Miroslav Tichý has died - 1926 to 2011

holmburgers · Apr 13, 2011

I just learned about this guy today, when I received an email from the Yahoo! PhotoHistory group. I find his method of working & his images fascinating and so will you perhaps. Apparently he died yesterday, but the only obituaries so far are in Czech.

Many here will undoubtedly not like his photographs or method, but I hope you'll agree that they're incredibly interesting and represent an entirely different idea of what photography is; especially when contrasted to our highly refined and "sophisticated" techniques that often result in work that lacks much true intrigue.

At any rate, a fascinating figure.

Here's some further reading...
http://tichyocean.com/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Miroslav_Tichý
(there was a url link here which no longer exists)
(there was a url link here which no longer exists)

Aristophanes · Apr 13, 2011

Found art indeed, the man and his work. He made his own analogue cameras and lenses. Indeed! Each aesthetic to his own.

CGW · Apr 13, 2011

More here, too:

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/12/arts/design/12photos.html?_r=1

bwrules · Apr 13, 2011

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pg9rTIGtENs

Jeff Kubach · Apr 14, 2011

Very different for sure. Seems like a very interesting person. RIP

Jeff

Ross Chambers · Apr 14, 2011

How did they tell?

darkosaric · Apr 14, 2011

Thanks for sharing holmburgers.

If you look at this:

Dead Link Removed

you will see that Tichy Ocean Foundation in Liechtenstein violates his copyright.

Let him rest in peace.

Diapositivo · Apr 14, 2011

darkosaric said:
you will see that Tichy Ocean Foundation in Liechtenstein violates his copyright.

The Tichy Ocean Foundation tells a different story:

http://www.tichyocean.com/ follow "Problems" top/right.

I think his pictures are bad enough to have some chance to become "art" with a couple articles on some newspapers.

Fabrizio

holmburgers · Apr 14, 2011

Wow, I didn't read the "Problems" section... very interesting.

A further element of intrigue... but agreed, he will rest in peace.

CGW · Apr 14, 2011

It's true "outsider art" where the artists' personae, circumstances, and limitations are as important as the quality of their work.

Shaggysk8 · Apr 14, 2011

I love his work! A true legend

holmburgers · Apr 14, 2011

CGW said:
It's true "outsider art" where the artists' personae, circumstances, and limitations are as important as the quality of their work.

That's so true.

These kinds of artists often resemble the prototypical "crazy hobo", or some other dismissive & derisive heuristic, but they are often brilliant minds that approach art from a completely different perspective than those who grew up concerned with "high art", or art informed by academic institutions.

An analogous figure in music is Harry Partch.

Ross Chambers · Apr 15, 2011

holmburgers said:
That's so true.

These kinds of artists often resemble the prototypical "crazy hobo", or some other dismissive & derisive heuristic, but they are often brilliant minds that approach art from a completely different perspective than those who grew up concerned with "high art", or art informed by academic institutions.

An analogous figure in music is Harry Partch.

Harry Partch built beautiful musical instruments, Tichy treated his gear like garbage (assuming the ones displayed at the Museum of Contemporary Art in Sydney were genuine--I can't see how anyone could expose a piece of film in them and I felt conned).

Harry Partch had deep and scientific knowledge of the physics of temperament in musci, Tichy hung around swimming pools making lousy pervy shots of young women.

Art, schmart!

holmburgers · Apr 15, 2011

*shot down*!

Ok, forget I said Harry Partch & insert 'Wesley Willis'.

Partch was however, a social outcast, misunderstood and I wouldn't call his music widely accepted, plus he lived a transient lifestyle, particularly during the great depression.

nhemann · Apr 15, 2011

I saw the show here in NY and my first reaction was a disgusted WTF? This is art? (I have since learned that any time I have this reaction I am probably going to be affected, in a good way, by it later) At 90 picures a day of just the women in town, I am still not completely convinced that he wasn't just a harmless stalker. However, the documentary that played with the show made a lot more sense of his musings on art - his pics look like he was just running around but he had very distinct thoughts in his head and the time of the filiming could tell you about them. His careless attitude with prints - watching him throw prints around or walk on them with an, "eh?" attitude has grown on me. The damage becomes just part of the prints life - like the scars that we all carry around. I can honestly say it affected the way I look at the pictures.

As a final thought, I think if any of his pictures were to show up here in the galleries they would recieve a lot of praise for their out there, arty qualities but because of his laissez faire attitude they aren't necessarily taken as seriously as they might be otherwise.

edp · Apr 15, 2011

I thought he was long dead.

I love the way he divides opinions between goatee-bearded chin strokers and everybody else.

nhemann · Apr 16, 2011

How is it that I always seem to be the last person to comment on a topic that I was interested in. lol.

Ross Chambers · Apr 16, 2011

holmburgers said:
*shot down*!

Ok, forget I said Harry Partch & insert 'Wesley Willis'.

Partch was however, a social outcast, misunderstood and I wouldn't call his music widely accepted, plus he lived a transient lifestyle, particularly during the great depression.

My apologies if I was severe, not intended to address yourself. I understand that Partch was gay as well at not the best time to be so. His work may not be widely accepted, but certainly resonates (so to speak) through 20th and 21st C composition. I guess that's the fate that lies in store for many pioneers, maybe, dare I say it through gritted teeth, Tichy.

removed account4 · Apr 16, 2011

loved his work .. and i am glad
he got some recognition for his
decades with a camera -

holmburgers · Apr 18, 2011

nhemann said:
How is it that I always seem to be the last person to comment on a topic that I was interested in. lol.

Don't worry, I feel the same way sometimes.

Ross Chambers · Apr 19, 2011

edp said:
I thought he was long dead.

I love the way he divides opinions between goatee-bearded chin strokers and everybody else.

I happen to have a full beard, sirrah, and seldom stroke it. Harrumph!

Poisson Du Jour · Apr 19, 2011

I wonder if he suffered the indignity of fleas in his goatie or whatever he had like I do. They must be coming from somewhere...

Miroslav Tichý has died - 1926 to 2011

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