The Cabinet of Curiosities section of the exhibition How to Collect Art: The Karel Tutsch Story introduces visitors to Karel Tutsch’s early collecting activities through a set of ex libris – a collection of small-scale applied graphic art. From here, Tutsch’s interests logically expanded to include fine art prints. Over time, the Cabinet of Curiosities will present various artists and their works on paper that form an indispensable part of the collection.
Aleš Lamr was a painter, draughtsman, printmaker and illustrator who also created numerous works for architecture and the public space. He is an important representative of a distinctive form of pop art and of the so-called “Czech grotesque”. Although he emerged onto the art scene at a time when interest in extreme forms of abstraction (both informel and geometric abstraction) was at its height, he remained focused on the figure and on narratives associated with it. In the late 1960s, he garnered attention thanks to paintings in which he blended the influence of Europe’s New Figuration with elements of pop culture, film and comics. Following the example of Andy Warhol, he reduced the human face to psychedelically coloured surfaces and was drawn to the world of celebrities. One example from this period is the drawing The Death of Jayne Mansfield (1970), which depicts the American actress who tragically died in a car crash.
Over time, what had previously been clearly identifiable figures and shapes became increasingly fragmented. A whirl of expressive movement and dynamism unfolded on the surface of the paper or canvas, replacing what may originally have been a landscape, a flower bed, a still-life or a beautiful woman. These works full of light, which recall the stained-glass windows of cathedrals, represent a deliberate attempt on Lamr’s part to illuminate the grey era of Normalisation for himself and for those around him. Works such as A Celebration on a Tartan, Fireworks, Haunted Machines and Water Policyclist (all from 1978–1979) are both a visual delight and affectionate parodies of the real world.
In the second half of the 1980s, Lamr turned to religion. During this time, he mixed his previously chaotic colours into a rainbow spectrum to which he added symbolic shapes such as stars, triangles, towers or crystals shining in the darkness of the black night. Humour, satire and chaos gave way to carefully considered order, harmony and meditation. Nevertheless, the basic feature of his work remained the same: vibrant colours in clearly delineated organic shapes.
The Karel Tutsch Collection is in the possession of 5 colour lithographs and 14 drawings, plus 8 cadavres exquis that Lamr created with Jan Steklík, who in the 1970s collaborated with Lamr to organise land-art actions, performances and exhibitions in a natural setting near Potštejn. A separate part of the exhibition presents drawings that were previously shown at the Na bidýlku gallery in 1987 (Black Drawings) and 1989 (Prints, Little Masses).
Karel Tutsch purchased one more painting from Lamr in the 1970s, although he most probably sold it or gave it away at a later date. Any attempt at tracing this work is hampered by a lack of information that would at least somewhat facilitate its identification.
