The Intimate World of Josef Sudek - A major retrospective exhibition makes its North American début

OTTAWA, Oct. 26, 2016 /CNW/ - The Intimate World of Josef Sudek celebrates the work of an artist considered to be the father of Czech modernist photography. Sudek (1896–1976) created hundreds of some of the most moving images of the 20th century focused on nature, monuments, objects, streets and other themes. The exhibition covers Sudek's entire career, from 1920 to 1976. On display from October 28, 2016 to February 26, 2017, after its opening at the Jeu de Paume in Paris last summer, this inaugural exhibition organized by the Canadian Photography Institute of the National Gallery of Canada is being presented in the Institute's new, dedicated space.

"A donation in 2010 from a generous, anonymous donor made the Canadian Photography Institute's Sudek collection the largest of its kind outside the Czech Republic, with close to 1,800 pieces. We are delighted to present a portion of the collection to the North American audience through this outstanding exhibition," said Luce Lebart, Director of the Canadian Photography Institute. "The works on loan from the Museum of Decorative Arts in Prague, the J. Paul Getty Museum in Los Angeles, the Houston Museum of Fine Art, and a private collection also add considerable depth to the exhibition."

Through a selection of 163 works arranged around nine themes, the exhibition examines how Josef Sudek's photography reflects his personal relationship to the world around him, his explorations of the private world of his studio and garden seen from his window, as well as his meanderings further afield, through the streets of Prague and its outskirts, as well as excursions to the countryside nearby. The loss of his right arm during the First World War and the difficulties he subsequently encountered in transporting his view camera did not dampen his passion for photography.

Sudek's creativity was nourished by the artists, photographers, poets, publishers and musicians who formed the cornerstones of Prague's rich cultural life during the interwar years, a period of pioneering achievement in photography. The exhibition curators expanded the version soon to be on view at the National Gallery of Canada with a section focused on the work of photographers in his circle.

Sudek's studio window became an object of abiding fascination—rather like the surface of a canvas—reflecting moments of exquisite tenderness and hope when a flowering branch brushed against its pane, or of poignant melancholy when he observed the world beyond his window transformed by the mist. The view from his room let him express his love of Prague on film. His photographs demonstrate both depth of feeling and a clear understanding of the historical wealth and architectural complexity of the Czech capital.

The Intimate World of Josef Sudek offers a fascinating panorama of the creative work of this unique artist.

Curators
Ann Thomas, Senior Curator, Photographs, Canadian Photography Institute; Vladimir Birgus, Director of Creative Photography, Université de Silésie, Opava; and art historian Ian Jeffrey, are the curators of The Intimate World of Josef Sudek.

Catalogue
The exhibition The Intimate World of Josef Sudek is accompanied by an extensively illustrated catalogue. This 272-page publication offers a compelling view of Sudek's photographs and the rich artistic environment of Prague in the decades before and after the Second World War. It is available in a hardcover edition, in French or English, for $45 at the NGC Boutique or online at ShopNGC.ca.

Events
A series of special events are organized in conjunction with the exhibitions, including Meet the Experts, Group Tours for Adults and a Lecture Series. For more information, please visit the exhibition's website at gallery.ca/sudek/activities

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Hours
The Canadian Photography Institute of the National Gallery of Canada is open Tuesday to Sunday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Thursdays until 8 p.m. Closed Mondays. Open on November 11 (Remembrance Day), and between December 26 and 31. Closed on December 25 and January 1. For more information please call 613-990-1985 or 1-800-319-ARTS.

Admission
Admission to the Canadian Photography Institute of the National Gallery of Canada exhibitions is included with admission to the Gallery's general admission. Adults: $12; Seniors and full-time students: $10; youth aged 12-19: $6; families (two adults and three youth): $24. Admission is free for children under the age of 12 and for Members. Free admission Thursdays between 5 p.m. and 8 p.m.

About the Canadian Photography Institute of the National Gallery of Canada
Established in November 2015, the Canadian Photography Institute of the National Gallery of Canada is devoted to the history, evolution and future of photography. Its vast and encyclopedic collection encompasses the origins of photography to the present day. It contains significant works by some of photography's key practitioners, including William Henry Fox Talbot, Charles Nègre, P.H. Emerson, Hill and Adamson, Frederick H. Evans, Josef Sudek, Walker Evans, Lisette Model, Diane Arbus, Lynne Cohen, and Arnaud Maggs. A dynamic exhibitions program, research facility, and digital portal for academic and public engagement will activate this extraordinary collection and foster innovative partnerships worldwide for multidisciplinary study. The Institute is supported through a partnership of unprecedented scope with collector and philanthropist David Thomson, with the support of Scotiabank as the Founding Partner, and the National Gallery of Canada Foundation as strategic partner. More information about the Canadian Photography Institute can be found on the Gallery's website: gallery.ca/cpi

SOURCE National Gallery of Canada

Josée-Britanie Mallet, Senior Officer, Media and Public Relations, National Gallery of Canada, 613-990-6835, [email protected]