Koudelka

by Josef Koudelka (Photographer)

Stark, impassioned and singularly intense, Josef Koudelka’s work has received deserved acclaim over the past three decades as a uniquely significant contribution to the language of photography. Koudelka is the first book to present over 150 of his most eloquent images in a single volume, from his earliest images – published here for the first time – to his most recent panoramic landscape studies.

Whether photographing avant-garde theatre, gypsies throughout Eastern Europe, resistance to Soviet guns and tanks advancing on Prague, or the environmental degradation of a post-industrial world, Koudelka has consistently produced images that provoke a connection to the larger questions of human existence. As John Szarkowski comments in the opening pages of Koudelka's first monograph, Gypsies, his pictures 'seem to concern themselves with prototypical rituals, and a theatre of ancient and unchangeable fables... Perhaps they describe not the small and cherished differences that distinguish each of us from all others, but the prevailing circumstance that encloses us.'

Robert Delpire, Koudelka’s longtime publisher, collaborated with the artist in conceiving and producing this title. 'His images and their precise compositions stand outside time and place,' writes Delpire. 'Koudelka brings an intense eye and full heart to each place, object and person. This work proves once again that he is a photographer with a unique personality and power.' The other essayists in Koudelka each explore a different aspect of the artist’s work, illustrating his constant evolution and intensity.

Genres: Photography, Nonfiction, Art and Photography, Art

276 pages, Hardcover

First published November 6, 2006

About the author

Josef Koudelka was born in Czechoslovakia in 1938. He began his career as an aeronautical engineer, and started photographing gypsies in his spare time in 1962, before turning full-time to photography in the late 1960s. In 1968 Koudelka photographed the Soviet invasion of Prague, publishing his photographs under the initials P.P. (Prague photographer). In 1969, he was anonymously awarded the Overseas Press Club’s Robert Capa Gold Medal for the photographs. Koudelka left Czechoslovakia seeking political asylum in 1970, and shortly thereafter he joined Magnum Photos.

In 1975 his first book, Gypsies, was published by Aperture, and subsequent titles include Exiles (1988), Chaos (1999), Invasion 68: Prague (2008), and Wall (2013) and, most recently Ruines (2020). Koudelka has won major awards, such as the Prix Nadar (1978), Grand Prix National de la Photographie (1989), Grand Prix Cartier-Bresson (1991), and the Hasselblad Foundation International Award in Photography (1992).

Exhibitions of his work have been held at The Museum of Modern Art and the International Center of Photography, New York; Hayward Gallery, London; Stedelijk Museum of Modern Art, Amsterdam; Palais de Tokyo, Paris; Art Institute of Chicago; and Museum of Decorative Arts and the National Gallery, Prague. In 2012, he was named Commandeur de l’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres by the French Ministry of Culture and Communication. He is currently based in Paris and Prague.

Reviews

[Dawn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Koudelka is a wonderful photographer and this book was such a pleasure and inspiration to read. I checked this out of the liberary but I would love to own a copy. Unfortunately a quick check on Amazon had this book at $250!

[Bradley Hanson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a gorgeous book of B&W panoramas from this photographic master. What is unique about this as a book is it's all ONE PIECE OF PAPER accordion folded!

[Anna Sircova · Rating 5 out of 5]

Got an introduction to Koudelka's panoramic work - very inspiring.

[Jim · Rating 5 out of 5]

This collection of 158 black & white photographs by the great Czech photographer Josef Koudelka covers a time span of 47 years (1958-2005) and includes eight brief essays.

[Paula · Rating 2 out of 5]

A good book of photography - but not my favorite.