Theodor Pištěk
1932 - born on October 25 in Prague, father: actor Theodor Pištěk, mother: actress Marie Ženíšková
1948-52 - College of Decorative Arts in Prague
1951 - beginning of automobile competitions and races
1952-58 - Academy of Performing Arts in Prague, studio of Prof. V. Nechleba /begins friendships with B. Dlouhý, J. Koblasa, K. Nepraš, F. Mertl, J. Vachuda, H. Demartini, J. Vožniak/
1958-59 - honorary year with Professor A. Pelc at the Academy of Performing Arts in Prague
1959 - artistic collaboration on the film by F. Vláčil Holubice (The Dove); beginning of continuous work as a film artistic designer; the most important participation in Vláčil’s films – Markéta Lazarová (1967), Údolí včel (Valley of the Bees, 1967)
- first trip abroad (Poland), together with H. Demartini, B. Dlouhý, M. Ressl, J. Vachuda, Z. Sekal
1960 - first independent exhibition at the Film Club, Prague – study for Vláčil’s film Holubice and figurative composition
- paints cubist/expressionist figurative compositions/works with the structure by adding sand and clay to paint/
1962 - foundation of the “Palette of the Homeland” with his friends from the Academy – an informal association to cultivate activities whose participants have no presuppositions for, thus evoking dadaist events
1962-63 - transition from plastic perception of pictures to gypsum reliefs – abstractions in geometric version
1964 - first demonstration of interest in the topic of the technical world; creation of reliefs – exhibits issuing from structures of a section through an automobile cooler and parts of the engine
1967-69 - continuous participation in automobile races, the European Cup ring-racing series
- trip to Austria, meets the sculptor K. Prantl
1968 - participation in group exhibitions
1968-72 - continuation in pictures drawn by pen, accepted colour and spaciousness, interest in organic shapes
1969 - cooperation on the “Man and the World” pavilion at an exhibition in Montreal /together with B. Dlouhý, M. Ressl and J. Vožniak/
1972 - trip to France, meets Joan Miró
1972-73 - nomination for the Czechoslovak automobile ring-racing national team
1974 - end of racing activities
1972-75 - starts to deal with issues of the modern world, creates huge dioramas whose background is formed by illusionary painted landscapes
1975-78 - advances from dioramas to pictures maintaining the method of photographic illusionism inspired by the theme of technical civilisation
1977-79 - president of the Palette of the Homeland
1978 - second independent exhibition of pictures and film costumes, Nová síň (New Hall) in Prague
1982 - independent exhibition at the Václav Špála Gallery, Prague
- collaboration on M. Forman’s film Amadeus
1984 - independent exhibition at the Art Gallery in Karlovy Vary
- receives an Oscar for costume design for Amadeus
1985 - exhibits a collection of pictures at the Arnold and Porter Gallery and the Henri Gallery, Washington
1986 - exhibition of costume designs at the Museum of Evansville, Indiana
- exhibition of pictures at the Down Town Gallery, Indianapolis
1987 - exhibition of pictures at the Nicole Gallery, New York
- exhibition of film design at the Fifth Avenue Gallery, New York
1988 - independent exhibition at the Central Railwaymen’s Community Centre, Prague
1990 - receives the French Academy Award (“César“) for costume designs for M. Forman’s film Valmont
1993 - independent exhibition of pictures and installations at the Aleš South Bohemia Gallery in Hluboká nad Vltavou
1997 - independent exhibition of pictures and installations at the Municipal Library, Gallery of the City of Prague
2000 - exhibition at the Czech Centre, Berlin
2002 - “Homage to Theodor Pištěk”, exhibition of costume designs, Bítov Castle
2003 - “Spaces ´90“, Pecka Gallery, Prague
Represented in the National Gallery in Prague, Aleš South Bohemia Gallery in Hluboká nad Vltavou, Art Gallery in Karlovy Vary, Benedikt Rejt Gallery in Louny, North Bohemia Gallery in Liberec, State Jewish Museum in Prague and collections of the Ministry of Culture of the Czech Republic.
Update: April 2006