Vladimír Boudník was a Czech artist and graphic designer who was known mainly for his active and structural graphic design. He graduated from the State School of Graphic Design (1945-1949). He was one of the main representatives of Czech Informalism in the 1960s. From 1952 to 1965 he worked at the ČKD Vysočany factory, where he discovered materials and inspiration for his work. He was a close friend of the writer Bohumil Hrabal and he also appeared as a character in his novels. Hrabal’s novella “The Gentle Barbarian” deals with Boudník’s life and work. Boudník created his own artistic style of “explosionalism”, which was meant to be the “seismographic recording of nerve impulses”, as he himself wrote in one of his manifestos. He also created “active graphic design” which consists of recordings of spontaneous work using different materials. He also took part in many street events in the 1950s.
