Cesta na Kunstseminar. Životní příběh malíře Radoslava Kutry
Journey to an arts seminar_The life story of the painter Radoslav Kutra

Summary/Abstract: The life story of the painter Radoslav Kutra reflects the complicated fates of many Czech artists confronted by the societal changes that followed WWII. For some of the generation of artists inspired by the manifold artistic currents of the interwar period, 1948 represented a real dividing line. The creative liberalism of the avantgarde was replaced by aesthetic dictate and artists were faced with a personal dilemma. The need to make a living forced many to make compromises, though the desire for free expression put them in confl ict with the structures of offi cial culture. For the likes of Radoslav Kutra – a religiously oriented artist attempting to synthesise modern art theory with a personal conception of faith – the two-decade period after the war was difficult. However, in the 1960s in particular he experienced many moments of joy. No era is black and white, and even the period in question represents a picture with various shades. This makes the experiences which exile in Switzerland brought the painter all the more surprising; we find dark tinges of his confrontation with another cultural environment and social system where we would not expect to.

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