Bohuslav "Bobish" Horak, in his studio.

Master Printer Bohuslav Horak
Master Printer Bohuslav Horak died in Paris, France on January 3, 2004 at the age of 89 years & 11 months. He was born in Prague, Czechoslovakia on January 23, 1914. Horak was educated in Prague and at the Ecole des Beaux-Arts in Paris. He operated his own lithographic workshop for 11 years in Paris before coming to the United States in 1963, later becoming an American Citizen. After serving as Master Printer & Technical Director at the Tamarind Lithography Workshop in Los Angeles, CA he moved to Houston, TX in 1966. At the Art Department of the University of Houston Central Campus he served as Associate Professor and organized their lithography workshop. Horak taught at the university until his retirement. Horak printed lithographic editions for many artists during his lifetime, both in France and in the United States. Lithography was Horak's life and love.

A Student and Colleague's Personal Remembrance by Cheryl Mount Dubroc
In your e-mail you asked …. "What was your relationship to Mr. Horak? Could you tell us a bit more about him, from a personal point of view?" I'll try.

Bohuslav, or Bobish as he asked me to call him, was a wonderfully unique person. There are some who thought him to be difficult and secretive. These are the ones who never got beyond his tough, protective, outer layer. Bobish was a gifted teacher and artist. His love of lithography was reflected in his life and his teaching.

I am the shortest one beside Bobish, with gallery directors
Ann & Bill Robinson looking at a print by visiting artist Ellen
Lanyon and published by the University of Houston.

A Teacher, A Friend, A Good Laugh
He was a stern taskmaster, demanding yet compassionate and very much a man of honor. His drive for the best from his students became their drive as well. The mystery and beauty of lithography, the richness of it's history and tradition became a part of his students just as much as the techniques and the process. Bobish was passionate and full of life, as well as a jokester and a grand stand up comic. Anyone who had the chance to have known Bohuslav Horak was indeed a lucky individual.

As for myself … I met Bobish around 1973, when I began taking lithography at the University of Houston. He was my Professor and a short time later I became his Work-study Assistant and his assistant printer. During this time we became good friends. I learned Bobish's mother and niece were all the family he had and that they were still in Prague, Czech. Until his mother's death Bobish was never allowed back into Prague, which is when he finally met his niece. She died a few years later. All along I had been bringing Bobish to my family get-togethers for holidays, weekends, etc. It was not long before my family adopted him. Over the years we began moving from professor and student to more of a father and daughter relationship.

A few years after he retired I helped Bobish move to Paris. It was a few months after his move that he decided he did not want to be in Paris, but would stay for a while. Bobish came back for many visits to Houston, and my husband Ron and I went to Paris many times to visit him. When our daughters were born Bobish drew the birth announcements and even helped us with their names. He immensely enjoyed our daughters and would joke that he could not decide if he wanted to be their grand father or their uncle (the latter made him sound younger!)

For various reasons in Paris Bobish was unable to move back to Houston. We always wanted him to come live with us and he asked many times if he could. All of us were hoping circumstances would change and he would be able to be here. It has been most difficult to lose such an important person in my life. As a way to honor Bobish we are hosting a celebration of his life in April for his friends and colleagues. It was for this reason that I also contacted World Printmakers.

I give you my heartfelt "thank You" for doing a layout to honor and announce the death of Master Printer Bohuslav Horak.