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Jan Saudek | |
|---|---|
 Saudek in 2010 | |
| Born | 13 May 1935 |
| Nationality | Czech |
| Occupation(s) | Art photographer, painter |
| Notable work | The World of Jan Saudek: Photographs, Jan Saudek-Il teatro de la vita, Story from, Czechoslovakia, My Country, and Photographs by Jan Saudek |
Jan Saudek (born 13 May 1935) is an art photographer and painter.
Saudek's art work represents a unique technique combining photography and painting. In his country of origin, Czechoslovakia, Saudek was considered a disturbed artist and oppressed by authorities. His art gained more prominence during the 1990s, thanks to his collaboration with the luxury art book publisher Taschen.
During the 2000s Saudek lost all his photo negatives in a dispute with a former partner. The pictures were managed and displayed by Saudek.com, his son’s company, against Jan’s will. In 2012 High Court in Prague invalidated contracts between Jan and Saudek.com, effectively returning control over the works to the artist.[1][2]
Saudek is the author of many “mise en scene” that were re-taken and copied by other artists. The cliché of a naked man holding a naked new born baby with tenderness became a picture that was reproduced so many times that the composition became as commonplace as posing for a graduation picture.
During his life in communist Czechoslovakia, Saudek was labeled by the totalitarian regime as a pornographer.
He lived in poverty using the only room in his basement as his studio. A disintegrating wall and a window giving a glimpse into the backyard became the witnesses of his fantasies and collaborations with models of all different sizes and origins.
- ^ Velinger, Jan (15 June 2012). "Photographer Saudek wins back rights to his work". Radio Prague International. Radio Prague International. Retrieved 21 July 2024.
- ^ Bezr, Ondřej (12 June 2012). "Jan Saudek vyhrál nad expartnerkou soud. Jeho snímky mu opět patří". iDNES.cz (in Czech). iDNES.cz. Retrieved 21 July 2024.