How the Idea for the Sculpture and the First "Optimist Johnny" Was Born in 2022
"The figure was created quite by chance. Originally, the sculpture was intended to depict a walking man inspired by the masterful work of Alberto Giacometti. However, the figure appeared too melancholic to the artist, Zdeněk Legner — with its head bowed, it lacked inner energy, and he was simply not satisfied with it.
But when he walked around the table and looked at the sculpture from behind, he noticed something remarkable: from this angle, the piece appeared completely different. A joyful, light-footed young man, enjoying the world. And in that moment, Johnny was born. As a symbol of today's modern era, Johnny carries his own "QR code" on his back."
In 2026, the larger-than-life sculpture Optimist Johnny, standing 192 cm tall, was created for the exhibition ELEGANCE. Its presentation at the ELEGANCE exhibition at the New Town Hall in Prague became an important part of its exhibition history and the story of the artwork.
Additional information
| Artist: | Legner Zdeněk |
| category: | sculptures |
| price (EUR): | 8.000-17.400 |
| material: | metal |
| height (cm): | 150-200 |