Eva Švankmajerová
Encyclopedia
Eva Švankmajerová was a Czech
surrealist artist
. She was born Eva Dvořáková. A native of the Czech town of Kostelec nad Černými lesy
, she moved to Prague
in 1958 to study at the Prague School of Interior Design and later the Academy of Performing Arts
(Theater Department). From 1970, she was an active member of the Czech and Slovak Surrealist Group. She was a painter and ceramicist, and her poetry and prose regularly appeared in the journal Analogon. Most recently, her work has appeared in English in Surrealist Women: an International Anthology
(Austin: University of Texas Press
, 1998). Švankmajerová was married to the Surrealist filmmaker Jan Švankmajer
, with whom she collaborated on such films as Alice
, Faust
, and Conspirators of Pleasure. They had two children, Veronika and Václav, and lived in Prague until her death in 2005.
Czechoslovakia
Czechoslovakia or Czecho-Slovakia was a sovereign state in Central Europe which existed from October 1918, when it declared its independence from the Austro-Hungarian Empire, until 1992...
surrealist artist
Artist
An artist is a person engaged in one or more of any of a broad spectrum of activities related to creating art, practicing the arts and/or demonstrating an art. The common usage in both everyday speech and academic discourse is a practitioner in the visual arts only...
. She was born Eva Dvořáková. A native of the Czech town of Kostelec nad Černými lesy
Kostelec nad Cernými lesy
Kostelec nad Černými lesy, , is a town in the Central Bohemian Region of the Czech Republic. It has 3,561 inhabitants. The town is part of the Prague metropolitan area.- External links :*...
, she moved to Prague
Prague
Prague is the capital and largest city of the Czech Republic. Situated in the north-west of the country on the Vltava river, the city is home to about 1.3 million people, while its metropolitan area is estimated to have a population of over 2.3 million...
in 1958 to study at the Prague School of Interior Design and later the Academy of Performing Arts
Academy of Performing Arts in Prague
The Academy of Performing Arts in Prague is a university level school of music, dance, drama, film, TV and multi-media studies.- Faculties :*Film and TV School - FAMU*Music Faculty - HAMU*Theatre Faculty - DAMU-Notable alumni:...
(Theater Department). From 1970, she was an active member of the Czech and Slovak Surrealist Group. She was a painter and ceramicist, and her poetry and prose regularly appeared in the journal Analogon. Most recently, her work has appeared in English in Surrealist Women: an International Anthology
Surrealist Women
This article is about a book. For an article about Surrealist women artists, please see Women Surrealists.Surrealist Women: An International Anthology was an anthology edited by Penelope Rosemont. It was published by University of Texas Press in 1998....
(Austin: University of Texas Press
University of Texas Press
The University of Texas Press is a university press that is part of the University of Texas at Austin. Established in 1950, the Press publishes scholarly books in several areas, including Latin American studies, Texana, anthropology, U.S...
, 1998). Švankmajerová was married to the Surrealist filmmaker Jan Švankmajer
Jan Švankmajer
Jan Švankmajer is a Czech filmmaker and artist whose work spans several media. He is a self-labeled surrealist known for his surreal animations and features, which have greatly influenced other artists such as Tim Burton, Terry Gilliam, the Brothers Quay, and many others.- Life and career :Jan...
, with whom she collaborated on such films as Alice
Alice (1988 film)
Alice is a 1988 Czechoslovak film directed by Jan Švankmajer. Its original Czech title is Něco z Alenky, which means "Something from Alice". It is a free adaptation of Lewis Carroll's first Alice book, Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, about a girl who follows a white rabbit into a bizarre fantasy...
, Faust
Faust (1994 film)
Faust is a 1994 Czech film directed by Jan Švankmajer. It merges live-action footage with stop-motion footage and includes imaginative puppetry and claymation. The Faust character is played by Petr Čepek. The film was produced by Jaromír Kallista...
, and Conspirators of Pleasure. They had two children, Veronika and Václav, and lived in Prague until her death in 2005.
Filmography
- 1964 – The Last Trick (orig. Poslední trik pana Schwarcewalldea a pana Edgara) – production assistant, director: Jan Švankmajer
- 1967 – The Garden (org. Zahrada) – costume designer, director: Jan Švankmajer
- 1971 – Jsouc na řece mlynář jeden – designer, director: J. Brdečka
- 1976 – Laterna magikaLaterna MagikaLaterna Magika is a Non-Verbal theatre located in Prague. Its origins are connected with the Expo '58 in Brussels. The plays are internationally comprehensible since they are silent. The performances are a combination of dance, film and black theatre...
: Ztracená pohádka – designer, director: Jaromil Jireš - 1978 – The Ninth Hearth (orig. Deváté srdce) – visual effects, director: Juraj Herz
- 1983 – The Pit, the Pendulum and Hope (orig. Kyvadlo, jáma a naděje) – designer, director: Jan Švankmajer
- 1986 – Jost Burgi – Demystifikace času a prostoru – animator, director: M. Havas
- 1987 – Laterna magika: Odysseus – animator, director: E. Schorm
- 1987 – Alice (orig. Něco z Alenky) – designer, director: Jan Švankmajer
- 1994 – Lesson Faust (orig. Lekce Faust) – designer, director: Jan Švankmajer
- 1996 – Conspirators of Pleasure (orig. Spiklenci slasti) – designer, director: Jan Švankmajer
- 2000 – Little OtíkLittle OtikLittle Otik , also known as Greedy Guts, is a 2000 Czech film by Jan Švankmajer and Eva Švankmajerová. Based on the folktale "Otesánek" by K J Erben, the film is a comedic live action, stop motion-animated feature film set mainly in an apartment building in the Czech Republic.The film uses the...
(orig. Otesánek) – designer, director: Jan Švankmajer - 2005 – Šílení – designer, director: Jan Švankmajer
Books
- Baradla Cave (Jeskyně Baradla) (1995, Edice Analogon) – Original Czech edition
- Baradla Cave (2001, Twisted Spoon Press: ISBN 8090217176) – English translation
- Anima Animus Animation (1998, Slovart Publishers/Arbor Vitae) – Text in English
In English
- Obituary in The IndependentThe IndependentThe Independent is a British national morning newspaper published in London by Independent Print Limited, owned by Alexander Lebedev since 2010. It is nicknamed the Indy, while the Sunday edition, The Independent on Sunday, is the Sindy. Launched in 1986, it is one of the youngest UK national daily...
(UK) by Marcus Williamson - Obituary in The GuardianThe GuardianThe Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
(UK) by Christopher Masters
In Czech
- Zemřela výtvarnice Eva Švankmajerová BBC Czech
- Eva Švankmajerová (25. 9. 1940—20. 10. 2005) Nekrolog.cz
- Galerie online