Josef Sudek
[Photographer, b. 1896, Kolin, Czechoslovakia, d. 1976, Prague.]
Everything around us, dead or alive, in the eyes of a crazy photographer mysteriously takes on many variations, so that a seemingly dead object comes to life through light or by its surroundings. And if the photographer has a bit of sense in his head maybe he is able to capture some of this—and I suppose that’s lyricism.
I don’t like the discussions about whether photography is an art. Even though I think that if it would be just a craft I would not have stayed with it all my life.
I believe a lot in instinct. One should never dull it by wanting to know everything. One shouldn’t ask too many questions but do what one does properly, never rush, and never torment oneself.
I love the life of objects. When the children go to bed, the objects come to life. I like to tell stories about the life of inanimate objects.
