This work dates from a period when Fára turned his attention to experimentation with materials. From 1966 to 1968 he created a series of assemblages entitled Card Tables, which were assembled from discarded everyday items, primarily made of wood. The structural basis consisted of the legs from chairs and tables, arranged into playful compositional forms (which also appeared in his later assemblages). The work references Dadaism and Surrealism, yet it also carries a sense of rhythm that was intrinsic to Fára as a jazz drummer.
FÁRA LIBOR
(1925–1988) A painter, graphic artist, typographer, scenographer and assemblage artist, Fára was a leading figure in Czech post-war art. He studied at the Officina Pragensis graphic art college, and then from 1945 to 1950 at the Prague Academy of Applied Arts, where he attended the studios run by Emil Filla and František Muzika. It was there that he developed his flair for the synthesis of artistic imagination and constructive order. In the 1950s and 60s he was one of the most prominent exponents of Czech scenography. He collaborated with the E. F. Burian Theatre, the Na Zábradlí theatre and later with the Drama Club (Činoherní Klub), where he developed a modern, visually dynamic concept of the stage. His independent work evolved from surrealist-inspired drawings and collages to reliefs and assemblages made out of found objects, in which he demonstrated his feeling for rhythm, structure and material authenticity. Among his most important works are the cycles entitled Card Tables and his late pieces from the 1980s. He also devoted himself to graphic design and book design, making a major contribution to Czech visual culture in the second half of the 20th century. His works are represented in the collections of the Czech National Gallery and other institutions. His wife was the historical photographer Anna Fárová.
