I'm still quite shaken, in a positive, ground-breaking way, by our full day experience at Jan Svankmajer's house in southern Bohemia today. I need more time to process and reflect the scope of what we've accomplished but thought I would at least share this photo of Julian, Jan, and myself. What a kind soul.

Will

graffiti stencils throughout Prague

The past few days have been quite fulfilling. Saturday Julian and I met with Martin Stejskal, Jan Svankmajer’s Art Director and a well respected Czech Surrealist artist in his own right. Although Martin’s english is limited, he invited us into his Prague home for quite a few hours as we communicated through his and Julian’s common ground of French. Like with the Quay Brothers, Martin and his wife were extremely hospitable and the coffee and dialogue poured. As Surrealism is often perceived as a historical movement within the U.S., Czech Surrealism seems to have never died and is more of a philosophy and way of experiencing. Our conversation addressed the limitations of communicating externally under repressive authority and the significance of looking inward. I often feel the lack of inward thought and reflection stifles many young artists. Great work is often the result of great conflict be it internal or external. Again space and environment are pivotal for not only the time and context in which work is viewed, but also created.

Along these lines, I attended a Laterna Magika production of Casanova later that evening. The Laterna Magika theatre was partly conceived by the famous Czech theatrical designer Josef Svoboda, who passed away a few years ago, and was a major contribution to the Czech avant-garde of his time. Though Svoboda’s scenic designs were used in this production, they felt dated, detached, and more of a gimmick than revolutionary in this contemporary context.

Sunday Julian and I met up with Howard Sidenberg, publisher of Twisted Spoon Press. Twisted Spoon was founded in 1992 and is an independent book publisher based in Prague. Howard’s press focuses on translating a variety of writing from Central & Eastern Europe, and includes some internationally recognized names, such as Eva Svankmajerová, as well as up-and-coming authors who are having their work published in English for the first time. He offers an eclectic and unique selection of literature from the region, often illustrated by local artists and always well-designed and handsomely produced. Howard was also generous with his time and spent practically the entire day taking us throughout the city and discussing Czech Surrealism past and present. At the end of the day, he extended an invitation for us to attend a theatrical cabaret put on by Analagon, a significant journal for Czech Surrealist work. Although the entire production was in Czech, we again ran into Martin Stejskal and noticed that the performance included actors from “Faust” and “Food”, both Svankmajer films. Like I mentioned in a previous post, the Surrealist community and creative space here in Prague seems to be intimate yet generous.

We are scheduled to spend all day Tuesday with Svankmajer at his castle, yes castle, in Southern Bohemia. More to come.

Will

After a 24 hour layover at Heathrow Airport and an opportunity to get reacquainted with Prague (I last visited in 1997) I’ve had plenty of time to reflect on our journey and dialogues thus far. From the studio of the Brothers Quay to the streets of Stare Mesto in Prague, the dominant issue of space continually surfaces. Space in regards to the internal and external, the familiar and foreign, cultural and universal. One of the most striking elements of our time spent with Stephen and Timothy Quay was their studio and the environment in which their meticulous films have been generated. The majority of their work is constructed in the humble and personal space seen below:


In our conversations the issue of tactile and intimate settings within their work arouse. Since they work in miniatures, they are able to truly investigate surface, lighting, and texture. Their creative space, constructions, and equipment reflect a use of film as an expressive and almost physical medium. There are no flashy effects or grandiose facilities. In speaking with Timothy we discussed how the limitations of a particular medium actually allow you to explore that medium to it’s fullest potential. Since their work is generated in miniature, they have complete control over lighting and the portrayal of their scenes without demanding a film location or studio lot. Financially this may work to their advantage, but more importantly they discussed their preference in working out of a personal space in which they begin know their creations as characters. When I pondered about their feature films that include live action sequences such as Institute Benjamenta (or This Dream People Call Human Life) and The Piano Tuner Of Earthquakes they emphasized the significance of community and the individuals chosen to work with them. This issue was also relevant in our dialogue with Jan Svankmajer’s producer, Jaromir Kallista and his wife Pavla Kallistova who were generous enough to pick us up from the Prague airport. Pavla mentioned the beginning of a new production and how chaotic things have been of late given their small, yet familiar production team. After which Julian quickly observed Jaromir as a character in Svankmajer’s short "Food". The fact that he is both producer and actor in Svankmajer’s work may be a result of low budgets but it is also a tribute to artists collaborating with trusted peers that have a vested creative energy behind their vision.

Finally, as I walk the streets of Prague I find myself constantly immersed in the Situationists’ concept of psychogeography, Yves Berger’s dialogue on drawing and space entitled Lobster and Three Fishes, and Italo Calvino’s Invisible Cities.

More comments to come in time.


Will

Old Town Square

The Powder Tower

Hybernska street scene

Hello from Prague! I’ve been hesitant to write because this experience is so overwhelming and because there is so much to say that I didn’t want to simply detail the surface experience without allowing it to simmer to maturity. I am going to expand on what I am going to say, but initially I will tailor a few sentences regarding our meeting with Brothers Quay.

We were pleasantly taken in by the encounter from the very beginning. The Quays welcomed us as old friends and almost immediately we began talking about our respective ways of working and thinking about art. The Quays were as interested in what we did as we were in what they did. They allowed us to talk freely and they were generous with what they told us.

I asked the Quays about a certain way of editing which I found attractive in one of the films. Something very interesting happened at the cuts, a certain jerkiness of the image, which was precise and disturbing. I also wondered if it was planned originally or it happened in the editing,

They told us exactly how they did it: in one of the earlier films they manipulated the shot in the camera by moving a few frames to the right and then the left. But in the later movies they manipulated the image in editing.

We were impressed by the ease with which they opened up to us. Unlike different experiences we had in the past with other artists, the Quays were all about their work. The coffee kept coming and the conversation became more and more animated. We spoke about the value of different translations of the works of Bruno Schultz. From there we talked about translation in general and I was able to recognize the connection between the two processes of work, film editing and translation. One of the elements that film making and translation share in common is timing: how long does it take to actually enjoy comprehension as if comprehension were a kind of delightful food. When I explained to the Quays that a certain translation was not acceptable because while it took a certain amount of time in the original language but a lot shorter in the translated language, they understood perfectly.

We also appreciated their generosity in taking the time to look at our work and inviting us to continue communication with them. We exchanged music, books and information. We spoke with them longer than the time they had allotted for us, which flew far too fast.

There is much more to come. It’s really impossible to say all we felt and experienced without letting mature.

Julian

Well we are leaving London for Prague today. It's been amazing meeting with the Quays and making our way through the city. In addition to visiting with Timothy and Stephen, I was able to check out some great collections at the Tate Modern and the National Gallery. It was quite incredible to view the marks and surfaces of the Virgin and Child with St Anne and St John the Baptist by da Vinci from only a foot away. Here's the National Gallery's link to that work if you're curious:

http://www.nationalgallery.org.uk/cgi-bin/WebObjects.dll/CollectionPublisher.woa/wa/work?workNumber=ng6337

In addition to viewing seminal works by Caravaggio, Rubens, El Greco, da Vinci, Rembrandt, and Joseph Mallord William Turner, the National Gallery had a small exhibition by contemporary artist Alison Watt entitled "Phantom". All my VA I (soon to be VA II) students should view her work at:

http://www.nationalgallery.org.uk/exhibitions/alisonwatt/default.htm

You'll have a new appreciation for your abstracted drapery compositions from last term. Well, I have to pack for Prague. Here are a few additional images from the past two days in London.

the Tate Modern from the Millennium Bridge

the Millennium Bridge and St. Paul's Cathedral from inside the Tate Modern

the Millennium Bridge from outside the Tate Modern



the National Gallery



an interesting image while strolling throughout London



an interesting image while strolling throughout London



an interesting image while strolling throughout London

Wow! So we're finally in London. After spending Saturday traveling and Sunday recovering from jet lag, Julian and I were supercharged this morning after an almost three hour meeting with Stephen and Timothy Quay in their London studio. The Quay Brothers were extremely generous, sincere, and engaged in creative dialogue. It was truly inspiring to speak with them artists to artists in a space where they have worked on films for the last 20+ years. Their studio was an intimate and warm space where their artifacts and works lived amongst them. We plan on sharing the content of our dialogue with our students when we return, but for now here are some images from our meeting today.