The exhibition is dedicated ideologically, as curator Vanda Skálová said at its opening, to the central theme of the artists of the interwar generation, the world of popular entertainment. The title of the exhibition refers to the title of Karel Teige’s publication highlighting its creator’s fascination with the half world of cabaret, ballroom, shantan and circus. They understand it as a symbol of the real and pure poetry of everyday life.
Although Tichý used a variety of artistic forms (gouache, drypoint, pastel, watercolor, etching), his main characteristic was a feeling for the graceful movements of the figure. If the painter wants to capture the reality of the circus as accurately as possible, he must be able to capture and freeze some of the momentary spasms of faces or muscles on paper.
Photo: exhibition catalogue
František Tichý was able to capture the reality of the circus as accurately as possible (Fratellini se saxophone, 1930, GMU in Roudnice nad Labem).
When the showgirl bends her horse over the bridge, we can physically feel the tension in her muscles. Fratellini clowns with saxophones and accordions are ready to perform numbers they know by heart, two trapeze artists gracefully climb hanging apparatus and a ventriloquist concentrates before the show.
For a painter to achieve a certain impression, he often only needs a line of black ink, which he creates with some meaningful guide lines. Tichý can create maximum aesthetic quality with minimal means.
When the painter adds additional colors, he achieves truly ideal plasticity and airiness. A carousel made of black stripes tears through the golden sky, contrasting with green areas and multicolored houses. The composition of the work is reminiscent of Matisse’s color experiments.
In a similar spirit is the work Clown with horses and dogs in front of a circus tent, where the painter allows the colored surface to penetrate itself to make the concrete form special with abstract elements.
František Tiché’s poetry is ancient and romantic. It shows the long-lost world of folk entertainment and the beauty of color prints from laughter through tears.
| František Tichý: A laughing world |
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| House U Jonáše, Pardubice, until June 21 |
Overall Rating: 80%
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