Towering Clouds in Motion – by Gerold Tusch
Since 2018, in addition to the award itself, Wolfgang Schüssel Award winners have also received a very special sculpture. In his studio in Salzburg, the Austrian ceramics artist Gerold Tusch has created a limited and absolutely unique edition of towering clouds in motion, inspired by baroque cloud ornamentation. Removed from their historical-ecclesiastical context, each becomes a work of art in its own right. Like precious gems or miniature geotope formations, the playfully complex decorative shapes remind the beholder of treasures from a curiosity shop.
A small ceramic sculpture and a major challenge
The creation of these diminutive works of art posed a challenge for Gerold Tusch as an artist, whose ceramic works, some in excess of two metres high, have earned him fame beyond the Austrian borders. “I began with small-scale ceramic works of art and, over time, the items got larger and larger. After a long period, my work finally took me back to my origins. Nevertheless, the suspense within in a shape has to be imbued however small or large – though sometimes the finer details of smaller-scale sculptures can be trickier”, he explains.
The glorification of clouds
Since 1994, the Carinthian-born artist has had a studio in Salzburg, and cloud motifs are a frequent feature of his work. “Clouds can be feather-light or of stately magnificence. That was a characteristic of the baroque period. The cloud motif was chosen to dance around the sculpture and enhance the image of the award winner”, explains Tusch, who also custom-built the bases of each of these works, “and I chose a very feisty base design for Cecilia Bartoli.”
Oversize works of art
Gerold Tusch’s ceramic art never fails to turn heads. The central staircase at Belvedere Palace in Vienna, Austria is adorned by three splendid oversize vases. In Salzburg, the mighty portal leading from the long gallery into St. Peter’s Museum in the Domquartier area of the city is also embellished by two enormous vases – financed by the ISA.