BIOGRAPHY

Jaroslav Bocker was born on February 19th, in 1940 in Křimice by Plzeň. Between years of 1962 and 1965, he studied at College of Fine Arts and Handcraft in Prague under Prof. J. Malejovský and Prof. J. Kavan. After four years of study, he interrupted his studies at CFAH and changed for the Academy of Creative Art to a studio that was headed by Prof. K. Hladík and later by Prof. K. Lidický. After completing his studies at ACA in 1968 he left for a half-year study journey over Western Europe and Great Britain. The studies and new experience in large museums and galleries in many European cities had a decisive significance for his creation of new paintings in the years to come.

Particularly, Bocker is known as an author of monumental and figural statues, where he continues in the neo-classicism tendency of the 20th century. He has devoted his activity towards the traditional sculpture in contrast to modelled plastic art, recently. Aside from carving Bocker also applies himself to painting. He has created several art prints, figural statues, portraits and decorative sculptures to be situated both outdoor and indoor. During the years of his creative activity he exhibited the majority of his work at individual and collective exhibitions in various galleries. In 1977, Bocker became a member of Union of Visual Artists of Czechoslovakia. Hence he created several monumental figural sculptures in stone and bronze towards architecture e.g. the bust of W.C. Röntgen for Teaching Hospital in Plzeň, pious statue called "Nature" in the City of Aš etc.

In 1989, Bocker was admitted to the Department of Creative Culture at West-Bohemian University in Plzeň as an academic teacher in the field of modelling and sculptural creation. Bocker has been cooperating with architects on creative works of art in architecture e.g. in 1995 he created three larger-than-life allegorical statues in bronze for the Czech National Bank in Plzeň, Bocker further reconstructed a group of four 2,5 metre high statues in bronze for T.G.M. monument that is situated on the Square of Thomas Garrique Masaryk in Plzeň (T.G.M. was the first Czechoslovak President). These four statues were destroyed under communist régime.

During years, some statues of his free creative activity were bought by several galleries e.g. West-Bohemian gallery, Klenová gallery, Art gallery in Carlsbad and Art gallery in Cheb.