Edited with text by Josef Koudelka, Lars Willumeit. Text by Stuart Alexander, Tatyana Franck.
Key works and previously unseen images from the archives of the great humanist photographer
“Ikonar” (“maker of icons”) is the nickname bestowed on the Czech French photographer Josef Koudelka (born 1938) by a group of Roma he encountered on his travels. The group assigned this name to Koudelka quite aptly; for some time, they had been treating his famous photographs of Roma communities as quasi-religious icons in their places of prayer. Josef Koudelka: Ikonar is the first survey of the photographer to explore in depth his personal archive: 30,000 35mm contact sheets covering the years from 1960 to 2012. The catalog is structured around key works from his most important series, including Theatre, Gypsies and Invasion 68: Prague and Exiles. It also includes a section entirely devoted to Koudelka’s archive, analyzing its role in his personal and artistic journey, as well as a selection of works from his key books. Altogether, the book addresses some of the central paradoxes of Koudelka’s work, life and career: a nomadic life versus an unrelenting focus on collecting and archiving, and a constant revision and reworking of his iconic works versus a “maximalist” philosophical agenda.
PRAISE AND REVIEWS
L'Oeil de la Photographie
A retrospective that is as complete as it is instructive on the work of this eternal nomad and image storyteller.
STATUS: Out of stock
Temporarily out of stock pending additional inventory.
FORMAT: Pbk, 9.25 x 12.5 in. / 262 pgs / 40 color / 350 b&w. LIST PRICE: U.S. $65.00 LIST PRICE: CANADA $91 ISBN: 9783959056304 PUBLISHER: Spector Books AVAILABLE: 5/30/2023 DISTRIBUTION: D.A.P. RETAILER DISC: TRADE PUBLISHING STATUS: Active AVAILABILITY: Out of stock TERRITORY: NA LA AFR ME
Published by Spector Books. Edited with text by Josef Koudelka, Lars Willumeit. Text by Stuart Alexander, Tatyana Franck.
Key works and previously unseen images from the archives of the great humanist photographer
“Ikonar” (“maker of icons”) is the nickname bestowed on the Czech French photographer Josef Koudelka (born 1938) by a group of Roma he encountered on his travels. The group assigned this name to Koudelka quite aptly; for some time, they had been treating his famous photographs of Roma communities as quasi-religious icons in their places of prayer. Josef Koudelka: Ikonar is the first survey of the photographer to explore in depth his personal archive: 30,000 35mm contact sheets covering the years from 1960 to 2012.
The catalog is structured around key works from his most important series, including Theatre, Gypsies and Invasion 68: Prague and Exiles. It also includes a section entirely devoted to Koudelka’s archive, analyzing its role in his personal and artistic journey, as well as a selection of works from his key books. Altogether, the book addresses some of the central paradoxes of Koudelka’s work, life and career: a nomadic life versus an unrelenting focus on collecting and archiving, and a constant revision and reworking of his iconic works versus a “maximalist” philosophical agenda.
