Topic: Miroslav Tichý

[Susan B.]

Agent Orange posted a picture of a homemade camera in this thread by Tichy:
http://filmwasters.com/forum/index.php?topic=191.0

After I started making my own cameras, someone in Europe compared me to Tichy and sent me a link.
(not the style, just the fact that we both use homemade cameras)
I recently found out from a collector friend that Tichy is highly respected in the fine art world.
What's remarkable, is that his negs have bugs, dirt and whatnot on them due to the fact that he was practically homeless. As do the prints.
I left a link on the end to see his work. Whether you like the work or not--his story is quite a testiment to his dedication to the art.

Miroslav Tichý

The exhibition of work by Miroslav Tichý, currently on show at the Kunsthaus Zürich until 18 Sept, 2005, is one of the most curious and perhaps controversial photographic events. Tichý was born in 1926 in what is now the Czech Republic and studied at the Academy of Art in Prague. Following the communist takeover he spent 8 years in prison camps and jails.

In the 1970s and 80s, Tichý wandered his town in rags, pursuing his obsession as an artist with the female form by photography with cameras home-made from tin cans, spectacle lenses and other junk, returning home to make prints on equally primitive equipment. He stole intimate glimpses of his subjects through windows and the fences of swimming pools as well as in the streets, often getting into trouble with the police. From hundreds of images he selected just a few details to enlarge, often drawing intricately on them or reworking them in other ways, before placing them in individually designed card mounts. The work, which might have been simply intrusive voyeurism, takes on a melancholic and poetic quality. As well as around 20 images, you can also see one of his home-made cameras on the web site.

Tichý's pictures were only known to a few until this year, as he previously refused to show or sell it. It was first shown publicly in Spain last year and won this years 'Discovery Award' at Arles. There are also some pictures on the site of New York's Nolan/Eckman Gallery site. You can also read about a recent show at Arndt & Partner in Berlin.

More info and pictures here:
http://photography.about.com/gi/dynamic/offsite.htm?site=http://www.kunsthaus.ch/ausstellungen/2005/tichy/en/index.htm

[moominsean]

I love his work. That's one thing I miss about the darkroom as opposed to just scanning the negs... the ability to manipulate and trash your work to great effect. That doesn't carry over well onto a computer screen... film to digital definitely lacks some personality at times. And his work is loaded with personality.
sean

[Ed Wenn]

Yep, it's an interesting tale all right. It's been a good week for photographic weirdos on Filmwasters, first the tintype guy and now Tichý.

[Ron]

Absolutely fascinating!  Honestly, thanks for sharing this!  Intriguing story and imagery.

[outofcontxt]

Really amazing story. Thanks for sharing it with all of us, Susan. 

[Francois]

Yep, it's an interesting tale all right. It's been a good week for photographic weirdos on Filmwasters, first the tintype guy and now Tichý.

Some call them weirdos, others call them eccentric.
But fact of the matter is, without personalities like those, the art world could be somewhat boring.
(though I don't know if I could stand them over a 5 course dinner )

I think that what is so cool about them is that they make images on their own terms. They don't care about digital this or that. They don't feel the need to be "in" and couldn't be bothered by megapixel talk. They somehow represent what we would like to be a little more (without going to the extremes like they do). They are artistically independent in every sense of the word. They are quite inspiring in some way even though I wouldn't give up the comfort of my beloved Nikon F-601 for anything in the world.


Thanks Susan for the inspiring notes...

[Janet_P]

Fascinating. I find the images themselves quite disturbing, possibly because of  its voyeuristic standpoint which is reinforced by the degradation of the image. There's no denying, though, that it's as much about the process. Tichy's creation of and control over his image making changes the way I look at the photos. This, coupled with his history, makes it, as Sean said, loaded with personality.
Thanks for sharing the link Susan, it's given me loads to think about.

Janet

[JOhn Reeves]

the Miroslav Tichy book will be released this month in the States at photoeye, amazon, DAP, etc.

[Susan B.]

the Miroslav Tichy book will be released this month in the States at photoeye, amazon, DAP, etc.

Excellent to know. Thank you John.