Flowers I. Painting

Ivan Chudík is an artist, living in Slovakia. He was born in 1947, in Trenčín, but in his age of 2, his family moved to Žilina, another Slovak city, where he spent most of his life. Drawing lessons in school made him think of art and imagination and he starts discovering artistic world. At home, he draws sketches for his sister and does homeworks or school projects for his classmates. His father wants him to continue family tradition as ironmonger so he becomes apprentice in nearby Trinec (in 1962) where he learns how to work with various metals (and at the blast furnace). In 1965 he accomplished the aprentice, he got contract in the same company but very soon afterwards one of his classmate dies during an accident in the factory, so he can't stay there anymore and in his 17 goes back to Žilina. His father is not really happy about seeing his son leaving the well paid job but can't do nothing. Then he's free to do his military service and he's sent to Prague where he spent next two years. The life in capital is inspiring, its the end of 60's and young people dream about a better life. So in his free time, with friends, he often goes to the cinema to see the newest films or see the concerts.At the casernes he finds his expression in the caricature, the objects are mostly co - soldiers. The dream ends with the soviet occupation in august 1968, his service is prolonged and he directly witnesses the incapacity of the leaders and when his service ends two months later, he decides not to stay in Prague and goes back to Žilina where he finds his wife and has a family (got married in 1969). Very soon he got in touch with local artists, Stano Hatala and photographer Vlado Baca and they exchange their ideas and look for the inspiration. He learns about paintings and he starts practising what he learned on paintings for family or friends, often he tries to copy great masters but mostly he finds his own expression with the oil colours and canvas. He loves impresionism and expressionism. The eighties made his creativity asleep but after 1989, he slowly comes back to the painting and he is re-defining his visions. His fascination for faces, and their grimaces is transformed in a kind of expressive painting and very often he depicts actors, musicians or just ordinary people from the streets mostly found in photos, magazines or internet.