Comments on: Miroslav Tichý’s Homemade Camera

By: Yger

Yger — Fri, 02 Apr 2010 22:26:47 +0000

To Vic_7:

Yes, he did have a soviet camera. However, for his kind of shooting, he needed a tele lens. He made lenses from plexiglass, polishing them with toothpaste. He would also refuse the equipment he was given.

To Tim Giachetti:

You speak like a “citizen”. Tichy is an artist. He does not care for your labels. In fact, he was considered a crazy person by his fellow communist citizens. Twice a year the secret police would take him to an asylum to “normalize”.

By: ted

ted — Tue, 27 May 2008 01:36:44 +0000

I just find myself wondering if he ever stuck his penis in that lenshole.

By: Tim Giachetti

Tim Giachetti — Mon, 26 May 2008 10:05:03 +0000

All I see is a hippy peeping tom. Being a hippy is ok, but the pics of the sun bathers def shows it wasn’t art he was after.

By: Chris C

Chris C — Sun, 25 May 2008 03:40:00 +0000

no wonder why the picture looks like crap! hehe

By: Vik_7

Vik_7 — Sun, 25 May 2008 02:03:30 +0000

Dunno, I find it hard to believe that in 1968 communist Czech republic there would be anyone not able to afford a cheap used soviet or german camera.
He still had to buy film and chemicals to process it (unless there’s another story how he made film and chemicals himself from dirt on the streets).

Overall, imho, this is just a nice story attached to a few messed up images with some nods towards pictorialism.
But since some “artists” deemed this as “art”, well I guess it definitely has to be “art”.

By: Carl

Carl — Sat, 24 May 2008 22:33:06 +0000

The cameras are as much pieces of art as his photographs. Pretty amazing.

And sure, it’s simple as pie to make a pinhole camera. There’s a biiiiiiig range of steps between those and the latest and greatest digital camera, and this guy found a great DIY niche.

By: CheeseDuck

CheeseDuck — Sat, 24 May 2008 20:04:14 +0000

Huh. Never knew you could make cameras that easily.

By: Christophe

Christophe — Sat, 24 May 2008 19:50:38 +0000

A stalker with a camera. hu…

More seriously : if you have the chance to be in the south of France this july, don’t miss les Rencontres d’Arles (Arles encounters). This photography show is always highly interesting.

http://www.rencontres-arles.com/ARL/C.aspx?VP3=Renderer_VPage&ID=ARLP1 44

By: priscilla

priscilla — Sat, 24 May 2008 19:45:34 +0000

My first middle school photography class assignment was to make a camera out of a shoe box. Some made cameras out of film canisters. Really, all you need is a light tight box, a pinhole for the lens and a place to put your film.

Anyways, its cool how he made it out of those things, though!