Vintage gelatin silver print from 1982, mounted on cardboard
Veselkeho-Kyjov, Czech Republic, 1982
Miroslav Tichý (1926-2011) – Czech photographer and painter
Titled ‘DAR OD BÁSNÍKA, 82’ (‘A Gift from the Poet, 82’) in pencil on a label
Unique work
Dimensions: 20 x 28.7 cm
Very good condition
A voyeuristic snapshot, typical of the artist’s oeuvre; photographic works by the art brut artist fetch up to €9,000

The present work by Miroslav Tichý titled ‘Dar od Básníka, 82’ (‘A Gift from the Poet, 82’) is a typical work of the artist. The handmade print depicts two young girls bathing, one cheerfully laughing at the camera. The black and white photograph is trimmed and mounted on the inside of an old book cover, with a frame drawn around in ballpoint pen.

For over four decades Tichý wandered the streets of his hometown with his self-made camera. The photographer’s main motif was always the female figure. With an obsessive voyeurism he took shots of women of all ages and physique. Thus his often over- or under-exposed, blurry or oddly trimmed images are primarily intimate snapshots as a tribute to femininity, which only sometimes appear subtly sensual. The traces of age and wear of his photographs and the cardboards were intended by the artist as part of the creative process. Tichý was continuously looking for imperfection, which he not only sought in his subject matter, but also appreciated as a technique.



The work is inscribed ‘FOTOGRAF TICHÝ’, titled and dated ‘Dar od Básníka, 82’ (‘A Gift from the Poet, 82’) as well as annotated ‘VESELKEHO-KYJOV’ in pencil on a label on the verso. As intended by the artist, the work shows signs of wear and studio marks. The cardboard measures 20 x 28.7 cm, the images size is approx. 5.5 x 7.7 cm.



Miroslav Tichý (1926-2011)

Miroslav Tichý studied at the Academy of Fine Arts in Prague, where he was considered a talented painter and draftsman already at an early stage. After abandoning his studies, he began to experiment with photography. From the 1950s to the 1990s, Tichý roamed the streets of his hometown Kyjov day by day with his makeshift cameras and photographed the local women. Often, the artist created over 100 images in one day, which today form his vast radical and unorthodox oeuvre. In 2004 the reclusive artist gained international recognition after the legendary curator Harald Szeemann showed his work at the Biennale in Seville. Thereafter his works were exhibited in Zurich, Paris, New York and Moscow. Today works by Tichý are held at the Centre Pompidou in Paris, the Victoria & Albert Museum in London and the Museum of Modern Art in Frankfurt. (tfa)

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