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Friday, July 16, 2021

Frantisek Drtikol


Frantisek Drtikol (1883-1961) was a Czech artist and photographer best known for his artistic female nude photos.  (He seems to have kept a ratio of about 150 female nudes to every male, and all the frontals are of himself.)  His style and composition abilities are worth our attention in spite of the limited male work he did.  We might think this elaborate self-portrait was inspired by George Platt Lynes, but it was made long before Lynes came on the scene.  For reasons unknown, Drtikol stopped taking photographs in 1935 and resumed his unsuccessful painting career.

 

12 comments:

  1. Wow. Talk about the dark side...IMHO he is not even relevant to the picture.

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    1. I disagree. Think of the model (also the photographer) as being literally and figuratively marginalized. The splash of light on his neck and the edge of his torso lead the eye even farther to the margin of the photo. I get this odd feeling of isolation and vigilance.

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  2. Interesting composition. At first I thought it was Sansome cleaning an indoor pool. I can't see how Lynes wasn't influenced by this guy. His obvious emulation of Sansome in a highly stylized and moody setting is very attention getting. Once you see it, I can't imagine anyone not stopping to examine it. I can imagine lots of people giving lots of different opinions.

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    1. I knew you'd appreciate this one, David!

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    2. It's the combination of three dimensional geometric solids with a human figure that can itself be broken-down into similar solids.

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  4. Ceska nebeska klenba krasne fotografie.
    Czechoslovakia, before the War, the most advanced and prosperous country in Eastern Europe and one of the most culturally advanced countries in Europe.
    Renowned for their avant garde photography, painting, sculpture, design and architecture. Not to mention the traditional stamp engraving, glass and porcelain wares, and wood carving.
    -Rj in the IE

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    1. Despite the oppressive years of communism, they have retained some of that special edginess.

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  5. Yes, they certainly have. Even in communist times they had the cutting edge
    Laterna Magica theater, the mime Fialka, the writer Seifert, and film makers
    Trnka, Zeman, Chytilova, Forman. All in spite of the communist.
    -Rj in the IE

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    1. I saw Laterna Magica at the San Antonio Worlds Fair in 1968, and always wondered what happened to the troupe after they went home.

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