It sounds simple; at the same time the concept is simple and complex – at certain moments its phenomenological aspect seems to be terminating, as if the authors were drawing with show on snow, or applied Matisse‘s technique of a long rod - Matisse drawing with a long rod. But these loops should not really be the point. Another issue that forms a compendium of thoughts is the distancing of the artist from his work during the process of creation. Nothing new, with the difference that authors retain their “craft” and really do draw. Nevertheless, they also form a variety of mechanical barriers, which frequently undermines their initial aim and multiplies the chance of making mistakes - elements valuable for the artists. Although artificial, the process of drawing is real – the process has been “righteously” completed, no subjective disgrace. Bulks are usually modes of drawing, altered by the artists through the use of other techniques; disproportionally long brushes set up by long water pipes, rods, a balloon with a brush controlled by its driver, a cast drawing with snow into snow from a pot, spatial drawing with a string, erasing with bike tires. The intention of constructing barriers between the author and his work may remind us of Evžen Širemera’s attempts to experiment with a drop as the elementary particle in painting. Depersonalization of the work and resisting the exposure of the subjective is also part of the goal: aspiration towards mechanical interference with mimicking perfection, an element rooted in our instincts, followed by the need to increase the disproportional ratio between the aim of the artists, and the independent development of his work.

Franta and Böhm search for drawing in places where it is usually not found. By this technique the media in relation to the artificial distance from its author, and the material of art are put under scrutiny. Through this distance the iconic meaning of the work is compromised in favor of the phenomenological research of the media - resources and material change and the mutual tension between all elements of the creative process. The artifact of painting and drawing becomes due to the shift in physical possibilities of the media secondary, namely then in relation to the process of its development. The exhibited work is therefore not a drawing (as it may initially seem), but a video that captures not only time, but also illusion (in the case of the string drawing, the blocked window can be visually identified with the drawing). Drawing can be also constructed through photography, in the same way as it was during the beginning of the seventies by Polish artist Pawel Kwiek, or through collecting random scribbles made by visitors of stationary shops or copy centers.

Although at first it may seem that Böhm & Franta changed their style (this becomes most apparent from the series of videos), in reality their current direction is a furthering of areas that have been present in their work in the past, as pointed out above. This may have come to mind when encountering their work at the Jindřich Chalupecký award exhibition, their last show in Opava at Gallery Cella, but also at the beginning in NoD

Edith Jeřábková

The year-round exhibition plan of Karlin Studios is supported by:
Magistrát hl.m. Prahy, Ministerstvo kultury ČR

Media partner:
Radio 1, Umělec, Artyčok.tv, Radio Wave, Artmap

Technical equipment patner: Sony, Phoenix-Zeppelin

Thanks: Hanka Kratochvílová - Buddeusová, David Kořínek, Jiří Thýn, Mark Ther, Pavel Horák, Erik Sikora, Ondřej Eremiáš, Jan Chuděj, Radek Pyrchala, Michaela Hanzlíková, Janina Šlemínová, Edith Jeřábková, Pavla Gajdošíková