Lecture

Vladimír Birgus »JAROMÍR FUNKE AND CZECH AVANT-GARDE PHOTOGRAPHY«

January 27, 2018, 6PM

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Exhibition

Photography Players

OPAVA SCHOOL. Close-Up

January 27 – April 29, 2018

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CURRENT exhibition

JAROMÍR FUNKE. AVANT-GARDE PHOTOGRAPHER

Duration: January 27 – April 29, 2018

Opening: Fri, January 26, 2018, 7pm


SPECIAL EVENTS


Curator’s tour with Celina Lunsford 

Sun, February 11, 2018, 3pm

Sun, April 08, 2018, 3pm 


Gallery Talk with Vladimír Birgus, curator of the exhibition

Sat, January 27, 2017, 3pm


Lecture “Jaromír Funke and Czech Avant-Garde Photography” with Vladimír Birgus

Sat, January 27, 2017, 6pm

Jaromír Funke radically pushed the boundaries of modern photography, especially with his experiments with light and shadow. The Czech photographer (1896–1945) counts as one the most important representatives of international Avant-garde photography. Ahead of his time, he sourced impulses from Cubism, New Objectivity, Abstract Art and Surrealism in a palpable manner. The Fotografie Forum Frankfurt presents an extensive solo show of this visionary for the first time in Germany. On display are 70 photographs from Funke’s Avant-garde phase in the 1920s and 1930s.

Jaromír Funke initially studied medicine, law and philosophy after receiving his high school degree in 1915 before he turned to photography after World War I. From 1923 he created his first modern works: minimalistic compositions with plates and glass bottles, still lifes with glass objects, light bulbs and star fish. Funke repeatedly experimented with mirroring, transparencies and reflections – scrutinising the perception of the viewer. In his series “Abstract Photo” (1927–29) Funke no longer worked directly with objects but solely with their shadows. His goal is to “highlight two objects, contrast two realities, combine different elements in a single photo”, he writes in 1935. At the same time, Funke contributed to the development of photography theory: as the member of progressive photo collectives, co-publisher of a photo journal, essays, books and as lecturer at art schools, including the Academy of Art in Prague.


Jaromír Funke’s works are part of many renowned collections, including Paul Getty Museum (Los Angeles), Museum of Modern Art (New York) and Centre Pompidou (Paris). With this exhibition his relevance in the field of Avant-garde photography can now be experienced by a wider audience.


JAROMíR FUNKE. AVANT-GARDE PHOTOGRAPER” was curated by Vladimír Birgus. The exhibition is accompanied by a new publication. In addition, a limited edition portfolio of later gelatin-silver prints from original negatives is also available “Jaromír Funke: 12 Avant-Garde Photographs, 2014”.

    “JAROMíR FUNKE. AVANT-GARDE PHOTOGRAPER” is a cooperation between Leica Gallery Prague, Institute of Creative Photography, Silesian University Opava and Funke’s daughter, Miloslava Rupešová.

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