David Černý

David Černý first gained notoriety in 1991 when he painted a Soviet tank pink as a memorial to war in his native Prague. Since then his artistic acts of civil disobedience, grand scale installations, and exhibitions have continued to incite strong reactions worldwide.  In 2005, he participated in the Prague Biennale 2 with his work “Shark” - a riff on fellow artist Damien Hirst, which consisted of an image of Saddam Hussein immersed in a tank of formaldehyde. Famously, in a stance against communism in 2015, Černý installed a 30-foot-tall purple hand on a barge in Prague’s Vltava River raising its middle finger in a “Fuck You” directly in front of the castle where Czech president Milos Zeman lived.
Brilliance resides alongside Černý’s rebelliousness in his art. Many works were created through the artist’s proprietary and mind-boggling technique of casting three-dimensional objects from everyday life such as guns, tubes, tools, and light bulbs that emerge completely formed yet translucent as if on permanent x-ray. These items are then used in various ways, embedded in polymer resin, to either become subliminal constituents of an overall image, or as singular objects in a composition meant to impart a strong message. Much like the recently installed "Babies" whose faces have been replaced with a bar code stamp to symbolize the dehumanization of society - a very troubling subject to the Czech artist.
Černý is known for his harsh and often crass criticism. It has landed him on the BBC list of the 20 most controversial artworks and in the headlines of many articles.  Hohmann is pleased to represent the timeless, controversial works by an artist not afraid to investigate the political climate, war machine, and other social issues of our tumultuous contemporary times.
 

1000x1000 Artist image for Landing Page

 

AVAILABLE WORKS

Our inventory changes frequently. Please view available works below or click FOLLOW to be notified of new arrivals.

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ARTWORK

CERNY MULTIPLES

Long-awaited, finally they are here, the limited edition multiples by David Cerny. For several years, the "Palm Springs Babies" have amazed visitors to downtown Palm Springs. At long last, there will be a small table-top-sized "Baby" available as a limited edition bronze. We are compiling a waiting list of interested clients so that we can quickly inform you when they arrive and can be viewed in person at our Palm Desert gallery.

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UNIQUE WORKS

Most of the works that are available are going to be on display in the museum show but can be delivered afterward. We also created videos of many of the works of art that are available: VIEW VIDEOS

Prague, Czech Republic

The MUSOLEUM is now open

 

a new 5-story museum dedicated exclusively to David Černý’s work

Where: Nadrazni 2 in Prague 5, Czech Republic

When in Prague, this is a must-see: www.musoleum.com 

 

Santa Monica/Los Angeles, California

David Lynch - A Portrait

Unveiling of Černý’s sculpture “David Lynch” in Santa Monica 
Where: At the corner of Lincoln Blvd and Colorado Blvd, Santa Monica, CA

The exact date has not yet been set.

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David L
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Palm Springs Babies

David Cerny has Palm Springs talking. The controversial and spectacular art installation of 10 massive babies with bar codes instead of faces caused an initial outrage, but soon became the most visited public art installation in the desert and a social media sensation. As Christian Hohmann says "Whenever art touches on raw emotions and creates controversy, it also creates conversation and with it an opportunity to educate."

 

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Rebel Genius 

We recently finalized the plans for a major museum show for David Cerny in Mexico. The film maker Dale Schierholt has finished his 30-minute documentary about Cerny and you can watch and enjoy here.

 

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Video

Video of "Albert Einstein" in our Village Court Gallery.

 

more about this artist

Biography

David Černý was born in 1967 in Prague, Czech Republic

Černý burst into the public eye in 1991 when he painted a Soviet tank, that served as a war memorial in central Prague, the color pink. Creating extreme controversy with his work, this international sculptor has been described as “witty, exciting, kinetic, crass and provocative”. Černý is the son of a graphic designer father and a mother who was a restorer of art in the National Gallery of Prague. He learned his trade at the Academy of Applied Art in the country’s capital, studied in Boswil on a grant from the Swiss government, and also in New York City at P.S.I Artists Residence New York before taking part in the Whitney Museum Independent Study Program.

His works are characteristically bold, courageous and reach into sensitive political, historical and social themes, all sprinkled with the unconventional artist’s sarcastic humor. In his hometown of Prague alone, Černý has 14 installations in public spaces that have become major public attractions. In 2001 he created a non-profit cultural art and event center in a former 1920’s glass warehouse in Prague, which he named the “Meet Factory”. Černý calls his factory a “multicultural supermarket”, as it houses a theater, music stage and 16 studious occupied by a total of 30 international artists.

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David Černý at the Crocker Museum

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Eraserhead in Santa Monica

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David Cerny Solo Museum Show

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David Cerny - CECUT

This year, the CECUT Tijuana Cultural Museum opens a solo exhibition with important works by the controversial Czech...

Full-length David Cerny documentary

Watch the full-length documentary (30 minutes) about the artist and rebel David Cerny. Filmmaker Dale Schierholt...

David Cerny Museum Show now open

With a soft opening, the Museum CECUT in Mexico has started an awe-inspiring exhibition with works by David Cerny....

"Rebellion" at Cecut

David Cerny's "Rebellion" is currently on display at CECUT Tijuana Cultural Museum, in Tijuana Mexico. This photo was...

Cecut opens the exhibition "David Černý: Rebellion"

"It is an honor for the Tijuana Cultural Center to be that instance of the Ministry of Culture of the Federal...

Bye, bye, Babies!

The "Palm Springs Babies" have moved to Mexico, where they will be on display as part of a major solo Museum exhibition...

CECUT honoring David Cerny

This year, the CECUT Tijuana Cultural Museum will open a solo exhibition with important works by the controversial...

Museum dedicated to David Cerny opens in Prague

The new 5-story, 1,200-square-meter museum opened in Prague in April of 2023. At Cerny's request, it was named...

Controversial ‘Palm Springs Babies’ art exhibit will be removed after nearly 5 years

The "Palm Springs Babies" art exhibit, consisting of ten 300-pound sculptures, is being removed from its central...

Bye, bye, Babies! - Desert Sun

Whether you love, hate, or are simply confused by them, downtown Palm Springs' "Babies" statues have become as much a...

David Cerny "Rebel Genius"

Learn more about the artist: www.hohmann.art/cerny Learn more about the upcoming events: www.hohmann.rsvp/cerny Learn...

David Černý exhibition at Village Court

Prague-based David Černý, art-provocateur and bad boy rebel of the art world, is widely considered the most important...

Explore Art in Downtown Palm Springs

Explore the newly revitalized area of downtown Palm Springs with an artwalk. Grit Development has transformed the heart...

David Cerny - New Works

David Cerny recent works on display at our Village Court Gallery 03/19/2022 through 04/19/2022

"David Černý's iconic Soviet tank painted blue and yellow in support of Ukraine"

"The artist's Tank Torso, which stands at the location of Prague's former Monument to Soviet Tank Crews, is now...

David Cerny - Portrait of Albert Einstein

Prague-based David Černcý, art-provocateur and bad boy rebel of the art world, is currently the most famous living...

David Cerny: See 9 of His Bizarre Sculptures

Will Fly For Food -- Before doing research for this Prague trip, I had never heard of David Cerny, but one look at his...