Josef Sudek’s studio is not far from the tourist center of Prague but without the address or Siri you must navigate there the old fashioned way; “Do you know where Josef Sudek’s studio is located?” The directions I got were vague: “just stay on this street for a while, it’s not too far…there’s a small sign but it’s easy to miss”. When you do find the building, a buzzer only lets you into a passage with another door at the end, seemingly closed. When you puzzle that out, the door leads into the building courtyard and finally, as you go across the courtyard, you begin to see, THIS is where he photographed, THIS is where he lived. If you know his work, he is guiding you now.
The small brown shed, now a gallery, is a reproduction of Sudek’s original studio and living space which burned some years ago. The famous clutter he lived with is gone but the surroundings remain. You can see that if you stand here and point the camera there, wait perhaps a few hours or maybe a few days for the light to be right or for the flower to turn just so you could make a beautiful, soft, darkly glowing image…if you were Josef Sudek.
If you don’t know Sudek’s work you should. His pictures are usually small, often dark, masterfully made, and their subject matter doesn’t demand your attention, only rewards it. They are everything that modern photography is often not…and they are beautiful.
His work can be easily seen in the many books he published, although they tend to be expensive. The basic facts of his life are here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Josef_Sudek .
Better still read cinematographer John Bailey’s thoughtful reflection on Sudek and Andre Kertesz here: http://www.theasc.com/blog/2010/02/22/%E2%80%9Cfrom-my-window%E2%80%9D-the-late-work-of-andre-kertesz-and-josef-sudek/
Once you know his work if you find yourself in Prague a trip to the studio is rewarding. Some of Sudek’s best known pictures were made here, shooting out of the windows or in the garden. So go after first seeing his pictures, on-line or better still in a book or museum so you can experience the thrill of recognition. Because knowing the photographers work you will not be just in the photographer’s home. Instead perhaps you will see a little into the past and into his mind, seeing what he saw, being moved and maybe understanding why he made this picture or that one. I had that experience and I was happy making pictures there under his spell.
One more thing you should know, don’t go expecting to find the walls covered in Sudek prints. The gallery shows current work by various artists, Sudek is the spirit of the place, not the featured attraction. You will find books of his work though that you can sit with and look through and as you do perhaps you will notice a stove or a chair or the light, something in the room that remains from his time.
But rather than going straight there I recommend you walk up the street, looking till you find it. Not having the exact address made it seem to me more of a discovery, a chance for intuition to play its part. It made the finding seem all the better. Josef Sudek’s photographs are like that too, beautiful and waiting for you to find them.
EXHIBITION
Josef Sudek’s Garden
Ujezd 30,
Praha 1 Mala Strana.
Prague
Czech Republic
Tuesday to Sunday 12:00 to 18:00
and admission is only a few pennies.
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