J.H. KOCMAN

J.H. Kocman (Jiří Hynek Kocman) (1947, Nové Město na Moravě) is one of the most prominent Czech conceptual artists, closely linked with the so-called Brno Circle. He is most known for his artist books and mail art.

J.H. Kocman graduated from the University of Veterinary and Pharmaceutical Sciences Brno (1965 – 1971). He worked at the Institute for the State Control of Veterinary Biologics and Medicines in Brno for many years.

He started creating lyrical and structural abstraction works in 1965, but in the early 1970s, he moved towards conceptual art. He studied aesthetics with Jiří Valoch, one of the key figures of Czechoslovakian Neo-Avant-garde conceptual art. Kocman refers to a part of his works of conceptual, stamp and mail art as Activities. Well-versed in book-binding techniques, he created different types of artist books, including my activity 1965 – 73.

From 1993 to 2017 he was a lecturer at the Faculty of Fine Arts of Brno Technical University. In 1997 he founded the Paper and Book Studio (from 1998 Paper and Book Atelier) at the same Faculty. In 1996 he was made Docent in Conceptual Art by the Academy of Fine Arts in Prague.

J. H. Kocman is the author and editor of the world’s first stamp art anthology with 25 participating artists. The publications, bound by Kocman was done in 1972 and titled Stamp Activity. The participating artists, whom each received copy are: Eric Andersen, Gabor Attalai, Robin Crozier, Joerg Daumeter, Hervé Fischer, Charles Frazier, Ken Friedman, Jochen Gerz, Ludwig Gosewitz, Klaus Groh, Hans Werner Kalkmann, Jiří Hynek Kocman, Géza Perneczky, Gerrit Jan De Rook, Schwind, Jan Steklík, William Louis Sørensen, Pat Tavenner, Endre Tót, Janos Urban, Franco Vaccari, Jiří Valoch, Dušan Klimeš, Jan Wojnar, Tim Ulrichs.