Josef
Koudelka
History
Koudelka, JosefCzech, 1938-
Josef Koudelka is known for his highly formalized, sensitive images of the vestiges of gypsy life. Since 1962 he has traveled and extensively documented gypsies in Eastern Europe, England, Ireland, France, and Spain. Entirely independent, constantly on the move like the people he photographs, Koudelka has never accepted magazine or commercial assignments. He has worked for many years without a permanent darkroom, amassing a large backlog of images he has yet to print. His work has focused consistently on the community rituals of everyday life, birth, marriage, and death.
Koudelka was a member of the Czechoslovakian Union of Artists from 1965 to 1970, and was the recipient of their Annual Award for Theatre Photography in 1967. He received the Robert Capa Memorial Award in 1970, the Prix Nadar in 1978, and a United States National Endowment for the Arts Photography Grant in 1980. In 1976 he was awarded a grant by the British Arts Council to document the disappearing gypsy life in England. In recent years he has photographed religious and other festivities and everyday life in Great Britain and Europe. He has lived in France for the last several years.
Czechoslovakia
1968
Spain
1971
Ireland
1971
France
1974
Spain
1975
Portugal
1976
