his work. I attended
in jih pogosto tudi glasno tolmačila. many of my father’s exhibitions,
which helped me improve my
Intenzivno slikanje in razstavljanje je zahtevalo understanding of his painting. I
tudi nabavo in izdelavo novih platen, barv, lakov, was fascinated by the response
okvirjev ipd. Takrat sem bil že dovolj star, da sem bil of the audience, also of experts,
uporaben že za marsikatero opravilo. Angažiran sem marvelling at my father’s paint-
bil skupaj z bratrancema, s katerima smo, večinoma ings and often interpreting them
na kolesih in s koriščenjem možnosti maloobmejne aloud.
»propustnice«, čez mejo iz sosednje Gorice redno
vozili material za zadostitev sproščanja očetovega Painting and exhibiting inten-
ustvarjalnega zagona. Pomagal sem mu tudi pri nape-
njanju in grundiranju slikarskih platen ter pripravi slik sively also required procurement Boštjan Komel, Oče v ateljeju | Dad in the studio, 1975.
za varen prevoz na razstave v več krajev po takratni
Jugoslaviji in tudi tujini. and production of new can-

Vendar je bil dolgoletni ritem očitno prehud. Srce vases, paints, varnishes, frames,
ga je kmalu opozorilo, da bi bilo dobro malo upočasni-
ti. V pretirani delovni zagnanosti je namreč pozabil na etc. At that time, I was old enough to offer a helping hand
svoje zdravje. Zdravniki so mu svetovali, naj sprejme
težko operacijo na srcu. Čez noč je bilo potrebno with many a task. Taking advantage of the frontier-zone
spremeniti nekatere navade, za poseg pa se je bilo
potrebno pripraviti tako psihično kot fizično. Družina pass, me and my two cousins would regularly ride our
in prijatelji smo mu stali ob strani in mu vsak na svoj
način poskušali pomagati, da se je lahko pripravil na bikes across the border to the neighbouring Gorizia where
zahteven poseg. Ustvarjalni in delovni ritem se je mo-
we bought the material which my father needed to sus-

tain his creative momentum. I also helped him stretch and

prime canvases and prepare paintings for a safe journey

to exhibitions in numerous places in the then Yugoslavia

and abroad.

However, the long years of rapid pace had taken a toll 11
on his health, and his heart warned him to slow down a

ral umiriti, čeprav je bilo v njem vedno dovolj energije, bit. Hard worker that he was, he had forgotten about his

da bi še naprej slikal. Predvidena operacija nas je vse own health. Doctors advised him to undergo an extensive

bližnje precej pretresla, saj je v življenje vlila strah in heart surgery. He had to change some of his habits over-

negotovost. night and prepare for the intervention both mentally and

Operacija je bila uspešna, okrevanje po njej pa physically. His family and friends stood by his side, trying
ni trajalo prav dolgo, saj se je kmalu bolje počutil in our best to help him prepare for the challenging surgical
zopet poprijel za čopič. Posvetil se je pripravi večih procedure. He had to slow down the rhythm of creating
samostojnih in skupinskih razstav doma in v tujini. and working, although his energy for painting was end-
Medtem sta z ženo Sonjo, mojo mamo, sistematično less. The planned surgery shook all his family members,
urejala dokumentacijo, podatke in fotografije slik za as it filled our lives with fear and uncertainty.

dve prihajajoči predvideni stvari – pregledno razstavo The operation was successful, but the recovery did

na Gradu Kromberk v organizaciji Goriškega muzeja not last long, as he soon felt better and grabbed his

ter izid monografije v sodelovanju z dr. Stanetom brush again. He focused on the preparation of several

Bernikom in založbo Mladinska knjiga. Poleg številnih solo and group exhibitions in Slovenia and abroad. In the

razstav, ki so se mu ponujale v tujini, ga je dodatno meantime, he and his wife Sonja, my mother, systemati-

motivirala tudi nagrada Prešernovega sklada, kar mu cally organised his documents, data and photographs of

je vlilo dodatnih moči in zagona. Razstave so se vrsti- paintings for two upcoming events: a retrospective at the

le ena za drugo, dogodki so si sledili brez premora, na Kromberk Castle, which was organized by the Museum

njegovo bolezen pa smo že skoraj pozabili … Nena- of Gorica, and release of the monograph in collaboration

doma pa njegovo srce ni več preneslo vseh naporov with Dr Stane Bernik and the Mladinska knjiga publish-

in bremen. Na začetku ustvarjalnega vrhunca se je ing house. In addition to numerous invitations to exhibit

ustavilo ... Ravno sredi priprav na že omenjeno veliko abroad, he was further motivated by the Prešeren Fund

pregledno razstavo in pred izidom težko pričakovane Award, which gave him additional strength and impetus.

prve monografije. The exhibitions followed one after the other, the events

Takrat se nam je zdelo, da se je svet podrl. Vendar allowed for no rest, and his illness was nearly forgotten
mi smo ostali, zato smo morali zbrati pogum, se orga- … But suddenly, his heart could no longer endure all the
nizirati in živeti naprej. S podporo in pomočjo številnih effort and strain. It stopped at the beginning of a crea-
sorodnikov in prijateljev, je glavno vlogo prevzela tive climax ... Right in the middle of preparing the before

mama Sonja. Star sem bil šestnajst let, sestra Urška mentioned major retrospective exhibition and before the
pa štiri manj. Kljub težki situaciji je mama v vsej žalo- release of the much anticipated first monograph.

sti zbrala dovolj moči in hrabrosti, da nama je s sestro Our world seemed to have fallen apart then. But we

omogočila nadaljevanje šolanja in naju pripravila na were those left behind, so we had to gather the courage

življenje. to organize ourselves and live on. With the support and

Celo otroštvo sem bil vpet v življenje slikarjeve help of many relatives and friends, my mother Sonja took
družine, ki je dihala z likovno umetnostjo. Vizualna on the leading role. I was sixteen years old, and my sister
umetnost je bila in je še vedno naš vsakdan. Kot Urška was four years younger. In all her sadness and
družina smo obiskali številne razstave mnogih drugih difficulty of the situation, my mother gathered the strength
mojstrov, doma smo živeli z očetovimi likovnimi deli, and courage to support my sister and me in schooling and
jih neprestano gledali, opazovali in spoznavali. Po- prepare us for life.

gosto smo se družili tudi z ljudmi iz sveta umetnosti. My entire childhood coalesced with the life of a

Očetove slike so del nas. Z gotovostjo lahko trdim, painter’s family which breathed fine arts. Visual art was

da slike čutim, preko njih spoznavam očeta in vse our everyday life and still is. We have visited exhibitions

12 bolj razumem njegovo izpoved. Občutek je, kot da bi of numerous other masters as a family, and at home,

ustvaril nek imaginaren stik z njim, saj ga neizmerno we lived with my father’s artworks, constantly watching,
pogrešam. Še vedno in že zelo dolgo … observing and getting to know them. We also often met
with people from the world of art. My father’s paintings
Moje otroštvo, tesno povezano z likovno umetno- are part of us. I can say with certainty that I can feel
stjo, je zagotovo botrovalo tudi temu, da sem se odlo- those paintings, they help me get to know my father, and
čil za poklic oblikovalca vizualnih komunikacij. Znanje, understand his testimony increasingly. It feels as if I had
ki mi ga je oče podal že v otroštvu, kakor tudi poklic- established an imaginative contact with him, as I miss
ne izkušnje so mi v veliko pomoč tudi pri organizaciji him immensely. I still do and I have been for a very long
razstav ter promociji očetove slikarske zapuščine. time ...
Na pobudo posameznikov in institucij smo se tudi po
njegovi smrti velikokrat radi odzvali in sodelovali pri My childhood, closely related to the world of fine
organizaciji številnih samostojnih razstav, predvsem arts, certainly gave rise to the choice of my profession of
v Sloveniji in italijanskem zamejstvu. Pobuda za priču- a visual communications designer. The knowledge my
jočo razstavo v Galeriji Prešernovih nagrajencev v father gave me as a child, as well as my professional
Kranju pa je v meni zbudila posebno zadovoljstvo, saj experience, have also helped me greatly in organizing ex-
je galerija res nekaj posebnega in mi predstavlja tudi hibitions and promoting my father’s painting legacy. Many
svojstven izziv za postavitev del. Ob tem se zahvalju- times after his death, we responded gladly to different
jem Nelidi in Marku za povabilo in vsa prizadevanja, individual and institutional initiatives to participate in the
da smo lahko pripravili razstavo na takem nivoju. organization of solo exhibitions, particularly in Slovenia
and the Italian border area. The initiative for the exhibition
Glavna zasluga in zahvala, da lahko slikarsko at the Prešeren Award Winners Gallery in Kranj came as
zapuščino zainteresirani javnosti še vedno kadarkoli a particular delight, since the gallery is a truly remarkable
pokažemo, gre mami Sonji, ki je očetu vedno stala ob venue, presenting me with a unique challenge of setting
strani in mu bila v veliko pomoč. Z zbirko slik je tudi po up my father’s works there. I would like to thank Nelida
očetovi smrti ravnala preudarno in jo v precejšnjem and Marko for the invitation and all their efforts in prepar-
obsegu ohranila v družinski lasti. ing the exhibition at such high level.

Silvester je bil neutruden ustvarjalec, opazovalec, The painter’s legacy can still be shown to the inter-
kreativec, učitelj, delavec, prijatelj, človek … Bil je ested public at any time, and the main credit and gratitude
Umetnik z veliko začetnico. Njegova dela so še vedno for this goes to my mother Sonja, who always stood by
aktualna. Nesmrtna. my father’s side and helped him enormously. She handled
the collection of paintings wisely after my father died, and
Še naprej si bom prizadeval, da njegova umetnost kept it family-owned to a large extent.
ne bo šla v pozabo, odgovornost pa postopoma
poskušal prenesti na naslednjo generacijo. Želim si, Silvester was a tireless creator, observer, creative,
da bi moja prizadevanja nadaljevali. teacher, worker, friend and man. He was a true artist. His
works are still relevant. They are immortal.

I will go on striving to ensure his art is not forgotten,
and gradually try to pass the responsibility on to the next
generation. I wish my efforts would continue.

13



Čutenje svetlob in barv Perceiving Light and Colour

Komelovo slikarsko iskanje še nekaj let po zaključ- For quite some years after he finished his studies at dr. Nelida Nemec
ku šolanja na Akademiji za upodabljajočo umetnost, the Academy of Fine Arts, where he received tuition and
kjer sta ga poučevala in umetniško oblikovala profe- artistic formation from the professors and painters Marij 15
sorja slikarja Marij Pregelj in Gabriel Stupica, ni našlo Pregelj and Gabrijel Stupica, Silvester Komel could not
tiste globoko prepričljive ustvarjalne spodbude, ki find that utterly compelling urge for painting which would
bi ga prikovala pred platno in v njem porodila pre- rivet him in front of the canvas and conjure powerful ar-
pričljiva likovna videnja. Vseeno jih je globoko v sebi tistic visions in him. He did feel those visions inside him,
še kako vznemirjajoče čutil in si želel, da bi oživela. though, with all their excitement, and his fervent wish
Dolga leta je iskal ... Ni sledil takratnim likovnim novo- was to bring them to life. He searched for many years …
stim. Ni se družil z generacijo, ki ji je pripadal. Ni iskal He never followed the fine art novelties of the time. He
strokovne potrditve. never mingled with his own generation. He never looked
for any professional approval.
Čeprav je na akademiji, kot je sam povedal, »šele
prav zadihal« in našel »svoje pravo okolje«, se tu preiz- Although the Academy was to him, in his own
kušal »v raznih likovnih zvrsteh« in »z užitkom modeliral«, words, the place where he “could finally breathe”,
se je leta 1958 (brez diplome) vrnil domov, na Goriško. his “natural environment”, where he could experi-
Ta ga je vabila s svojo svetlobo, barvitimi prelivanji ment with “various fine art genres” and “modelled
in kamnitimi kompozicijami, z njemu ljubimi ljudmi in enthusiastically”, he returned home, to Gorica, in 1958,
tistim posebnim vzdušjem pokrajine kraškega roba before graduating. His home region lured him back with
in prepletanja ljudi različnih kultur in narodnosti, ki its light, shades of colours and rocky compositions, with
se je vanj v mladosti tako globoko zarezalo, da ga je the people he loved and that special mood, created by
povsem prepojilo in ga dolga leta spodbujalo. V sebi the landscape of the Karst edge and intertwinement
je nosil globoko občutenje, da so na akademiji najbolj of different cultures and nationalities that affected him
cenili njegovo slikanje »a la prima«, to, kar je »sponta- profoundly from his youth on, permeating him completely
no, dokaj nekontrolirano in na hitro vrgel na platno«, da and inspiring him for years. Deep inside he felt that
mora najti svojo barvo, da mora najti svojo vsebino. the Academy appreciated most highly his “alla prima”
Pravzaprav svojo krajino. Sprejel je delovno mesto painting, the art he “threw on canvas in a spontane-
učitelja likovnega pouka na osnovni šoli, najprej v ous, rather uncontrolled and swift manner”, he felt
Mirnu in nato v Šempetru pri Gorici, kjer je vzgojil ter he had to discover his own colour, he had to find his
za likovno umetnost navdušil številne učence, tudi own content. His own landscape, in fact. He accepted
mnoge kasnejše likovne ustvarjalce. Vmes je leta the position of an art teacher in primary school, first in
1968 pri profesorju Gabrijelu Stupici tudi diplomiral. Miren and next in Šempeter pri Gorici, where he raised
In vse bolj in vse več je tudi slikal: najprej majhne in and inspired numerous pupils, many of them future fine
srednje formate platen v različnih tehnikah, nato ve- artists as well. In between, he graduated under Professor
lika platna na način, ki je vse bolj kazal prepoznaven Gabrijel Stupica in 1968. He also painted more: first on
avtorski prijem. Prvo samostojno razstavo je imel leta small and medium sized canvases in various techniques,
1960 v Novi Gorici, naslednjo je organiziral čez osem next, on large canvases, increasingly developing his
let, ko je diplomiral in postal učitelj. Izven lokalnega signature-style approach. He presented his first solo exhi-
(goriškega in zamejskega) okolja je leta 1970 pri- bition in 1960 in Nova Gorica, the second to follow eight

pravil razstavo v kranjski Galeriji v Mestni hiši. Šele years later, when he graduated and became a profes-

razstava v ljubljanski Mestni galeriji leta 1971 pa je sional teacher. Outside his home area (Gorica and Italian

zanj pomenila veliko prelomnico in mu omogočila, frontier), he mounted an exhibition in Kranj, in the Town

da je odmevno vstopil v slovenski in evropski likovni Hall Gallery, in 1970. But it was only the exhibition in

prostor – z globokim prepričanjem, da si želi ostati to, Mestna galerija in Ljubljana in 1971 that was the turning

kar je. »Če živiš malo odmaknjen od sveta, je težko biti point in his painting career, finally making him an artist

ažuren, sodoben, tako kot je treba biti v pravem trenut- of national and international renown, firmly convinced

ku. Morda je to stiska, ki me daje vseskozi, mislim na to he wanted to stay who he was. “If one lives kind of a

odmaknjenost. Zato sem menil, da je bolje ostati zvest secluded life, it is hard to be up to date and modern,

samemu sebi, dokler ti to notranja energija omogoča.« when the occasion requires it. Perhaps this is what

has agitated me all this time, this remoteness, I

Tega njegovega zgodnjega obdobja se spomin- mean. That’s why I thought it was better to stay loyal
jam z otroškimi očmi: bil je družinski prijatelj in to yourself, as long as you have the inner energy to
v osnovni šoli moj učitelj. Odpiral mi je vrata v do this.”

svet likovne ustvarjalnosti ter me s svojimi pogle-

di na likovno in družbeno dogajanje navduševal My own memories of his early phase are memories
in nagovarjal k lastnemu razmišljanju. On je of a child: he was a family friend and my primary
bil tisti, zaradi katerega sem vzljubila slikarstvo. school teacher. He introduced me to the world of fine
Zaradi njega sem se kasneje tudi odločila za art, inspired me with his perspectives on fine art and
študij umetnostne zgodovine. Spominjam se society and encouraged me to think for myself. He
navdušenja, ki nas je popolnoma prevzelo ob was the one who made me love painting. And it was
odprtju ljubljanske razstave. Doživela sem jo kot because of him that I later decided to study art history.
velik uspeh in pravi prodor: moj učitelj je končno I remember the tremendous excitement we felt at the
prepoznan kot umetnik, ki se bo zapisal v zgodo- opening of his exhibition in Ljubljana. I felt it was a
vino tega prostora. huge success and a real breakthrough: my teacher was

finally recognised as an artist who would go down in

Šestdeseta leta so izzvenela v iskanju tipičnih history of our country.

motivov iz okolja, ki ga je videl in dojemal z realistič-

nimi očmi in reminiscencami na poetični realizem. 1960s were characterised by his search of typical
Slednjega je iz leta v leto vse bolj presegal ter se motifs in his surroundings, observed and perceived
vedno bolj naslanjal na tista iskanja, ki so jemala realistically and reminiscent of poetic realism. Exceeding
v abstrakciji in so videno ter podoživeto preinter- this style increasingly from year to year, he went on to
pretirala na sebi lasten način. Njegov rokopis se je search more in the direction of the abstract, rendering the
postopoma, a vztrajno izčiščeval in vse bolj izžareval observed and perceived visual appearances entirely in
vrsto prepoznavnih značilnosti v kompoziciji, nanosu his own way. Gradually, but persistently he perfected his
barv in umeščanju svetlobe. signature painting style to emanate a series of distin-

Nastajala so nova in nova dela, kot so Izbokline guishing features as regards the composition, methods of

(1961), Vegetacija na pohodu (1962), Svetlobe Krasa colour application, and use of light.

(1962), Sivi kontrasti (1963), Svetlobe iz vipavske (1966), He created ever new works, such as Protuberances

Pejsaž (1968), Barvne gmote (1969), iz katerih je moč (1961), Marching Greenery (1962), Luminescence of

razbrati, da je veliko eksperimentiral, tako v iskanju Karst (1962), Contrasts of Grey (1963), Luminescence
izraza, barvne palete kot tudi pri izboru različnih
of the Vipava Valley (1966), Landscape (1968), Bulks
tehnik. Uporabljal je olje in grund z mivko na iverni
16 of Colour (1969), which reveal a lot of experimenting in

plošči, lesonit, les, tempero in olje na iverni plošči, terms of his expression, colour palette and also in his 17
od leta 1968 naprej pa vse več olje in akril na platnu choice of various media. He used oil and sand prime on
ali juti. To je bilo njegovo prvo ustvarjalno obdobje, plywood, hardboard, wood, tempera and oil on plywood,
ko je v sebi iskal vir in vse tiste likovne prvine, ki so and from 1968 on, increasingly oil and acrylic on canvas
kasneje postajale vse bolj izrazite in inovativne ter so or jute. This was his first period of creating, which was
mu omogočale, da se je vse večkrat loteval likovnih marked by his inner search of inspiration and fine art
in slikarskih raziskav mimo navad, ki so tedaj veljale v elements that later gained ever more expressiveness and
slovenskem likovnem prostoru. innovativeness, and offered him the opportunity to under-
take artistic and painting exhibitions in a way that was
To je bil čas, ko je črpal predvsem v lepotah in not custom in the Slovenian fine art scene at the time.
posebnostih kraške pokrajine, ki jo je občudoval,
oboževal in jo nosil globoko v sebi. »Svoj odnos do po- This was the time when he drew mostly on the
krajine sem oblikoval ob stiku z ljudmi s Krasa. Kot slikar beauty and characteristics of the Karst landscape that he
jih razumem, zdi se mi, da bom enkrat uspel izpovedati, always admired, adored and carried deep inside. “My
kar vem o njih.« To je bil čas, ko je iskal in iskal in upal affinity to this landscape grew from the contacts I
ter si želel, da bi presegel samega sebe. »Na prvi sliki had with the people from Karst. I understand them
si zastavim mnogo problemov, od katerih ostane večina as a painter, and I think that one day I will be able to
nerešenih. Zato je nujno, da slikam dalje. Slika sproži express what I know about them.” This was the time
nastanek naslednjih. Na ta način ne pridem nikoli do of his painstaking search, hope and wish to surpass him-
konca, zmerom se mi odpirajo novi problemi. Čeprav mi self. “With my first painting I raise many problems,
že od akademije leži slikanje »a la prima«, zdaj dlje in most of which remain unresolved. It is therefore
dolgo vztrajam na eni sliki. Tako preslikam nekatere tudi essential for me to go on painting. One painting trig-
10-krat, 15-krat in več. To preslikavanje pa je naposled gers the making of the rest. This is a never-ending
posledica mojega finančnega stanja. Seveda bi bilo process, with new problems arising constantly.
bolje naslikati vsako sliko posebej, tudi pregledneje bi Although I have loved “alla prima” painting ever
bilo za studiozno delo. Tako pa mi manjka pregled nad since the Academy, my work with one painting is
vmesnimi fazami.« To je bil tudi čas, ko si je želel, da bi now protracted. I repaint some of them ten times,
se izvil iz manire, ki ga ni napolnjevala ali navduševa- fifteen times or even more. This repainting is, finally,
la. In iz dela v delo je vse bolj in bolj postajal on sam: the consequence of my financial situation. To paint
našel je svojo pokrajino in videnje krajine, našel je every painting separately, would certainly be a bet-
svojo barvno paleto in našel je svetlobni vir. ter process offering a valuable insight for studious
work. Without this, I lack the overview of all interme-
Konec šestdesetih je bila njegova umetniška pot diate phases.” This was also the time when he wanted
začrtana: vsako novo delo je bilo nov dosežek na poti to escape the manners that had not fulfilled or excited
velikega odkrivanja svoje lastne notranjosti. Notra- him. With every painting he became more himself, find-
njosti, ki se je napajala v svojem domačem okolju, ing his landscape and vision of the landscape, finding his
predvsem kraškem. Prav Kras, ta ustvarjalni vir tudi colour palette and his source of light.
nekaterim drugim zelo prepoznavnim primorskim
likovnim umetnikom, je tista rdeča nit, ki povezuje At the end of 1960s, his artistic path was set; every
večino njegovih del. Z intenziteto barve ga je tako new work he painted was a new milestone on his epic
popolnoma prevzel, da je v njem spodbudil značilno journey of introspection, which was constantly inspired
vehemenco nanosa, strukturo kompozicije in prepo- by his home environment, Karst in particular. An end-
znavni svetlobni vir, ki se tako avtorsko poigravajo v less source of creativity not only to him but also to some
delih skozi različne cikle. Drugače kot so to izražali other renowned littoral fine artists, Karst is the common
Spacal, Mušič, Debenjak in Makuc. thread running through most of his works. Its intensity

Sedemdeseta so razprla njegovo ustvarjalno of colour overwhelmed him completely, evoking in him

moč in razkrila ves slikarski potencial: njegova vizija the characteristic vehemence of application, structure of

kraških impresij je najprej zaživela in spregovorila composition and source of light that he used in his works

z rastjo kompozicijskih jeder, razvojem poteze in in various cycles playfully and in his distinctive signature

izbranega barvitega nanosa ter z odzivno igro med style. Differently from the expressions of Spacal, Mušič,

toplimi in hladnimi barvami. Dela so bila prežeta s Debenjak and Makuc.

toplino barvnih kromatskih stopnjevanj, z umešča- In 1970s, his creative potency erupted, and all his
njem svetlobe in oživljanjem iluzije prostora. Barva painting potential unveiled: his vision of Karst impres-
je postala nosilka njegovega sporočila. »Svojo barvno sions first lived and spoke through the growing core

lestvico sem zreduciral na barvne odtenke prej sive, compositions, evolution of his stroke and choice of the

zdaj rdečkaste, okraste barve. To je bilo mogoče razla- applied colour, as well as the game of response between

gati iz patine kraškega kamenja in barve terre rosse. warm and cool colours. His works pulsated with the

Vendar bi bila takšna razlaga le preveč poenostavljena. warmth of enhanced chromatic colours, positioning of
Sicer pa mislim, da sem v barvi že precej uspel.« Z
barvo je uspel priklicati sporočilnost, skladnost in light and reviving the illusion of space. Colour became
lepoto ter jo mojstrsko podoživeti v številnih harmo- the carrier of his message. “I reduced my colour
ničnih odtenkih in svetlobnih videnjih, ki so zahte- palette; what used to be the shades of grey, now
vala platna vse večjih dimenzij. »Slikam. O aktualnih turned into shades of reddish, ochre colour. One
might explain this change with the patina of Karst
dogodkih doma in v svetu, o politiki rad razmišljam in
se rad pogovorim. Vendar mi preostaja le malo časa, rocks and the colour of terra rossa. But it would be
an overly simplified explanation. I do believe that
domala vsega posvečam slikarstvu. S tem tudi po svoje
reagiram na vsakršne dražljaje iz zunanjega sveta. Ko I have already mastered the colour significantly.”
bi se ukvarjal še z drugim, bi bila prizadeta moja osnov-
na dejavnost. Z njo pa sem lahko najbolj prisoten, Colour helped him evoke communicativeness, harmony
najbolj angažiran«.
and beauty, and experience it anew in numerous har-

monic shades and light visions that required canvases
of ever larger dimensions. “I paint. I love to think and

Desetletje in pol je v celoti posvetil slikanju. Is- talk about the current domestic and international

kanju svojega lastnega likovnega rokopisa. Svojega situation, about the politics. But devoting nearly

lastnega likovnega videnja. Kot bi vedel, da ne bo all my time to painting, I’m running out of time. In a

imel veliko časa, je rojeval sliko za sliko, med njimi V way, this is also my reaction to any stimulus from the

svetu pretirane svetlobe (1970), Med diagonalami (1971), outer world. If I got involved with anything else, my

Nenapovedana dramatičnost (1972), Vzvalovani horizont basic activity would suffer. Following it, allows me to

(1972), Nove dimenzije (1974), Izziv k novemu (1977). be most present and most engaged.”

Prirejal je razstavo za razstavo. He devoted an entire decade and a half to paint-

Konec šestdesetih let so se njegove oči dokonč- ing, to the search of his own fine art signature, to the

no napasle pogleda na kraško arhitekturo, vrtače, search of his own fine art vision. As if he knew that the

zapuščene kamnolome, kamnite stene, okna in vra- time was running short, he gave birth to one painting

ta, njegovo srce pa je hotelo več kot samo pogled na after the other, including In the World of Exaggerated

griče, drevesa in ljudi. Takrat se je njegovo realistič- Light (1970), Amidst Diagonals (1971), Unannounced

no krajinarstvo vse bolj izoblikovalo v čutenje imagi- Drama (1972), Undulating Horizon (1972), New Dimen-

nacije, vse bolj in bolj v abstraktno likovno izražanje sions (1974), Challenge for Something New (1977). He

z naslonom in iskanjem barve kot tiste, ki nakazuje presented exhibitions one after another.

vsebino, ponotranjene kompozicije in magične sve- At the end of 1960s, he finally satisfied his hunger

18 tlobe, pravzaprav takega slikovnega polja, kjer se bo for sights of the Karst architecture, sinkholes, aban-

doned quarries, rock faces, windows and doors, but his 19
heart wanted more than just the sight of hills, trees and
people. His realistic landscape painting evolved gradu-
ally into deeply felt imagination and into increasingly
abstract artistic expression grounded in the search for
the right colour, which indicated the content, internal-
ized composition and magic light, and in the search for
such painting field, where a prudent constellation of
basic fine art elements would be established. Applica-
tion of colour gained ever more importance to him. He
put great emphasis on vehemence of the stroke, which
was spontaneous, original, his only. Growing was also
the importance of composition, which was convincing,
contemplated and determining. When he painted his
first canvas of large (up to then almost unprecedented)
dimensions, with oil and acrylic on canvas or jute, this
was finally that real breakthrough he had been waiting
for years. His artistic potency unveiled all the grandeur
of a man and painter that one could only envisage
before. He turned his visions of the Vipava, Gorica and,
in particular, Karst surroundings into recognisable com-
positions, which were premeditated in terms of tone
and drawing, and reflected increasingly his passionate
encounters with the Karst landscape. Increasingly, the
painting language he used to speak about the percep-
tion of the world around him, discovered and inter-
preted a different and increasingly recognisable sign
system of the abstract language. Canvases in large di-
mensions released all the accumulated energy, that had
been forced into smaller painting surfaces before, con-
centrated to the extent of excessive crowdedness and
pleonasm. Small and medium sized canvases simply
did not suffice for the artist in that moment. He wanted
a surface, searching for a new painting code, a broad
stroke on the painting canvas. He searched for colours,
different compositions, increasingly also for the illusion
of space. He actually searched for new contents, which
erupted from his inside, searched their way from the
tradition of the poetic realism, leaned on the findings of
informalism and lyric abstraction, flourished in applica-
tions of colours and visions of the illusionism of colours,
and formed his recognisable painting signature style.
This was the decade that entered Silvester Komel on

vzpostavila premišljena konstelacija temeljnih likov- the list of the great Slovenian painters of the second

nih elementov. Vse bolj so mu bili pomembni barvni half of the twentieth century.

nanosi. Velik poudarek je dajal vehementni potezi – In the early 1980s, the light and dominating blue
spontani, izvirni, samo njegovi. Vedno pomembnejšo colour in its widest spectre shone on his large canvases
vlogo je imela prepričljiva kompozicija – premišljena anew. His composition, a play between the horizontal
in določajoča. In ko je naslikal svoje prvo platno and vertical density of colour signs, created the impres-
velikih (do takrat komaj slutenih) dimenzij v tehniki sion of hovering, also of excessive crowdedness and
olja in akrila na platnu ali juti, se mu je zgodil tisti pleonasm when featuring geometricized and crystal
pravi ustvarjalni prelom, ki ga je čakal leta. Njegova schemes. Contrasting fractures of light spoke differently.
umetniška potenca je razprla vso človeško in ustvar- Artist’s canvases talked the viewer into searching of both
jalno veličino, ki jo je bilo dotlej mogoče samo slutiti. earthly and cosmic realities, illusion and imagination, of
Njegova videnja vipavskega, goriškega in še posebej the intertwinement of colours embraced by light. They
kraškega okolja v tonsko in risarsko premišljenih ter spoke of searching beyond the perceived, of recognising
prepoznavnih kompozicijah so vse bolj preraščala v the world in the system of colours. His 1983 painting
globoko občutena podoživljanja (predvsem) krajine, ki Cosmic Ambience, which rounds up the selection of
se je vse bolj zrcalila kot strastno podoživetje kraške exhibited works, concludes his body of work symbolically.
pokrajine. Njegova občutenja sveta okoli sebe so vse

bolj spregovorila v slikarski govorici, ki je odkrivala 1983 was the year of the artist’s death. It was also
in interpretirala drugačen, vse bolj prepoznaven zna- the year, when we were preparing his first retrospective
kovni sistem abstraktnega jezika. Te velike dimenzije exhibition in the Museum of Gorica, in cooperation
platen so sprostile vso nakopičeno energijo, ki se je with Dr Stane Bernik. I will never forget the phone
dotlej morala stlačiti v manjše slikovne površine, se call from his family on that Christmas Eve; it was the
skoncentrirati v pretirano natrpanost in pleonazem. first time I was faced with the death of a man whom
Platna malih in srednjih dimenzij so bila umetniku v I respected and admired enormously, and it reminded
tistem trenutku preprosto premalo. Hotel je površino, me of the ephemerality. Of the thin line between life
iskal je nov slikarski zapis, širok poteg po slikarskem and death. Opening of the exhibition a few months
platnu. Iskal je barve, drugačne kompozicije, vse bolj later and all the related tours I guided, touched me
tudi iluzijo prostora. Pravzaprav nove vsebine, ki so very deeply. I can still feel the same sensation we had
bruhale iz njegove notranjosti, iskale poti iz tradicije in those days, when the walls of the Kromberk Castle
poetičnega realizma, se oprle na spoznanja informela radiated the grandeur of a man and artist so sugges-

in lirske abstrakcije, se povsem razživele v barvitih tively and movingly.

nanosih in videnjih barvnega iluzionizma ter izobli-

kovale lasten in prepoznaven slikarski rokopis. To je The expert classification placed his works into a sub-
bilo desetletje, ki je slikarja Silvestra Komela vpisalo group of abstract painting called abstract illusionism, but
na zemljevid pomembnih slovenskih slikarjev druge one should emphasise that Silvester Komel was a loner,
polovice dvajsetega stoletja. always in search for something more, something deeper,

V začetku osemdesetih let sta svetloba in domi- original and with author signature in his home environ-
nirajoča modra barva v svojem najširšem spektru na ment, regardless of the options, movements, circles
njegovih velikih platnih zažareli z novo močjo. Kompo- and affiliations. He never searched for archaic pristine
zicija, ki se je poigravala med horizontalno in verti-
features nor the ancient symbols, he wasted no time on
kalno zgoščenostjo barvnih znakov, je razprla vtis
stylization or the question of the figure, which regained
lebdenja, ob geometriziranih in kristalnih shemah pa importance in the contemporary fine art of that time,
20 tudi natrpanosti in pleonazma. Na drugačen način so but having expanded his horizons with findings of the

spregovorili kontrastni prelomi svetlobe. Umetnikova Venetian masters from the Renaissance and Baroque pe- 21
platna so nagovarjala k iskanju tuzemske in kozmične riods, he rather dived into the landscape subject matter,
resničnosti, iluzije in imaginacije. Barvnega prepleta, increasingly comprehended in a new way: his landscape
ki ga je zaobjela svetloba. Dotaknila so se iskanj, ki so paintings grew into spontaneous visualisation of his feel-
presegla videno in zaznala svet kot sistem barv. Delo ings. They grew into a dynamic game of colour layering:
z naslovom Kozmično vzdušje iz leta 1983, ki zaokroža first, in the range from light yellow to brown tones on the
izbor razstavljenih del, simbolično zaključuje njegov one hand, and from the sunny bright and orange to inten-
opus. sively red on the other hand, and next, from blue in its nu-
merous shades to green and even violet. His landscape
Leto 1983 je leto umetnikove smrti. Je tudi paintings grew into spiritually glowing beams of light
leto, ko smo v Goriškem muzeju skupaj z dr. that had come to be the main cornerstone of his artistic
Stanetom Bernikom pripravljali njegovo prvo message. “In my paintings of Karst, at times the light
retrospektivno razstavo. Telefonskega klica is revealed in lighting, and at times in colours. This
njegovih domačih tistega predbožičnega večera might be hope of a kind, some optimism, and most
ne bom nikdar pozabila: moje prvo srečanje s certainly a contrast to the weight inside the people
smrtjo človeka, ki sem ga neizmerno spoštovala of Karst. The light is almost symbolic, in this sense. It
in občudovala, me je opomnilo na minljivost. Na symbolizes the heartiness of people in this region.”
tanko mejo med življenjem in smrtjo. Otvoritev Two of the painter’s elements, encouraging the dramatic
razstave nekaj mesecev kasneje in vsa vodstva po line of compositions, which are particularly expressive in
njej so zarezala globoko v mojo dušo. Še danes this period, are therefore light, spreading from the behind
me prevevajo občutja, ki so nas prevzemala, ko to the underlined centre of light, and colour, with the
so stene soban kromberškega gradu tako suges- refined dialogue between warm and cool tones.
tivno in dotikajoče izžarevale njegovo veličino –
človeka in umetnika. Works from this second creative phase, which lasted
from the end of 1960s to the painter’s death, emanate a
Njegova dela je stroka zajela v tisti tok abstrakt- number of recognisable features in terms of his composi-
nega slikarstva, ki ga je poimenovala kot abstraktni tion, his stroke which is uncontrolled, suggestive and
iluzionizem, vendar kaže naglasiti, da je bil Silvester impetuous, flat or vortical, his recognisable colour pal-
Komel samohodec, ki je v domačem okolju iskal nekaj ette, and his premeditated proportion between the form
več, nekaj globljega, izvirnega in avtorsko prepo- and space, reflecting the lightness of the atmosphere
znavnega, ne glede na opredelitve, smeri, skupine and soundness of the supporting prisms. They emanate a
in pripadnosti. Ni iskal ne arhaične prvinskosti ne deviation from the material to the spiritual, which opened
prasimbolov, ni se ukvarjal ne s stilizacijami in ne s new dimensions to the painter: monochrome and formal
problematiko figure, ki je bila v takratnem sodobnem search in the abstract illusionism as well as a different
likovnem trenutku ponovno aktualna, pač pa je obo- perception of the modern chiaroscuro. They reveal the
gaten s spoznanji renesančnih in baročnih mojstrov painter’s inner maturity, those deepest levers that reach
beneškega prostora slikarske rešitve iskal v krajinski beyond the seen, experienced, possible and anticipated,
tematiki, ki jo je vse bolj dojemal z novimi pogledi: and that determine the line which sets the painter among
njegovi pejsaži so preraščali v spontane vizualizacije the best artists.
občutij. Rasli so v dinamično igro barvitih nanosov:
sprva v razponu od svetlorumenih do rjavih na eni Undoubtedly, Silvester Komel, a painter and a
strani ter od sončno žarečih preko oranžnih do inten- teacher, profoundly influenced numerous generations
zivno rdečih na drugi strani, v naslednjem obdobju od that watched, encouraged and followed him. His influ-
ence extends also to those who are just discovering
him nowadays, as his painting, based on the tradition

modre v številnih odtenkih do zelene in celo vijoliča- of landscape painting, is still interesting and topical
ste. Rasli so v poduhovljeno žareče snope svetlobe, ki today, having established an entirely personal version
so vse bolj gradili njegovo likovno sporočilo. »Svetloba of abstract illusionism and remained embedded in his
own interpretations and formulations of fine art expres-
je v mojih slikah Krasa, včasih v osvetlitvi, včasih v sion. His painting is universal, recognizable and deeply
communicative, which makes it an invaluable part of
barvah. To je morda neko upanje, nekakšen optimizem, this area and an exciting link between the past and the
present. It is part of the cultural treasury that enriches
vsekakor pa kontrast ob teži v Kraševcih. V tem smislu the Slovenian art, and even more the art of the Primorje
region and Gorica.
je svetloba skoraj simbolična. Simbolizira trdnost ljudi
v tej pokrajini.« Tako svetloba, ki se razširja iz ozadja
proti poudarjenemu svetlobnemu centru, kot barva,
v prefinjenem dialogu toplih in hladnih tonov, sta tista
slikarjeva elementa, ki spodbujata dramatično pou-
darjene kompozicije, ki so v tem obdobju še posebej
podoživete.

Dela iz tega drugega ustvarjalnega obdobja
od konca šestdesetih let do smrti izžarevajo vrsto
prepoznavnih značilnosti v kompoziciji, v nenad-
zorovanih, sugestibilnih in silovitih ploskovitih ali
vrtinčastih gestah v prepoznavni barvni lestvici in v
premišljenem razmerju med formo in prostorom, kjer
se zrcalita atmosferska lahkotnost in trdnost prizma-
tičnih pomagal. Izžarevajo odmik od materialnega k
duhovnemu, ki mu je odprl nove dimenzije: monokro-
mnost in formalna iskanja v abstraktnem iluzionizmu
in drugačno videnje sodobnega chiaroscura. Kažejo
notranjo zrelost, ki je zrcalila tudi tiste najgloblje
vzvode, ki segajo onkraj videnega, doživetega, mo-
žnega in slutenega ter določajo tisto mejo, ki slikarja
postavlja ob bok najboljšim.

Slikar Silvester Komel je s svojim pedagoškim
delom in slikarsko ustvarjalnostjo nedvomno zapu-
stil globok pečat pri številnih generacijah, ki so ga
spremljale, vzpodbujale in mu sledile. Tudi tistim, ki ga
šele sedaj odkrivajo, saj je njegovo slikarstvo, oprto
na izročilo krajinskega zapisa, še danes zanimivo
in aktualno, ker je tako nagovarjajoče vzpostavilo
povsem osebno različico abstraktnega iluzionizma in
ostalo vpeto v lastna interpretiranja in formuliranja
likovnega rokopisa. Njegovo slikarstvo je univerzal-
no, prepoznavno in globoko sporočilno, zato ostaja
neprecenljivi del tega prostora ter je vznemirljiva vez
med preteklim in sedanjim. Je del tiste kulturne za-
kladnice, ki bogati slovenski, še posebej pa primorski,

22 goriški likovni prostor.

Razstavljena dela | Exhibited works

23

Izbokline | Protuberances, 1961 Vegetacija na pohodu | Marching Greenery, 1962

olje in grund z mivko na panelu olje in grund z mivko na panelu
oil and sand prime on panel
24 oil and sand prime on panel 29,5 x 39 cm
30 x 15,5 cm

Ustvarjanje miljeja | Creating the Milieu, 1961

olje in grund z mivko na iverni plošči
oil and sand prime on chipboard
32,5 x 41 cm

Fragmenti Krasa | Fragments of Karst, 1962 25

olje in grund z mivko na vezani plošči
oil and sand prime on plywood
32 x 52 cm

O blak | Cloud, 1962 Svetlobe Krasa | Luminescence of Karst, 1962 Stena | Wall, 1962

olje in grund z mivko na lesonitu olje in grund z mivko na panelu olje in grund z mivko na vezani plošči
oil and sand prime on panel oil and sand prime on plywood
26 oil and sand prime on hardboard 28 x 38 cm 40 x 27 cm
41 x 29 cm

Sekvenca | Sequence, 1963

olje in grund z mivko na lesonitu 27
oil and sand prime on hardboard
27,5 x 39,5 cm

Fasade | Facades, 1963

olje na vezani plošči
oil on plywood
32 x 51 cm

Sivi kontrasti | Contrasts of Grey, 1963

olje na vezani plošči
oil on plywood
32 x 51,5 cm

28

Predmestje | Suburbs, 1964

olje na vezani plošči 29
oil on plywood
36 x 41 cm

Valovanje Istre | Undulating Istria, 1963

olje na platnu

30 oil on canvas
50 x 80 cm

Hiše | Houses, 1965 31

olje na platnu
oil on canvas

55 x 70 cm

Teksture | Textures, 1964

olje na vezani plošči
oil on plywood
25 x 35 cm

Prebujanje vegetacije | Greenery Awakening, 1966

olje na platnu

32 oil on canvas
60 x 80 cm

Cézannovsko vzdušje | Cézanne’s Ambience, 1966 33

olje na juti
oil on jute
76 x 110 cm

Svetlobe z Vipavske |
Luminescence of the Vipava Valley, 1966

olje na iverni plošči
oil on chipboard
31 x 70 cm

Silhuete | Silhouettes, 1966

olje na iverni plošči

34 oil on chipboard
47,5 x 97 cm

Urejeni odnosi | Harmonious Relations, 1967 35

olje na juti
olje na juti
75 x 110 cm

Trojna prisotnost | Triple Presence, 1966

olje in grund z mivko na vezani plošči

36 oil and sand prime on plywood
27 x 30 cm

Skrajni optimizem | Extreme Optimism, 1967 37

olje na platnu
oil on canvas

60 x 80 cm

Pejsaž | Landscape, 1968

akril in olje na platnu

38 acrylic and oil on canvas
100 x 120 cm

Spomin na Stendhala | Memory of Stendhal, 1968 39

olje na juti
oil on jute
90 x 130 cm

Barvne gmote | Bulks of Colour, 1969

olje na platnu

40 oil on canvas
100 x 100 cm

Počivajoča luč | Resting Light, 1969 41

akril in olje na platnu
acrylic and oil on canvas

100 x 100 cm

Beg iz horizonta | Escape from the Horizon, 1969

akril in olje na platnu

42 acrylic and oil on canvas
100 x 100 cm

Brez levo zgoraj | No Upper Left, 1969 43

olje na platnu
oil on canvas
100 x 100 cm

Srhljivo vzdušje | Eerie Atmosphere, 1969

akril in olje na platnu

44 acrylic and oil on canvas
100 x 100 cm

Prehodno stanje | Transience, 1969 45

olje na platnu
oil on canvas
100 x 100 cm

Ogrožena možnost | Jeopardised prospect, 1970

olje na platnu

46 oil on canvas
50 x 60 cm

Rumeno-črno | Yellow black, 1970 47

olje na platnu
oil on canvas

50 x 60 cm

V svetu pretirane svetlobe | In the World of Exaggerated Light, 1970

olje na platnu

48 oil on canvas
100 x 100 cm

Med diagonalami | Amidst Diagonals, 1971 49

akril in olje na platnu
acrylic and oil on canvas

145 x 145 cm

Kočljiva meja | Delicate Boundary, 1972

akril in olje na platnu

50 acrylic and oil on canvas
145 x 200 cm