Jan Saudek

Born in Prague in 1935, Saudek studied at the School for Industrial Photography in Prague (1950-52) and subsequently worked various jobs (farm worker, stoker) while working privately on his photography. In 1963, a friend lent him a copy of the publication Family of Man which moved him profoundly and inspired him to take pictures reflecting the human condition. He began his exhibition career the same year. In 1969, Saudek was invited to Chicago in conjunction with an exhibition at the University of Indiana, Bloomington, which had a thriving photography program. He made several important contacts, including Hugh Edwards of the Art Institute of Chicago, who encouraged his work. Later in his career, in the 1980s, he continued to work with the human figure and often hand-colored his work. His subjects are often made-up and costumed and sometimes eroticized.