Name of Artist: Josef Sudek
Dates of Artist’s Life: March 17th, 1896 - September 15, 1976.
Personal Background:
Sudek was born in a town named Kolin in the Kingdom of Bohemia, in the Hungarian Empire. He became, as a result of his father’s word, an apprentice to a bookbinder, and was introduced to photography during his apprenticeship. Later, however, his life soured as his father died, and he was sent to fight on the Italian front in the First World War. During his time in combat, he incurred a wound in his arm, and as a result had to have his right arm amputated. In the hospital, he began photographing patients and other subjects to document the devestation of the conflict. When he resumed normal life, he began photography as a career, partially to supplement his military pension.
Style:
Sudek’s photos contain a consistent sense of melancholy; They all convey a rather bleak tone. Not just because of the black and white color scheme, but in the way the subjects of his still life seem cold and unnatural. The arrangement contributes as well: they convey a sense of isolation. This sense is emphasized by the absence of people in the majority of his photographs.
Philosophy: (5 sentences. What were the major ideas behind this artist’s work? Where they personal, political, social, etc. What were they trying to “say” with their photographs?)
In his still life shots, Sudek tries to capture in them the object’s separation from the outside world. This aligns with his own relatively secluded and shy personality. However, Sudek captured more than just still life shots like these. He also dabbled in much documentary photography. During the renovation of a cathedral in Prague, he captured a juxtaposition between the workers’ tools and the detail of the cathedral. After the war, he photographed wounded soldiers in an attempt to document the damage caused.
Influences: (5 sentences. How has the photographer influenced you in your work?)
In my still life shots before, I usually tried to convey a sense of coziness and anticipation for rest one can find in objects. In Sudek’s work, however, I found the contrary feelings were also quite interesting. The sense of hopelessness and loneliness he includes in his photos give them an energy which I find to be very unique. They’re very simple and include not a high number of objects, but the ones used complement each other well. I’ve started, in some photos, to attempt to capture that same feeling.
Dates of Artist’s Life: March 17th, 1896 - September 15, 1976.
Personal Background:
Sudek was born in a town named Kolin in the Kingdom of Bohemia, in the Hungarian Empire. He became, as a result of his father’s word, an apprentice to a bookbinder, and was introduced to photography during his apprenticeship. Later, however, his life soured as his father died, and he was sent to fight on the Italian front in the First World War. During his time in combat, he incurred a wound in his arm, and as a result had to have his right arm amputated. In the hospital, he began photographing patients and other subjects to document the devestation of the conflict. When he resumed normal life, he began photography as a career, partially to supplement his military pension.
Style:
Sudek’s photos contain a consistent sense of melancholy; They all convey a rather bleak tone. Not just because of the black and white color scheme, but in the way the subjects of his still life seem cold and unnatural. The arrangement contributes as well: they convey a sense of isolation. This sense is emphasized by the absence of people in the majority of his photographs.
Philosophy: (5 sentences. What were the major ideas behind this artist’s work? Where they personal, political, social, etc. What were they trying to “say” with their photographs?)
In his still life shots, Sudek tries to capture in them the object’s separation from the outside world. This aligns with his own relatively secluded and shy personality. However, Sudek captured more than just still life shots like these. He also dabbled in much documentary photography. During the renovation of a cathedral in Prague, he captured a juxtaposition between the workers’ tools and the detail of the cathedral. After the war, he photographed wounded soldiers in an attempt to document the damage caused.
Influences: (5 sentences. How has the photographer influenced you in your work?)
In my still life shots before, I usually tried to convey a sense of coziness and anticipation for rest one can find in objects. In Sudek’s work, however, I found the contrary feelings were also quite interesting. The sense of hopelessness and loneliness he includes in his photos give them an energy which I find to be very unique. They’re very simple and include not a high number of objects, but the ones used complement each other well. I’ve started, in some photos, to attempt to capture that same feeling.
MeLone
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SudekGlass With Flower
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Lost in the Forest
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In the Garden
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Compare and contrast: In the first image, I think I managed to approach the idea of the image, but I was unable to locate some other key aspects of the image, like the pristine background and the ominous overhead lighting, which contrasts well with the flower in the glass. In the second one, I was unable to recreate the same effect that Sudek had on his window, which is unfortunate, as it contributes a lot to the scene. However, I think I got the general idea of the objects behind the window correct, as they’re natural objects separated from where they belong. I was happy with how my third one looked, depicting forgotten objects. However, the ground made discerning an object somewhat difficult, and since we’d recently thrown out most of our old furniture, I was unable to find a chair which looked as forlorn as the one in Sudek’s images. In general, however, I thought I got the "energy" of the photo right.
Personal Artist Statement:
I was really happy with how my images came out. I liked how I took the "energy" of Sudek's photos and figured out a way to recreate them with the objects I had available to me, along with a good sense of balance. It was fun to get away from my objects trying to feel cozy and reassuring, instead making them portray a sense of darkness and isolation. The lighting on the days I took these photos was great for this purpose as well, since it was grey and overcast, which somewhat softened the shadows, which made the lighting and contrast much closer to how I needed it.
Resources:
Image Sources:
“The Last Rose” - http://www.jeudepaume.org/?page=article&idArt=2503
“Glass With Flower” - https://collections.artsmia.org/art/115381/glass-with-flower-josef-sudek
“In the Garden” - http://www.jeudepaume.org/?page=article&idArt=2503
Other:
Personal Artist Statement:
I was really happy with how my images came out. I liked how I took the "energy" of Sudek's photos and figured out a way to recreate them with the objects I had available to me, along with a good sense of balance. It was fun to get away from my objects trying to feel cozy and reassuring, instead making them portray a sense of darkness and isolation. The lighting on the days I took these photos was great for this purpose as well, since it was grey and overcast, which somewhat softened the shadows, which made the lighting and contrast much closer to how I needed it.
Resources:
Image Sources:
“The Last Rose” - http://www.jeudepaume.org/?page=article&idArt=2503
“Glass With Flower” - https://collections.artsmia.org/art/115381/glass-with-flower-josef-sudek
“In the Garden” - http://www.jeudepaume.org/?page=article&idArt=2503
Other: