JOSEF SUDEK: IRON, STEEL, MACHINE

Curator: Jan Mlčoch
Graphic design: Štěpán Malovec

In the extensive photographic estate of Josef Sudek (1896–1976), who is usually associated with a romantic worldview, entirely different artistic approaches can be found. As early as the 1920s, his photographs depicted iron wires, nets, rails and dustbins, which served as his simplest photographic subjects. However, Sudek invariably presented these ordinary themes with a strong sensitivity to the atmosphere of light. In the 1930s, his work was impacted by the New Objectivity movement, which brought a heightened interest in the structure and texture of materials. Sudek utilized this approach particularly in his advertising production and his documentation of factory facilities. He collaborated with many different companies; alongside publishing houses, he also worked with machinery manufacturers. The exhibition also commemorates Sudek’s friend, the sculptor Vincenc Makovský (1900–1966), who engaged in industrial design in Zlín during World War II.