The 1980's and first half of the 1990's have seen a veritable flood of automotive artists pouring over the collector car scene from every corner of the globe. The common factors shared by these artists range from a deep appreciation for the history of the automobile to a desire to share this passion with the rest of the world. For one such artist, hounded by politics and stifled by bureaucrats for his work, automotive art was a love, a practice that would not only keep his passion for automobiles alive, but also aid in his exodus from a life behind the Iron Curtain. Such an artist is Vaclav Zapadlik of the Czech Republic.
Zapadlik was born in 1943 behind the foreboding Iron Curtain, where his growing interest in American-made cars was unfortunately viewed as a threat to the Communist way of life. Self-taught and self-disciplined, many of this outstanding artist's early works were burned by enraged authorities for inclusion of an American flag waving in the background, or other such heinous crimes against the State. He found work early in his career as an automotive draftsman, but while his works were technically brilliant (he has been dubbed "The King of Automotive Draftsmanship: in Eastern Europe), they were stagnant poses as cold and lifeless as the political climate in which they were created.
In 1990, the artist packed up a series of paintings and traveled on his own from Prague to Paris for an event he had envisioned attending for years, Retromobile, the internationally attended classic car show in Paris, France. For this gentle man with the humble good nature wanted to know if others would enjoy his work as much as he did. It was here that Zapadlik would meet two men. Don Williams, internationally known as one of the world's leading procurers of priceless automobiles, and Lorin Tryon, arguably best known as the staple of the prestigious Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance. The two men met with the smiling, bespectacled artist with the dark mustache and were immediately impressed with the artwork he had displayed.
"Vaclav brings a passion to every aspect of his work," says Williams. "When I first saw his work, I knew how fabulous it was. Over the past years he has become a friend as well, and I feel that he deserves to be recognized for his talent. I a very glad to be able to introduce Vaclav's work to the automotive world."
Most of Zapadlik's works are of scenes from the Golden Age of motorsports and show images of intense interest or action that capture more detail than larger works by other artists. The racing scenes are Zapadlik's own visions of actual historical events which are nothing less than slices carved from the collective mind of racers and enthusiasts. While he never experienced living in the moment he was painting, he conveys with every brush stroke a sense of accuracy. There is an astounding attention to intimate detail, such as different tire tread on the front wheel of a speeding Mercedes. His racing scenes are amalgams of racing memories, made up moments from actual, although unwitnessed events.
Compared already to the likes of such fine automotive artists as Peter Helck, Zapadlik is definitely a unique presence in the art world. His canvases at once have a warm, nostalgic feel not unlike Rockwell, that is presented in a style full of drama and life, as if famed black and white photographer Klemantaski's vivid racing shots had been captured by color and canvas rather than shutter and film.
