Permanent Exhibition

František Drtikol was the first Czech photographer who became well know all over the world during his lifetime. His work has been presented in many exhibitions and publications, but there has not been a permanent exhibition of his pictures yet. Příbram, Drtikol‘s birthplace, and the museum of applied arts in Prague have prepared an assortment of his photographs from the period of 1901 to 1935, in the form of facsimiles.

It recalls the period of fin-de-siecle pictorialism when he studied in Munich, opened his first studio in Příbram and started to work in Prague. The photographs from the 1920s are in the art deco style and they are influenced by avant-garde. The last part of the exhibition consists of that of Drtikol‘s work which is connected with his interest in Eastern philosophies.

Visitors to the exhibition can see famous psychological portraits, excellent nudes, lots of landscapes and other photographic genres. They can imagine the extent and the depth of Drtikol‘s artistic bequest.

THE ART OF PHOTOGRAPHY

”In my work I rely on the assertion from the Book of Genesis that God created man in his own image. It‘s clear that he didn‘t create him clothed, for man is born naked. This is why I look on nakedness as the work of God, as beauty itself, as the most moral, obvious thing. I contend that mankind would be more natural, sincere and beautiful if it went around naked more often. With nakedness, social distinctions disappear and the naked beauty of man remains. In my work I am inspired by three things: decorativeness, motion and the stillness and expression of individual lines. I then use the background and props - simple objects such as circles, wavy lines and columns - accordingly.
I let the beauty of the line itself make an impact, without embellishment, by suppressing everything that is secon- dary. Or I illustrate a motion and intensify it with light and perhaps a suggestion of a simple wavy line, circle, sur- face or just a shadow cast onto a backdrop. Or else I use the body as a decorative object, positioning it in various settings and lights. This is how I create all my pictures.”          

IS THE PHOTOGRAPHER AN ARTIST?

He is if he develops into one through his work and life. A certificate of apprenticeship is just a kind of guarantee that he has reached a certain level of craftsmanship, which is a requirement for artistic activity. The photographer and film director are blood brothers; they have the same scope of artistic activity. The photographer is a composer of light. He looks for melodies to please the soul and give expression to our feelings. A good photograph was never made by simply getting a good model to step in front of the camera.
The picture must be ready in the photographer‘s mind a long time before it is reflected in the viewfinder. (Although it‘s true that an idea sometimes comes to rapid fruition under the impact of reality). In comparison with the paintbrush or engraving tool - the slow instruments of artists - the camera lens conforms much more closely to the creative idea. Working unbelievably quickly, it preserves far more of the scent and charm of the creative moment.
The photographer adjusts, approves and rejects – in his mind. For the mature idea, he waits - now with more, then less, passivity - for a suitable moment and eventually the idea becomes an instant work.
When I compare an artist‘s sketch with the finished work, the sketch often conveys much more to me, giving me greater artistic pleasure. An artist is employed for a sketch but a patient craftsman must be there to execute it; no artist can get by without craftsmanship. Our craft has provided our art with an ideal instrument. Every artist should be familiar with all the techniques in order to articulate his artistic ideas as comprehensively as possible. Especially in photography. Of course, some photographs are pure craft, but these do not come from the heart or the mind and are not made by artists - they are executed by the lens and nothing but the lens.
František Drtikol

František Drtikol Gallery