Description
Racer, Petra Hřebačková, 2016
The work Racer from 2016 belongs to those objects that are capable of creating a sense of movement at first glance. Its silhouette evokes a racing machine or futuristic three-wheeler – the elongated body, prominently positioned wheels and strong directional thrust of the entire composition create the impression that the object is just about to surge forward. Although made of glass and standing firmly in space, it appears to contain the energy of acceleration. This is where its strength lies.
Petra Hřebačková does not treat the motif of a vehicle literally. Racer is neither a model of a machine nor a realistic depiction of a vehicle. The artist takes the fundamental characteristics of speed, direction and construction and translates them into her own artistic language. The result is a work that balances playfulness, geometry and a distinctly glass-based exploration of light. The character of Racer is already defined by its construction.
Unlike the four-wheeled Cirkus, here Petra works with the configuration of a three-wheeler, which gives the entire composition a different kind of dynamism. Two larger wheels at the rear and a single front wheel establish a clear direction while creating a particular tension in the distribution of mass. The object is optically “stretched” forward, and its wedge-shaped front section further enhances this impression.
The wheels do not serve merely a structural role. They are an important optical element. Each is treated differently, while the coloured concentric circles within them intensify the impression of rotation. The eye tends to perceive their circular structure as moving, even though the object itself remains completely still.
By contrast, the body of the three-wheeler is divided into pronounced bands and planes that guide the eye from the rear towards the front. The entire composition thus functions as a precisely constructed image of energy and direction.
Racer is based on a carefully considered combination of opal glass and green, red and blue glass in various shades. The opal glass creates lighter, optically calmer areas that also help shape the basic mass of the object. It acts as a counterbalance to the more transparent blue and green sections, which bring depth and chromatic variability to the work. The red accents function as rhythmic interventions that animate the composition and emphasise its direction.
Colour is not a decoration applied to the surface. It is part of the very construction of the work. The individual coloured planes contribute to the way we read the volume, direction and internal tension of the object. The more transparent sections respond to light with greater variability, while the opal glass softens and diffuses it. The result is a visually rich whole that changes according to the viewing angle and the intensity of the light.
Behind the immediacy of the finished work lies highly precise and technically demanding craftsmanship. An object of this kind requires careful planning of the individual components, their colour relationships and their spatial assembly. Thermal processing is followed by controlled cooling, which is essential in glass because of the internal stress within the material. Grinding and mechanical finishing then define the final form of the edges, surfaces and openings.
The ground and polished surfaces are especially important in Racer. They determine how light enters the glass, how it reflects from the individual edges and how the colour transitions between the opal and transparent sections behave. Final polishing then opens the object optically and allows its chromatic and spatial complexity to come fully to the fore.
With dimensions of 17 × 45 × 22 cm, Racer is a distinctly horizontal object that works particularly well on a longer console, wider chest of drawers or independent plinth. It benefits from sufficient free space around it so that its elongated silhouette and the relationship between the individual wheels and the body of the object can fully stand out.
Light is especially important. Side or slightly angled illumination emphasises the layering of colour, the transparency of the blue and green sections and the softer luminous effect of the opal glass. The work is well suited to a contemporary interior, study, representative space or collection, where it can function as an energetic and visually memorable accent.
Racer is compelling because of the way it combines a recognisable motif with an abstracted form. It contains enough specificity to immediately evoke movement and machinery, yet enough artistic stylisation to avoid becoming descriptive. For collectors of contemporary Czech glass, its strong identity is also particularly attractive. This is not a neutral object that quietly disappears into a room. On the contrary, it creates its own visual centre and offers a combination of technical discipline, chromatic energy and playful imagination.
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