Jindřich Štyrský was a Czech painter, poet, editor, photographer, and the founder of the artificialism movement. Born in 1899 in Čermná u Kyšperka, then part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, Štyrský was a significant figure in the Czech avant-garde community in the early 20th century. He studied at the School of Applied Arts in Prague and later at the Academy of Fine Arts in Prague. Štyrský was deeply involved in the development of Surrealism in Czechoslovakia, and his work was heavily influenced by his dreams, leading to the creation of a unique style that combined both poetic and dream-like imagery with a sense of reality.
Throughout his career, Štyrský was known for pushing the boundaries of traditional art forms. He co-founded the Devětsil group in 1920, which was a Czech avant-garde group of artists and writers that embraced Constructivism and Poetism. Later, together with Toyen (Marie Čermínová), another prominent Czech artist, he founded the Artificialism movement in 1926, which was a blend of Surrealism and abstraction. Štyrský and Toyen moved to Paris in 1925, where they became closely associated with the Surrealist movement, and Štyrský's work was exhibited alongside renowned artists such as Salvador Dalí and Max Ernst.
In addition to his visual arts, Štyrský was also a prolific writer and editor. He published a number of books and was the editor of the Erotic Revue, which was a platform for exploring the role of sexuality in art. His collaboration with Toyen, including a series of erotic photomontages, was groundbreaking and provocative, challenging the conservative norms of the time.
Štyrský's health began to decline in the late 1930s, and he died prematurely in 1942 in Prague. Despite his early death, his contribution to the Czech avant-garde and Surrealist movements left a lasting impact on the art world. His work continues to be celebrated for its innovative approach and its exploration of the subconscious, the dream world, and the boundaries of reality and imagination.
