Lot 115

František Drtikol (1883 - 1961) AN ATHLETE FIGURINE

In 1930, Drtikol decided to take a completely new approach to his photographic work and at the same time expanded his artistic output to include design objects, variously composed figurines. In a letter to Adolf Herz (editor of the Swiss magazine Camera), he writes about this. Well, I photograph as best I can and as I am given. And since a live model could not suffice for what I imagined and thought of, I now make it myself. I model or draw, etc., whatever I need. Previously, when I had an idea and wanted to execute it with a live model, I always failed. Now I model or draw the pose I envision, and make the props, geometric shapes, and various other things needed for it. I edit the exterior and try out the lighting in which the whole would work best to express my original idea. Of course, the models I use are not mere silhouettes, they are figures made in detail to match reality, and yet again, not. I idealized the body and created my own type. I can say that only now I am satisfied with the results of my work, because it is all mine from A to Z. The idea and the material used." More in the monograph Fárová A. & Doležal S.: František Drtikol, Stages of Life and Photographic Work / Art Nouveau - Art Deco - Abstraction / 1, 2. Svět, Prague 2012.