Enigmatic Czech artist Jan Svoboda (1934–1990) sought to redefine the language of photography – creating highly subjective work which defied the boundaries of modernist image-making.
Svoboda distanced himself from the moniker of ‘photographer,’ preferring to think of himself as a visual artist. His distinctive work spans still life and portraiture, often embodying a self-reflective, philosophical approach. His means of exhibiting often included presenting works without distracting frames, bringing attention to what he called the ‘photograph-object’.
The archive is fortunate to hold a diverse collection of Svoboda’s work, including prints, contact sheets and glass plate negatives.
