Courtesy of Foundation Tichy Ocean
The first North American museum exhibition of the photography of Miroslav Tichý will be held at the International Center of Photography (ICP) in NYC beginning January 29 and running through May 9.
Courtesy of Foundation Tichy Ocean
Tichý is a Czech photographer and artist with a fascinating history. Born in 1926, Tichý is often described as mysterious and eccentric and is known as much for his cameras as for his distorted photography.
Courtesy of Foundation Tichy Ocean
Tichý studied painting at the Academy of Fine Arts in Prague but left the Academy following the adoption of communism in Czechoslovakia in 1948. After that, he led a reclusive and nonconformist lifestyle.
In the years between the 1960s and the 1980s, Tichý took thousands of photographs, primarily of women. Many of his photographs were taken without his subject's knowledge. Tichý images were often distorted, blurred, ripped, and scratched. Furthermore, he often hand altered the surface of his photographs with pen or pencil.
His style was quite unique but what has fascinated me the most about his story is the fact that his cameras were all hand constructed....
Courtesy of Foundation Tichy Ocean
...out of found objects such as tin cans, shoe boxes, toilet paper rolls, clothing elastic, and cigarette boxes! His lenses were Plexiglas and polished with toothpaste, ashes, sandpaper, and the like.
Courtesy of Foundation Tichy Ocean
Courtesy of Foundation Tichy Ocean
Courtesy of Foundation Tichy Ocean
The ICP exhibit will not only feature Tichý's photographs, but will also include several of his cameras as well. Definitely a must see for me!
Courtesy of Foundation Tichy Ocean
For examples of his work and more information, please visit Tichy Ocean.
40 comments:
The ICP will be on the must visit list this winter. Very intriguing.
This is such an interesting bit of history. Thank you so much for sharing.
Are you going to take photographs of the photographs or the cameras? I've made a pinhole camera, but this is a little different. My first thought was Steampunk.
wow! what a cool story. thanks for turning me on to this interesting artist!
where in the world do you find this stuff????
you are amazing!
and sorry, I won't be playing along...
OMG-- what a fabulous story-- that camera is amazing- would love to get my hands on it just to feel all the textures--I like the idea that he scratched and tore and roughed up his photos too.
facinating...cameras are works of art themselves aren't they?
wow, Seth, thank you so much for the introduction to this amazing artist :)
Absolutely fascinating! Thanks for the knowledge :)
That is amazing!
Fascinating cameras and photographs...what an extraordinary artist. Thanks for sharing!
GGGGahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh.............................................
sigh.
I have a book around here with another artist who also constructs working cameras a la Michael deMeng..will email you the name when I find it.
I need to move to NY. Stat. Well...maybe not STAT..but a nice summer home may be what the doctor ordered.
Very cool and steam punk-ish, in a way.
Thanks for the info! Cheers!
This man, his cameras and his art looks so amazing... I am enthralled... I inherited som Czech perfume bottles so have learned a little of the Czech history... fascinating stuff. Thanks for sharing this Seth! Roxanne
Thanks, This is so very interesting. The camera's. I am going to do research on this.
Katelen
wow-hadn't heard of him before, but he sounds very interesting-esp the cameras he made.
I did a web search for Miroslav Tichý and his web site. I was struck by how haunting his photographs were. I can understand, after reading about his cameras, how the images with their soft, almost out of focus images, were achieved. Thank you for sharing such a great experience in Tichý, his web site, and your blog post.
THis is sooooo intriguing... those camera's! OH WOW! It's marvelous he made them that way, and it is even more spectacular that he could actually take photo's with those!!! Yes, definitely a "must see" - but I live too far away :(
Oh, please enjoy this on my behalf too! I think this man is my new photography hero...thanks for introducing me to his work and cameras! facinating!
How cool. Thanks for sharing.
The road less traveled. How utterly fascinating. Thanks very much Seth. I love that bottle cap on the top of the camera. Makes me look at toilet paper rolls in a new light....I can see an art challenge here - everyone make a working camera from found objects.
wow. amazing. thanks seth!
astounding...
Wow that is amazing! Thanks for sharing him with us!
I made my blackberry out of a wheaties box. The real one workds better.
This sounds like it will be worth a trip to the upper east side....went to MOMA today - everyone was in the Burton exhibit. Monet's waterlillies room was empty.
Regards - cold enough for ya?
This is really fascinating. To make an artist's tool out of reclaimed materials! I'm off to check the link.
hi@@ i sent this on to two of my good friends, extraordinary photographers and teachers!! just to blow their minds and feel all smart about myself (grin)...thanks.
Oh wow Seth! Thanks for another reason to visit NYC very soon. I'm definitely in for this.
Fascinating! I'm intrigued with this man's makeshift cameras. Just goes to show that you don't need an expensive piece of equipment to follow your passion.
Wow -- very cool -- thanks for sharing this, Seth! I just ordered one of his books.....
Extraordinary! I can't believe that camera!
These cameras are fascinating...
My dad was born in that year...so much life...Very intruiging story...I bet you wouldn't mind holding one of these in you hands for a while.
Orly
What an interesting character! I can't believe the camera...It seems as absurd as me saying 'I have an empty roll of toilet paper, an empty can of sardines, a piece of sea glass and three elastic bands...I think I'll make a camera!'OMG.
Wow... This just blows me away!!! amazing.. This man is a true original.. his shirt looks as if it has been mended on the mending and on again, on the mending.. I find this worthy...
Fascinating! Sigh. Wish I could be there.... Another friend told me about the paper show Slash at the Museum of Arts & Design - check it out! http://collections.madmuseum.org/html/exhibitions/485.html
These photographs are absolutely stunning, and what a face he has! So full of character. I've never heard of this photographer, but his story is so interesting and his photography is so intimate and voyeuristic, almost a peeping-tom if you will. Thank you so much for sharing!
Holy Mackerel! Thank you for widening my horizon, especially this time of year.
Candace in Athens.
Oh yes, isn't he wonderfull?!!! Makes me want to make my own camerea.
Seasons greetings from Denmark, Seth and a Happy New Year! Maj
Seth, this is so fascinating...and I agree the cameras are amazing. Like some found relics buried for centuries. The photos were haunting as well. Once again, you live in one amazingly cool city. Post more once you've got to see the exhibit. xo Fran
Thank you so much for this amazing post! The Dickensian nature of his clothes, the mud-caked hand built cameras, the wonderful images...it's a stand out moment in my day.
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