LADISLAV NOVÁK

Ladislav Novák (1925 - 1999) was a Czech painter and writer, born in Turnov. He also published under the pseudonym Ladislav Hadlíz. After graduating from grammar school, he studied at the Faculty of Arts of Charles University, where he focused on Czech language and history. He completed his studies in 1950 with a diploma thesis on Rhyme and Assonance in the Work of Vítězslav Nezval. Ladislav Novák was a leading Czech representative of surrealism, also excelling as a poet, and wrote concrete and phonetic poetry. In his artistic expression, he became famous for a specific technique called froissage, in which he processed crumpled paper using Chinese ink and watercolour. He was actively involved in cultural life, and from the mid-1950s, he worked in the amateur theatre in Třebíč. His work includes not only visual art but also textual instructions for happenings and participation in samizdat literature after 1970. He exhibited both in Czechoslovakia and abroad, including countries such as France, Belgium, Germany, Switzerland, USA, Italy and Spain.