The Cincinnati Art Museum presents the first major US retrospective exhibition of the work of esteemed living Czech artist Jirí Anderle. Working in spite of political oppression and censorship behind the iron curtain, Anderle has created a varied body of work that explores fundamental issues facing mankind. “Illusion and Reality: Prints by Jirí Anderle,” is organized by the Cincinnati Art Museum and on view September 27⁊anuary 4, featuring four decades of Anderle’s work.
The exhibition leads visitors on a journey through the experiences normal human beings face. By fabricating strange characters that symbolize larger themes, Anderle explores the struggle between good and evil, past and present, life and death, illusion and reality, and love and hate. The conditions are the subject of series in Anderle’s work, which he refers to as cycles. The exhibition includes 100 prints (1960‱990) from the museum’s permanent collection †the largest repository of Anderle’s works in the United States.
Throughout Anderle’s cycles, visitors see references to his diverse background. They incorporate his passion for music, literature and theater. His years as an actor with the Black Theatre of Prague gave him the opportunity to travel outside Czechoslovakia, a rare privilege at the time. Eight years of this nomadic life gave Anderle an international perspective of the art scene. He experienced different cultures and found inspiration from Twentieth Century artists, including the work of Paul Klee, Jean Dubuffet and Francis Bacon.
Like other Czech artists, Anderle received exceptional training in printmaking, drawing and composition. He studied at the School of Applied Arts, Prague from 1951 to 1955, and the Prague Academy of Fine Arts from 1955 to 1961. Today, Anderle is recognized for his innovative use of mezzotint as a creative tool.
The Jacques Baruch Gallery, owned by Jacques and Anne Baruch, first introduced American audiences to Anderle’s work. Beginning 1969, they presented eight exhibitions featuring his various cycles. They recognized that, although isolated from the mainstream art world and living under restrictive systems of communism, Prague’s artists were creating provocative work. The Baruchs worked to promote Anderle’s work, as well as other Eastern European artists throughout the United States, helping place them within the history of contemporary art.
The Baruchs’ commitment to Anderle and his work afforded him international recognition. Anderle won the Grand Prix at the 1981 International Biennial of Prints, Ljubljana, and his prints were exhibited at the 1982 Biennale di Venezia. In 2003, Galerie Anderle, which is devoted to his work, opened in Prague, where he continues to work and live. In 2006, Anderle received a gold medal from the president of the Czech Republic for his contributions.
The Cincinnati Art Museum also recognized Anderle’s artistic skill; in 1973, curator Kristin Spangenberg met the Baruchs and was introduced to the work of several Czech artists including Anderle. Today, the museum is a major venue for the study of Czech printmakers, as a result of a major gift in 2005 from the Anne and Jacques Baruch collection.
The Cincinnati Art Museum is at 953 Eden Park Drive. For information, 513-639-2995 or www.cincinnatiartmuseum.org .
