Sudek And Sculpture

From his panoramic views of Pragueto his enigmatic still lifes and reflections in the misty window of his studio, photographer Josef Sudek captured the unique spirit of the Czech capital between the 1920s and 1970s. Already in his lifetime, Sudek enjoyed a worldwide reputation?and yet a substantial part of his practice, dedicated to photographing works of art, has remained largely unknown until now.00This book shines a light on Sudek?s most beloved topic?sculpture?which acted as a bridge between his fine art photography and his commercial work. Sumptuous full-page reproductions of Sudek?s black-and-white photographs illustrate a series of thematic essays, focusing on the scope and legacy of his work; while cameos of the key people and institutions supporting his career reveal Sudek?s rich connection to the artistic circles and tendencies of his day. Together, they uncover the shifting tension between the ability of photographs to bring art closer to the people and their potential as works of art in their own right, raising important questions for the history of photography.00?Sculpture is a living thing and must be photographed as if alive.?0Josef Sudek (1957).

Rückseite Titelblatt: Published in conjunction with the exhibition "The Intimate World of Josef Sudek", organized by the Canadian Photography Institute of the National Gallery of Canada and held at the Jeu de Paume, Paris, June 7-September 25, 2016 and at the National Gallery of Canada, October 28, 2016-March 19, 2017. -.

Josef Sudek, the 'Poet of Prague', had a legendary career spanning almost six decades. His craftsmanship and technical virtuosity were unparalleled among his contemporaries. Faced with the legacy of cubism, surrealism and the Czech avantgarde, Sudek sought his own approach, characterized by a striking mastery of light.

"Still Lifes is the third volume in Josef Sudek: Works, a new series published by Torst, Prague, This volume includes 68 carefully selected photos by the great Czech photographer Josef Smick (1896-1976), superbly printed to show the range of colors resulting from toning. It also includes a chronological biography by Anna Famva (b. 1928), a leading Czech photography historian and close friend of Sudek's, and an introductory essay by Jan Marius Tomes (b. 1913) a leading Czech art historian and also a friend of Sudek's." --Book Jacket.

Josef Sudek is counted among the greatest personalities in photography this century. He was born in 1896 in Bohemia, and was severely wounded in the First World War, losing his right arm. In the early Twenties he founded, together with other photographers, the Czech Photographic Society. He made a name for himself with photographs of the reconstruction of Prague Cathedral as the official photographer of the City of Prague. He is known today for his mastery of still life and nature photographs. His lyrical, realistic photographs, often with a background of filtered daylight, direct sunlight or grey skies, are melancholy, elegiac and sad. His poetic vision takes the viewer into the world of Franz Kafka and Jaroslav Seifert.

"Exhibition dates: The Phillips Collection, Oct. 10, 2009-Jan. 10, 2010; University of New Mexico Art Museum, Feb. 6-May 30, 2010; University of Virginia Museum of Art, Aug. 7-Oct. 10, 2010; University of British Columbia, Museum of Anthropology Oct. 29, 2010-Jan. 23, 2011." --T.p. verso.

This catalogue accompanies the Fall 2005 exhibition that celebrates the flowering of art in medieval Prague, when the city became not only an imperial but also an intellectual and artistic capital of Europe. Scholars trace the distinctly Bohemian art that developed during the reigns of Holy Roman Emperor Charles IV and his sons; the artistic achievements of master craftsmen; and the rebuilding of Prague Castle and of Saint Vitus' Cathedral. -- Metropolitan Museum of Art website.

Janfamily is a group of young artists who share a unique approach to life. They explore the things that surround them, and together they create alternatives to everyday routines. Janfamily: Suggestions for Take Overs, their first book, is a manifesto of their philosophy: it is a how-to book, a list of proposals on how to relate to our own environment. By offering solutions to problems such as How to soften a challenge and How not to do what you did yesterday, we are invited to revisit the simple things in life that are often ignored or unnoticed. Janfamily: Suggestion for Take Overs is a humorous yet touching presentation of an innovative way of looking at the world.

Prague is the magic capital of Europe. Since the days of Emperor Rudolf II, 'devotee of the stars and cultivator of the spagyric art', who in the late 1500s summoned alchemists and magicians from all over the world to his castle on Hradcany hill, it has been a place of mystery and intrigue. Wars, revolutions, floods, the imposition of Soviet communism, or even the depredations of the tourist boom after the 'Velvet Revolution' of 1989, could not destroy the unique atmosphere of this beautiful, proud and melancholy city on the Vltava. John Banville traces Prague's often tragic history and portrays the people who made it, the emperors and princes, geniuses and charlatans, heroes and scoundrels, and paints a portrait of the Prague of today, revelling in its newfound freedoms, eager to join the European Community and at the same time suspicious of what many Praguers see as yet another totalitarian takeover. He writes of his first visit to the city, in the depths of the Cold War, when he engaged in a spot of art smuggling, and of subsequent trips there, of the people he met, the friends he made, the places he came to know.