Viktor Kolář
Encyclopedia
Viktor Kolář is a Czech photographer, an important exponent of documentary photography
. In his works, Kolář focuses mainly on depicting urban life in the Ostrava region
.
. His father, a self-taught filmmaker and photographer, was the owner of a photo studio and photo shop, which was one of the important factors that led his young son to photography.
In 1953, he began taking his first photographs, and soon familiarized himself with the works of renowned photographers, particularly Henri Cartier-Bresson
. From 1960 to 1964, he studied at the Photographic Institute in Ostrava. After that, he taught at an elementary school. From the second half of the 1960s, he decided to devote himself fully to photography. At the same time, he met and befriended the photography theorist Anna Fárová
and her husband, painter Libor Fára
. In 1964, Kolář presented his works at his first solo exhibition. In October 1968, after the Warsaw Pact invasion of Czechoslovakia
, he emigrated to Canada
, where he worked as an assistant in the molybdenum mines and as a worker in the nickel smelters in Manitoba
. Later he managed to move into photography. From 1971 to 1973, he participated in documenting shopping malls in Montreal, which resulted in an exhibition in the Optica Gallery, Montreal. In Canada and the USA, Kolář met with photographers Michael Semak, William Ewing and Cornell Capa
. In 1973, however, he returned to Czechoslovakia through Paris
and London
. His return to the communist country was questioned by state authorities and Kolář was interrogated by police on several occasions. As a former emigrant (and therefore considered unreliable by the regime), he gradually lost the possibility to work as a photographer. At the time of deep "normalization
", he worked as a laborer in Nová Huť Steelworks (formerly named after Klement Gottwald
). However, he covertly continued his photographic documentation of the Ostrava region. From 1975 to 1984, he worked as a stage technician at the Petr Bezruč
Theatre. In 1985, he was allowed to devote himself to free-lance photography. In 1991, he received the prize of the Mother Jones Foundation in San Francisco. In 1994, after the Velvet Revolution
, he began to teach documentary photography at FAMU
in Prague, where he was appointed Associate Professor (in 2000). He also travelled and lectured through the USA.
, is considered one of the most important exponents of the Czech documentary photography. His works can be found in the collections of the Art Institute of Chicago
(Chicago
), International Centre of Photography (New York
), Maison Européenne de la Photographie
(Paris
), Musée de l´Photographie (Lausanne
), Moravian Gallery (Brno
), Museum of Decorative Arts
(Prague
), Museum Ludwig
, (Cologne
), Museum of Fine Arts, Houston and Victoria and Albert Museum
(London
).
Documentary photography
Documentary photography usually refers to a popular form of photography used to chronicle significant and historical events. It is typically covered in professional photojournalism, but it may also be an amateur, artistic, or academic pursuit...
. In his works, Kolář focuses mainly on depicting urban life in the Ostrava region
Ostrava metropolitan area
The Ostrava metropolitan area is the metropolitan area with the city of Ostrava in the Czech Republic at its center. The Ostrava urban area is the largest urban area in the metropolitan area with a population of 365,000. The metropolitan area roughly corresponds to the administrative...
.
Biography
Kolář was born in 1941 in OstravaOstrava
Ostrava is the third largest city in the Czech Republic and the second largest urban agglomeration after Prague. Located close to the Polish border, it is also the administrative center of the Moravian-Silesian Region and of the Municipality with Extended Competence. Ostrava was candidate for the...
. His father, a self-taught filmmaker and photographer, was the owner of a photo studio and photo shop, which was one of the important factors that led his young son to photography.
In 1953, he began taking his first photographs, and soon familiarized himself with the works of renowned photographers, particularly Henri Cartier-Bresson
Henri Cartier-Bresson
Henri Cartier-Bresson was a French photographer considered to be the father of modern photojournalism. He was an early adopter of 35 mm format, and the master of candid photography...
. From 1960 to 1964, he studied at the Photographic Institute in Ostrava. After that, he taught at an elementary school. From the second half of the 1960s, he decided to devote himself fully to photography. At the same time, he met and befriended the photography theorist Anna Fárová
Anna Fárová
Anna Fárová was a Czech art historian who specialized and catalogued Czech and Czechoslovakian photographers, including Frantisek Drtikol and Josef Sudek. She was one of the pioneers of writing on history of photography...
and her husband, painter Libor Fára
Libor Fára
Libor Fára was a Czech sculptor and painter.- Biography :The versatile Libor Fára graduated from the Academy of Applied Arts in Prague in the studio of Emil Filla in the second half of the 1940s, developing his artistic opinion in the circle of the Prague Surrealists.The main fields of Fára’s...
. In 1964, Kolář presented his works at his first solo exhibition. In October 1968, after the Warsaw Pact invasion of Czechoslovakia
Warsaw Pact invasion of Czechoslovakia
On the night of 20–21 August 1968, the Soviet Union and her main satellite states in the Warsaw Pact – Bulgaria, the German Democratic Republic , Hungary and Poland – invaded the Czechoslovak Socialist Republic in order to halt Alexander Dubček's Prague Spring political liberalization...
, he emigrated to Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, where he worked as an assistant in the molybdenum mines and as a worker in the nickel smelters in Manitoba
Manitoba
Manitoba is a Canadian prairie province with an area of . The province has over 110,000 lakes and has a largely continental climate because of its flat topography. Agriculture, mostly concentrated in the fertile southern and western parts of the province, is vital to the province's economy; other...
. Later he managed to move into photography. From 1971 to 1973, he participated in documenting shopping malls in Montreal, which resulted in an exhibition in the Optica Gallery, Montreal. In Canada and the USA, Kolář met with photographers Michael Semak, William Ewing and Cornell Capa
Cornell Capa
Cornell Capa was a Hungarian American photographer, member of Magnum Photos, and photo curator, and the younger brother of photo-journalist and war photographer Robert Capa. Graduating from Imre Madách Gymnasium in Budapest, he initially intended to study medicine, but instead joined his brother...
. In 1973, however, he returned to Czechoslovakia through Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
and London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
. His return to the communist country was questioned by state authorities and Kolář was interrogated by police on several occasions. As a former emigrant (and therefore considered unreliable by the regime), he gradually lost the possibility to work as a photographer. At the time of deep "normalization
Normalization (Czechoslovakia)
In the history of Czechoslovakia, normalization is a name commonly given to the period 1969 to about 1987. It was characterized by initial restoration of the conditions prevailing before the reform period led by Alexander Dubček , first of all, the firm rule of the Communist Party of...
", he worked as a laborer in Nová Huť Steelworks (formerly named after Klement Gottwald
Klement Gottwald
Klement Gottwald was a Czechoslovakian Communist politician, longtime leader of the Communist Party of Czechoslovakia , prime minister and president of Czechoslovakia.-Early life:...
). However, he covertly continued his photographic documentation of the Ostrava region. From 1975 to 1984, he worked as a stage technician at the Petr Bezruč
Petr Bezruc
Petr Bezruč was the pseudonym of Vladimír Vašek , a Czech poet and short story writer who was associated with the region of Austrian Silesia.Bezruč was born in Opava and died in Olomouc.- Works :Poetry...
Theatre. In 1985, he was allowed to devote himself to free-lance photography. In 1991, he received the prize of the Mother Jones Foundation in San Francisco. In 1994, after the Velvet Revolution
Velvet Revolution
The Velvet Revolution or Gentle Revolution was a non-violent revolution in Czechoslovakia that took place from November 17 – December 29, 1989...
, he began to teach documentary photography at FAMU
Film and TV School of The Academy of Performing Arts in Prague
The Film and TV School of the Academy of Performing Arts in Prague or FAMU is one of the oldest film schools in Europe. Located in Prague, Czech Republic, FAMU was founded in 1946 as one of three branches of the Academy of Performing Arts in Prague...
in Prague, where he was appointed Associate Professor (in 2000). He also travelled and lectured through the USA.
Works
Viktor Kolář, along with Jindřich ŠtreitJindřich Štreit
Jindřich Štreit is a Czech photographer and pedagogue known for his documentary photography. He focuses on documenting the rural life and people of Czech villages...
, is considered one of the most important exponents of the Czech documentary photography. His works can be found in the collections of the Art Institute of Chicago
Art Institute of Chicago
The School of the Art Institute of Chicago is one of America's largest accredited independent schools of art and design, located in the Loop in Chicago, Illinois. It is associated with the museum of the same name, and "The Art Institute of Chicago" or "Chicago Art Institute" often refers to either...
(Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
), International Centre of Photography (New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
), Maison Européenne de la Photographie
Maison européenne de la photographie
The Maison Européenne de la Photographie, situated in the historic heart of Paris, is a major centre for contemporary photographic art. Since February 1996 it has housed an exhibition centre, a large library, an auditorium, and a video viewing facility with a wide selection of films...
(Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
), Musée de l´Photographie (Lausanne
Lausanne
Lausanne is a city in Romandy, the French-speaking part of Switzerland, and is the capital of the canton of Vaud. The seat of the district of Lausanne, the city is situated on the shores of Lake Geneva . It faces the French town of Évian-les-Bains, with the Jura mountains to its north-west...
), Moravian Gallery (Brno
Brno
Brno by population and area is the second largest city in the Czech Republic, the largest Moravian city, and the historical capital city of the Margraviate of Moravia. Brno is the administrative centre of the South Moravian Region where it forms a separate district Brno-City District...
), Museum of Decorative Arts
Museum of Decorative Arts in Prague
Founded in 1885, the Museum of Decorative Arts in Prague is housed in a Neo-Renaissance edifice built in 1897–1901 after the designs of architect Josef Schulz. The Museum’s rich collections include decorative and applied arts and design work ranging from Late Antiquity to the present day, with...
(Prague
Prague
Prague is the capital and largest city of the Czech Republic. Situated in the north-west of the country on the Vltava river, the city is home to about 1.3 million people, while its metropolitan area is estimated to have a population of over 2.3 million...
), Museum Ludwig
Museum Ludwig
Museum Ludwig, located in Cologne, Germany, houses a collection of modern art. It includes works from PopArt, Abstract and Surrealism, and has one of the largest Picasso collections in Europe. It also features many works by Andy Warhol and Roy Lichtenstein....
, (Cologne
Cologne
Cologne is Germany's fourth-largest city , and is the largest city both in the Germany Federal State of North Rhine-Westphalia and within the Rhine-Ruhr Metropolitan Area, one of the major European metropolitan areas with more than ten million inhabitants.Cologne is located on both sides of the...
), Museum of Fine Arts, Houston and Victoria and Albert Museum
Victoria and Albert Museum
The Victoria and Albert Museum , set in the Brompton district of The Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, London, England, is the world's largest museum of decorative arts and design, housing a permanent collection of over 4.5 million objects...
(London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
).
Solo exhibitions
- 1964 - Fotografie Viktora Koláře. Černá louka, Ostrava.
- 1973 - Viktor Kolar's Czech Eye. Optica Gallery, Montreal.
- 1976 - Člověk mezi lidmi. Fotochema, Ostrava.
- 1978 - Ostrava. Fotochema, Ostrava.
- 1981 - Ostrava - fotografie 1968-1980. Dům umění města Brna, BrnoBrnoBrno by population and area is the second largest city in the Czech Republic, the largest Moravian city, and the historical capital city of the Margraviate of Moravia. Brno is the administrative centre of the South Moravian Region where it forms a separate district Brno-City District...
. - 1981 - Novosvětská setkání. Galerie pod Podloubím, OlomoucOlomoucOlomouc is a city in Moravia, in the east of the Czech Republic. The city is located on the Morava river and is the ecclesiastical metropolis and historical capital city of Moravia. Nowadays, it is an administrative centre of the Olomouc Region and sixth largest city in the Czech Republic...
. - 1981 - Ostrava. Malá výstavní síň, LiberecLiberecLiberec is a city in the Czech Republic. Located on the Lusatian Neisse and surrounded by the Jizera Mountains and Ještěd-Kozákov Ridge, it is the fifth-largest city in the Czech Republic....
. - 1981 - Novosvětská setkání. Galéria F, Banská BystricaBanská BystricaBanská Bystrica is a key city in central Slovakia located on the Hron River in a long and wide valley encircled by the mountain chains of the Low Tatras, the Veľká Fatra, and the Kremnica Mountains. With 81,281 inhabitants, Banská Bystrica is the sixth most populous municipality in Slovakia...
. - 1981 - Ostrava. Ústav makromolekulární chemie ČSAV, Prague.
- 1981 - Novosvětská setkání. Fotochema, Ostrava.
- 1981 - Ostrava. Canon Gallery, AmsterdamAmsterdamAmsterdam is the largest city and the capital of the Netherlands. The current position of Amsterdam as capital city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands is governed by the constitution of August 24, 1815 and its successors. Amsterdam has a population of 783,364 within city limits, an urban population...
. - 1981 - Viktor Kolář. Fotografijos Galeria, KaunasKaunasKaunas is the second-largest city in Lithuania and has historically been a leading centre of Lithuanian economic, academic, and cultural life. Kaunas was the biggest city and the center of a powiat in Trakai Voivodeship of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania since 1413. During Russian Empire occupation...
. - 1981 - Viktor Kolář - fotografie. Muzeum Stillonu, GorzówGorzówGorzów may refer to the following places in Poland:*Gorzów Wielkopolski, a city in Lubusz Voivodeship *Gorzów Śląski, a town in Opole Voivodeship *Gorzów, Lesser Poland Voivodeship...
. - 1987 - Viktor Kolář - fotografie. Realistické divadlo, Prague.
- 1988 - 13 let. Galerie 4, ChebChebCheb is a city in the Karlovy Vary Region of the Czech Republic, with about 33,000 inhabitants. It is situated on the river Ohře , at the foot of one of the spurs of the Smrčiny and near the border with Germany...
. - 1991 - Viktor Kolář. Pražský dům fotografie, Prague.
- 1991 - Viktor Kolář. Robert Koch Gallery, San Francisco.
- 1991 - Viktor Kolář - Schwarzes Ostrava. Palais Jalta, Frankfurt am Main.
- 1992 - Baník Ostrava. Museum Hoesch, DortmundDortmundDortmund is a city in Germany. It is located in the Bundesland of North Rhine-Westphalia, in the Ruhr area. Its population of 585,045 makes it the 7th largest city in Germany and the 34th largest in the European Union....
. - 1993 - Nevinné oko. Městské muzeum, Ostrava.
- 1993 - Baník Ostrava. Rheinisches Industriemuseum, EngelskirchenEngelskirchenEngelskirchen is a municipality in Oberbergischer Kreis, Germany in North Rhine-Westphalia, about 40 kilometers east of Cologne. The neighbouring municipalities are Overath, Lindlar, Gummersbach, Wiehl and Much.-History:...
. - 1994 - Viktor Kolář. Slovenský rozhlas, BratislavaBratislavaBratislava is the capital of Slovakia and, with a population of about 431,000, also the country's largest city. Bratislava is in southwestern Slovakia on both banks of the Danube River. Bordering Austria and Hungary, it is the only national capital that borders two independent countries.Bratislava...
. - 1995 - Viktor Kolář - 40 fotografií. Americké kulturní a obchodní centrum, Prague.
- 1996 - Kolářovy ostravské fotografie. Dům umění města Brna, BrnoBrnoBrno by population and area is the second largest city in the Czech Republic, the largest Moravian city, and the historical capital city of the Margraviate of Moravia. Brno is the administrative centre of the South Moravian Region where it forms a separate district Brno-City District...
. - 1996 - Viktor Kolář. Slezské muzeum, OpavaOpavaOpava is a city in the northern Czech Republic on the river Opava, located to the north-west of Ostrava. The historical capital of Czech Silesia, Opava is now in the Moravian-Silesian Region and has a population of 59,843 as of January 1, 2005....
. - 1996 - Viktor Kolář. Toldkammeret, Elsinor.
- 1996 - Viktor Kolář - fotografie. Biennale of International Photography, SkopelosSkopelosSkopelos , ancient Peparethos or Peparethus , is a Greek island in the western Aegean Sea. Skopelos is one of several islands which comprise the Northern Sporades island group. The island is located east of mainland Greece, northeast of the island of Euboea and is part of the Thessaly Periphery....
. - 1997 - Viktor Kolář - Ostrava. The Photographic Center, AthensAthensAthens , is the capital and largest city of Greece. Athens dominates the Attica region and is one of the world's oldest cities, as its recorded history spans around 3,400 years. Classical Athens was a powerful city-state...
. - 1997 - Viktor Kolář (1967-77). Galerie Václava Špály, Prague.
- 1998 - Viktor Kolář - fotografie. Musée de l'Elysée pour la photographie, LausanneLausanneLausanne is a city in Romandy, the French-speaking part of Switzerland, and is the capital of the canton of Vaud. The seat of the district of Lausanne, the city is situated on the shores of Lake Geneva . It faces the French town of Évian-les-Bains, with the Jura mountains to its north-west...
. - 1999 - Viktor Kolář. České centrum, BerlinBerlinBerlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
. - 1999 - Viktor Kolář. Ostrava 1963-1999. Galerie výtvarného umění v Ostravě, Ostrava.
- 2002 - Viktor Kolář Photographs - Czech Photography II. Leica Gallery, New York CityNew York CityNew York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
. - 2002 - Malá Strana (Prague) photographs of Viktor Kolář. Blue Sky Gallery, Portland, OregonPortland, OregonPortland is a city located in the Pacific Northwest, near the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2010 Census, it had a population of 583,776, making it the 29th most populous city in the United States...
. - 2003 - Naostro (50 fotografií Viktora Koláře 1989-2003). Muzeum Boskovicka, BoskoviceBoskoviceBoskovice is a town in the Czech Republic.-Location:The town is situated in the Drahanská Highlands, about 30–40 km to the north of Brno, the most important city of Moravia.-History:...
. - 2007 - Viktor Kolar Photographs. Museum - The World of Glass, St. Helens, UK.
- 2008 - Město budoucnosti. Galerie u Rytíře, Liberec.
- 2009 - Retrospektywa/Retrospective of VK. Gallery A. Starmach, KrakówKrakówKraków also Krakow, or Cracow , is the second largest and one of the oldest cities in Poland. Situated on the Vistula River in the Lesser Poland region, the city dates back to the 7th century. Kraków has traditionally been one of the leading centres of Polish academic, cultural, and artistic life...
.
Selected publications
- D.Mrázková: Viktor Kolář, Profil, Ostrava 1986
- Viktor Kolář: Baník Ostrava, Ex posé, Berlin 1986
- Viktor Kolář: Malá Strana, Kocher & Kocher, Prague 1993
- V.Kolář; J.Žila: Ostrava-obležené město, SFINGA , Ostrava 1995. ISBN 8071880167
- J.Cieslar: Viktor Kolář, TORST, Prague 2002. ISBN 8072151592