Václav Chochola

Václav Chochola (1923–2005) is an exceptional figure in Czech photography, moving back and forth between art photography, documentary, and straightforward reporting. He has lived in direct contact with cultural events, and has found many of his motifs in the city, particularly on the outskirts of Prague, where he was born. He was inspired by Surrealism, the artists in Skupina 42, urban life and civilization, and post-war Existentialism. When first published in the 1960s, Chochola’s nudes became a fundamental part of Czech photography. In his fascinating portraits he has managed in simple shorthand to suggest a definite setting to help him capture the personality of his subject. A substantial number of his photographs use nontraditional techniques, and he has made photograms, montages, and “rollages.” His approach to his oeuvre, however, has always been purely photographic, from simple snapshots to intuitively staged reality. His friendships with numerous Czech artists, especially in the 1940s, 50s, and 60s, introduced him to many of the contemporary ideas, which he then expressed in unique photographic forms. The author of the introductory essay, Aleš Kuneš, is a critic, theorist of photography, exhibition organizer, and teacher at the Institute of Creative Photography, Silesian University, Opava.