Namig in Razkritje (avgust 2019)
Fotografski cikel Namig je nastajal v zadnjih treh letih (2017-2019) in je nadaljevanje avtorjevega zanimanja za interpretacije ženskega telesa v fotografskem mediju. Nekoč pionirska tehnika cianotipije ni več v tradicionalnem kontekstu, njen značilno modri ton je opuščen. V novi vizualnosti rjavo toniranega grafičnega papirja avtor združuje njene arhivske tehnološke podrobnosti z rabo sodobnih postopkov. Gre za raziskovalno nadgradnjo, za delo z različnimi fotoaparati in pretežno s filmom posnete podobe, pomemben del studijskega dela zajema priprava negativov in prosojnic. Tako se tehnološki in estetski užitek prepletata.
V ciklusu Razkritje vidimo modele kot objekt za študij formalnega jezika, kjer je na delu fotografova kontrola domišljenega opazovanja forme, čvrste in mehke konture, vzorčenja, ritmiziranega naslojevanja, razkošne tonalne gradacije, valovanja in sijaja pramenov las, razkrivanja in prikrivanja telesa skozi igro draperije. Podobe iz cikla Namig se gibljejo v kontrastu med dekorativno formo in karnalno mehkobo. Naj gre za ležečo, sedečo ali stoječo figuro, nagovor je podoben tistim iz kiparstva ali slikarstva: ujeti tople tone kože, mehkobo prehodov med osvetljenim in senčnim, gladkim, luminoznim, sublimno lahkotno konturo. Fino naslojevanje in fluidnost podpre oko v dojemanju plastičnosti. Forme so vpete v centralno grajeno kompozicijo, pogosto dinamizirane s pomočjo diagonal. K občutenju težnosti v kompoziciji pripomore tudi rjavi ton papirja. Sugestivna izraba granulacije papirja še dodatno podpira bogastvo tekstur. Intimnost formata poenoteno predstavlja ikonografski nabor ženskih aktov. Ženski akti antike ali renesanse so bili pogosto poimenovani Venera, da bi generično poimenovanje vodilo branje podobe v klasično spoštljive konotacije. Venera renesanse je potrebovala služinčad, ki je asistirala vsaj glede oblačil, da bi telo nekako ohranjalo simbolni status ljubezni, lepote in plodnosti. Zagotovo imamo veliko referenc na dela iz tradicije in tistih mojstrov, ki so se zavedali izžarevanja erotične moči v svojih delih, v baročni ekstazi in rokokojski igrivosti. Niz sprememb v odnosu do seksualnega je bil najbolj radikalen v obdobju moderne, ki je pripeljala prezentacijo golote v območje realizma in osvobajanje od alegorije. Sodobne interpretacije akta, študije spola in ženske študije, opozarjajo na temni pol tematike, tudi v sodobnem kontekstu, to je: konzumacija podobe ženskega telesa, vpetosti v ekonomske in socialne nepravičnosti. Vsaka podoba tako pripada trenutkom zgodovine: umetniki so odkrivali eroticizem v skladu s kulturo tistega časa. Naslednje vprašanje, ki se poraja pri analizi in primerjavi, je umeščenost modela v okolje. V notranjem interierju se čuti kot sfera zasebnega (in morda umetno ali kontrolirano), v zunanjem okolju kot prostor javnega. Dialog telesa v naravi delno zajema iz slovenskega obdobja piktoralizma, in se nadaljuje: da gre sedaj za žensko telo v naravi, v kamnolomu, v okolju in okoliščinah, ki so njene; tako interpretacija lahko slavi odnos ženske do lastnega telesa. Odnos fotografa do motiva (ali do modela) lahko interpretiramo tudi skozi poze, ki so ali pasivne ali aktivne, a vedno v konsenzu obeh, čuti se dialog. Pri aktivni vlogi modela je izpostavljeno njeno zavedanje gledalčevega posega pogleda v intimo prizora, njen pogled v gledalca razkriva neposrednost golote in erotike. Gesta roke (Venus Pudica) lahko prekriva, in je hkrati odličen citat zgodovine čutnega in vabljivega. Z uporabo rekvizitov (stol, ogledalo, platno, draperija) se nakažejo možne študijske in interpretativne zgodbe ter lahkotna scenska igrivost.
Diskusija znotraj večnega motiva akta se bo razvijala in transformirala, saj se razvija naš odziv: vprašanje spola, vprašanje moči, interpretacija kontekstov golote. In medtem se fotograf ukvarja s tehničnimi ali formalnimi vprašanji, ima študijski odnos do motiva in do tehnike same, gledalec pred podobo pa je znova prepleten z izvornim Erosom.
Ina Širca
Hint and Disclosure (August 2019)
Made over the last three years (2017 – 2019), the Hint photo series shows the author’s continued interest in the interpretation of the female body through the photography medium. What was once the pioneering technique of cyanotype, is no longer used in the traditional context and its typical blue hue has been abandoned? In the new appearance of brown-toned graphic paper, the author combines its archival technological detail with the use of contemporary procedures. This is an upgrade by means of research: when working with various cameras and having images taken mostly on film preparation of negatives and slides composes a significant part of studio work. The technological and aesthetical pleasure are thus intertwined.
In the Disclosure series, models appear as objects in the study of the formal language, with the photographer exercising his control of considerate observation of form, firm and soft contours, sampling, layering made rhythmical, lush tonal gradation, undulation and shine of locks of hair, uncovering and concealing the body by means of a drapery game. Images from the Hint series move within the contrast between decorative form and carnal softness. Be it a lying, sitting to standing figure, the approach is similar to what can be found in sculpture or painting: to capture the warm tones of skin, the softness of transition between the illuminated and the shadowy, smooth, luminous, the sublimely light contour. Precise layering and fluidity support the eye in perceiving plasticity. Forms are integrated into centrally constructed composition, often made more dynamic using diagonals. The brown hue of paper contributes to the feel of gravity on the composition, whereas the suggestive use of its granulation additionally supports the amplitude of texture. In a uniform manner, the intimate format presents the iconographic range of the female nude. In antiquity or renaissance, the female nude was often referred to as Venus, in order for the generic name to guide the reading of the image within classically respectful connotations. The renaissance Venus required domestic staff to assist her, at least with clothing, for the body to preserve in a way the symbolic status of love, beauty and fertility. We surely have numerous references to traditional works and works by traditional masters who were aware of their creations emanating erotic power in baroque ecstasy or rococo playfulness. The string of changes in the attitude to sexuality was at its most radical during modernity when the presentation of nudity was brought under realism and liberation from allegory. Contemporary interpretations of the nude, gender studies and women’s studies warn of the dark side of this topic even in the contemporary context, i.e., the consummation of the image of the female body, integration in economic and social injustice. Therefore, each image belongs to its moment in history: artists have been discovering eroticism in line with the culture of their time. The next question to emerge in analysis and comparison is how the model is embedded in the surroundings. The interior is perceived as the private sphere (maybe also something artificial or controlled), and the exterior as the public space. The dialogue of the body with the nature draws partly from the period of pictorialism in Slovenia and evolves further: it is now about the female body in the nature, in a quarry, in the setting and circumstances that belong to her, based on which the interpretation can celebrate the woman’s attitude to her own body. The photographer’s attitude to the motif (or the model) can also be interpreted through poses, which are either passive or active, but always a consensus between both of them; the dialogue can be perceived. When the role of the model is active, the stress is on her awareness of the viewer’s gaze interfering with the intimacy of the scene, whereas her gaze into the viewer exposes the directness of nudity and eroticism. A gesture of the hand (Venus Pudica) can cover and also serve as a great quote from the history of the sensual and inviting. The use of the props (chair, mirror, canvas, drapery) hints at possible stories to study and interpret, and at light playfulness about the scene.
The discussion the eternal motif of nude will continue to develop and transform alongside the evolvement of our response: the issue of gender, the issue of power, interpretation of contexts of nudity. In the meantime, the photographer deals with the technical and formal issues while having a study attitude towards the motif and the technique as such, and the viewer in front of the image is again faced with the original Eros.
Ina Širca
Onkraj trenutka (marec 2017)
Fotografski opus Egona Bajta vključuje širok razpon motivov, ki se razteza od režiranih portretnih študij človeka in živali do ženskega akta in upodobitev krajine. Kljub motivni raznolikosti in različnim formalnim prijemom, med katerimi zasledimo tudi manipulativne postopke, pa je v avtorjevih ciklih mogoče zaznati skupni imenovalec, ki se kaže predvsem v subjektivnem fotografskem pristopu. Njegova dela namreč niso hipni posnetki, vzeti iz utripajočega vsakdanjega življenja, ampak so rezultat premišljenega izbora motivov in dognanega kadriranja. Slednje velja tudi za vedute morskih krajin in jezerskih obrežij iz cikla Onkraj trenutka (2011-2017), ki so nastale z uporabo dolgega osvetlitvenega časa, s katerim avtor preoblikuje povsem običajne krajinske izseke v poetične podobe, prežete z nenavadno, skoraj mistično svetlobo.
Iz serije analognih in digitalnih fotografij, posnetih v bledi jutranji in večerni svetlobi, lahko razberemo, da je v fokusu Bajtovih razmišljanj prikazovanje kontrasta med vodo in sledovi človekove prisotnosti: mostovi, betonskimi pomoli in lesenimi konstrukcijami. V tehničnem smislu pa posveča največjo pozornost določitvi optimalnega časa ekspozicije, ki transformira gibljivo vodno površino v neizrazito grafično podlago, na kateri so reducirane tudi sence in svetlobni odsevi. Avtor seveda doseže takšen učinek le v primerih, ko je gladina vode mirna ali rahlo vzvalovana, medtem ko daje valovito morje na fotografijah videz nekakšne meglice, ki lebdi nad vodo in je še posebej izrazita na bližnjih posnetkih. Kajti penasti oblaki – ki jih prepoznamo kot statične podobe razburkanih valov – dobesedno požirajo betonske elemente.
Vizualno preoblikovane so tudi podobe arhitekturnih konstrukcij, za katere se zdi, da so prepojene s svetlobo, ki mehča zidane strukture. Betonski kvadri, ki sestavljajo enega izmed pomolov, na primer dajejo vtis, kot da so brez teže in lebdijo v vodi. Posnetki plavajočih objektov pa so, nasprotno, neostri ali celo povsem zabrisani.
Bajtove fotografske podobe torej niso le zamrznjeni trenutki, ampak utelešajo čas, ki ustvarja na posnetkih presenetljivo mirno, meditativno, brezčasno atmosfero, na kar namiguje že naslov cikla Onkraj trenutka. Globoka tišina je pravzaprav v popolnem nasprotju s kaotično vsakdanjostjo in jo lahko razumemo kot avtorjevo stanje duha. V podobe namreč projicira tudi svoje lastne vtise, videnja, občutja in razmišljanja o odnosu med naravo in kulturo, ki pa ga ne obravnava kritično. Res je sicer, da so predmeti v neobljudenem, izpraznjenem prostoru precej bolj izraziti, vendar ne kovinski detajli niti železobetonske konstrukcije v krajini ne delujejo moteče, ampak prav nasprotno. Fotografije preveva neopisljiva spokojnost, ki poudarja sožitje naravne in kulturne krajine. A ne le to, v takšnem vzdušju je bolj izpostavljena tudi kompozicijska zasnova fotografij, ki jasno kaže, da motivi pritegnejo avtorja predvsem zaradi tektonike in jasnih geometrijskih linij grajenih konstrukcij. Po drugi strani pa vizualizira tudi strukturne učinke naravnih elementov, zlasti peščenih nabrežij, na katerih voda ustvarja atraktivne abstraktne vzorce.
Dela iz pričujoče serije razkrivajo, da Egon Bajt pojmuje fotografijo kot medij, s katerim lahko modificira resničnost. Fotografije, ki so plod dolgotrajnega proučevanja svetlobe in eksperimentiranja s fotografskim medijem, namreč prikazujejo več, kot zmorejo videti naše oči. Minimalistične podobe so seveda refleksija avtorjevega videnja sveta. Hkrati pa prostorska praznina, ki prevladuje na posnetkih, dopušča tudi gledalcu, da jih dopolni s svojo vsebino.
Nataša Kovšca
Beyond a Moment (March 2017)
Egon Bajt’s photography oeuvre encompasses a wide range of motifs from staged studies of human and animal portraits to the female act and depictions of landscape. Despite the variety of themes and various formal approaches which also include manipulative procedures, there is a common denominator to be detected in the author’s series, mostly showing in his subjective approach to photography. Rather than being momentary shots taken from the pulsating everyday life, his works are the result of a considerate selection of motifs and established sequencing. The latter is also true for sea-scapes and lake shores from the Beyond the Moment series (2011-2017), which are based on long exposure. The latter is used by the author to transform what would be quite typical landscape sections into poetic images permeated by unusual, almost mythical light.
Looking at a series of analogue and digital photographs shot in the pale morning and evening light, we can discern how Bajt’s considerations focus on the portrayal of the contrast between water and the traces of human presence: bridges, concrete piers and wooden constructions. In the technical sense, however, he pays most attention to setting the optimum exposure time, which transforms the moving surface of the water into a plain graphic background where even shadows and reflections of light are reduced. Naturally, the author can only achieve this when the surface of the water is calm or slightly dimpled, whereas lumpy sea in photographs looks like a mist floating above the water, which is particularly prominent in close-up. The foamy clouds – which we recognise as the static images of billowy waves – literally engulf the concrete elements.
Images of concrete constructions are also transformed visually, seeming to be permeated by the light that softens the built structures. The concrete blocks composing one of the piers, for example, give the impression of floating on water weightlessly. This is contrasted by shots of floating objects in soft focus or even blurred.
Rather than solely depicting frozen moments, Bajt’s depictions thus embody time, which gives the photographs a surprisingly calm, meditative and timeless atmosphere, as is also hinted at in the title of the series, Beyond the Moment. The deep silence that is actually in stark contrast with the chaotic mundanity, could be seen as the author’s state of mind. Into his photographs, he projects his own impressions, perceptions, feelings and thoughts on the relation between nature and culture, which he does not look at with criticism. It is true that in an uninhabited, emptied space, objects are much more emphasised, yet neither the metal details nor the reinforced concrete constructions in the landscape seem in any way obtrusive. The photographs are permeated by indescribable serenity that stresses the symbiosis between the natural and cultural heritage. Even more, such atmosphere only emphasises further the composition of photographs, indicating clearly that the author has been drawn to the motifs because of the tectonics and clear geometrical lines of constructions. On the other hand, the photographer also visualises the structural effects of natural elements, particularly sandy embankments where water creates attractive abstract shapes.
Photographs from this series expose that Egon Bajt understands photography as a medium that allows him to modify reality. Resulting from lengthy explorations of light and experimentations with the medium of photography, his photographs depict more than our eyes can see. These minimalist images naturally reflect the author’s view of the world. At the same time, the spatial emptiness prevailing on photographs lets the viewer fill them with their own contents.
Nataša Kovšca
Glasbena medigra (november 2016)
Kako upodobiti glasbo? Kako odslikati portret nečesa, kar nima prostorske oblike? Kako upodobiti abstraktno prvino s fotografijo, z zapisom resničnega sveta? Fotograf in glasbenik Egon Bajt odgovarja s serijo portretov, ki so nastali ob 200. obletnici glasbenega šolstva na Slovenskem. Glavni protagonisti so otroci, učenci Glasbene šole Kamnik s svojimi glasbenimi instrumenti, ki pod fotografovo taktirko pripovedujejo nenavadne in nepričakovane zgodbe. Tako avtor v nasprotju z običajnimi predstavami o klasični, resni glasbi témo predstavi na sproščen, hudomušen in duhovit način.
Formalne prijeme si Bajt izposoja iz portretne in produktne fotografije, uporabi pa tudi značilnosti karikature – pretiravanja v velikosti, poigravanja z ravnotežjem, vsebinske preobrate, namerne napake, popačenja in odmike ter duhovite skrite detajle. Poze in domišljena kostumografija, ki se zgledujejo po modni fotografiji, kažejo svežino, sproščenost in sodoben način. S pretiranimi dimenzijami ali nenavadnimi postavitvami fotograf vsebinsko poudari instrumente. Tako niso zgolj predmeti, mrtva orodja za izvabljanje zvokov, temveč so enakovredni partnerji v dvojici glasbenik – glasbeni instrument. Poosebi jih in animira, jim vdahne osebnost, da skupaj s portretiranci na fotografskem odru ustvarjajo dinamičen gibalno zvočni dialog.
Osebe in predmeti ter razmerja, ki se spletajo med njimi, so na nevtralnem studijskem ozadju poudarjeni. Pihanje v glasbilo se obrača nazaj v obliki vetra v laseh in valovanja oblačil. Mladi glasbenik lovi ravnotežje pod težo glasbenega kovčka na hrbtu. Tipke klavirja frčijo po zraku kot dinamična ilustracija notnih zapisov. Šopek flavt je povezan z vrvico kot naročje ljubezenskih pisem. Sladke spone glasbe so nase prikovale kitarista. Harmonika je meh malomarno raztegnila pod lastno težo. Pevec bo z rokohitrskim trikom priklical čarovnijo glasbe … Vsebino avtor podkrepi z likovnimi sredstvi: dinamične kompozicijske vertikale in diagonale poudarjajo gibanje, melodijo in ritmičnost glasbe. Kompozicijski zasuki spominjajo na ples. Trenutek, zaustavljen na najvišji točki skoka, ustvari visoko napetost.
V nasprotju z običajnimi estetiziranimi fotografijami klasičnih glasbenikov so otroški glasbeni portreti Egona Bajta barviti, živahni in polni čustev. Z njimi ob častitljivi obletnici sporoča, da se tu srečujejo in v harmonične odnose prepletajo otroška radovednost, sproščenost in veselje, ter veličastna lepota in pomenljiva globina glasbe.
Monika Ivančič Fajfar
Intermezzo (November 2016)
How can you depict music? How can you portray something that has no spatial shape? How do you depict an abstract element in a photograph, a record of the real world? Photographer and musician Egon Bajt responds with a series of portraits made to celebrate the 200th anniversary of music schools in Slovenia. The main protagonists are children from the Kamnik Music School with their musical instruments, telling quirky and unexpected stories under the photographer’s direction. In contrast to our usual notions of classical or serious music, he presents the topic in a relaxed, roguish and witty manner.
Bajt borrows formal approaches from portrait and product photography, while also using the characteristics of caricature – exaggerated sizes, toying with balance, dramatic turns, intentional errors, distortions and retreats, and witty hidden details. Poses and considerate costumes following the example of fashion photography express freshness, as well as a relaxed and contemporary manner. Using exaggerated dimensions or unusual placement, the photographer puts emphasis on instruments. They are not just items, dead tools to extract sounds from; rather, they are equal partners in the duo musician – musical instrument. The former personifies and animates them, inspires a personality in them, so that, together with those portrayed on the photographic stage, they form a dynamic motion-sound dialogue.
The persons and items, and the relations being formed between them, are emphasised against the neutral studio background. Blowing into an instrument returns as the wind in the hair and the undulating clothes. A young musician is balancing himself under the heavy music case on his back. The piano keys are flying through the air as a dynamic illustration of the music sheets. A bunch of flutes is tied with a rope like a lapful of love letters. The sweet shackles of music have riveted the guitarist to themselves. The accordion extended its bellows carelessly under its own weight. The singer will make a sleight of hand to conjure the magic of music… The author uses artistic means to emphasise the content: dynamic compositional verticals and diagonals stressing the movement, melody and rhythmicity of music. The turns in composition remind us of dance. A moment halted at the upmost stage of a jump creates a high level of tension.
In contrast to the usual highly aestheticized photographs of classical musicians, Egon Bajt’s children’s musical portraits are colourful, lively, full of emotions. On the occasion of the venerable anniversary, he communicates that what is encountering here and intertwining in harmonious relations is childish curiosity, easiness and joy, as well as the glorious beauty and the telling depth of music.
Monika Ivančič Fajfar
Razkritje (maj 2015)
Serijo fotografij Razkritje sestavlja 14 fotografij, ki so nastale v preteklih treh letih, kot neke vrste naključje v raziskovanju človeškega telesa. Egon Bajt se namreč že od začetka zanima za človeško telo, njegove oblike, teksturo in raznolikost.
V fotografiji vidi idealni izrazni medij, ki ga uporablja po slikarskih principih. Tu ne gre za trenutno, hipno fotografijo, kjer se kader spreminja iz sekunde v sekundo, temveč dolgotrajen proces razmišljanja, preizkušanja, kadriranja in postprodukcije. Fotografije so nastale s pomočjo digitalne obdelave v naprej kadriranih in premišljenih dvojnih ekspozicij. Enkrat je imel pred seboj polni akti, drugič ga je skril za belo tkanino.
Četudi sam pravi, da je s fotografijo ustvaril to, kar bi si morda želel naslikati, v kolikor bi znal, podajo fotografije s svojimi belimi draperijami in telesi bolj občutek kiparskega dela. Vsako navdihnjeno v svojem obdobju. Stoična telesa, odsotnost glav in naturalistične bele gube nas lahko spomnijo na antične kipe, na drugih je tkanina tako oprijeta, vendar dekorativno gubana, da deluje morda malo baročno – kot tiste tanke tkanine, v katere so baročni mojstri zakrili svoje gole kipe, da jim nihče ni mogel očitati slednjega. Zagotovo k asociaciji na kipe pripomorejo dodane teksture v ozadju – marmor, kamen, stena. Hladni elementi ob katerih telo izgubi svojo življenjsko funkcijo in postane izrazni objekt. Obrazna mimika in občutja modelov niso pomembna – so skrivnostno skrita za lasmi, rokami, tkanino.
Obiskovalec je tako primoran sam raziskovati svoja občutja ob pogledu na fotografije. Četudi so vse del iste serije, ima vsaka svoje značilnosti, s katerimi očara obiskovalca ter ga estetsko zadovolji. Po Rolandu Barthesu bi lahko rekli, da ima vsaka fotografija svoj punctum – detajl, ki nas zbode in ki se ga bomo spominjali tudi, ko fotografije ne bo več pred nami oz. bo takrat celo bolj izrazit. Čar tega punctuma je, da ne nastane namenoma oz. ga fotograf ne more vsiliti, vendar ga je prav tako težko obrazložiti, saj lahko vsak obiskovalec najde svojega.
Razstava bo tako na vsakem obiskovalcu pustila drugačen vtis, kar pa je tudi namen avtorja, ki je primarno želel posredovati estetski občutek in ne toliko konceptualni. Tu ne moremo iskati nekega globljega pomena, kot osebno interpretacijo – teh pa je lahko neskončno.
Sara Erjavec Tekavec
Disclosure (May 2015)
The Disclosure series is composed of 14 photographs that were made over the past three years quite coincidentally during explorations of the human body. The latter is a topic Egon Bajt has always been interested in, including its forms, textures and diversity.
He sees in photography the ideal medium of expression and uses it following the principles of painting. This is not about the momentary, instant photograph that changes from one second to the next. Instead, he makes use of a lengthy process of consideration, experimentation, composition and postproduction. His photographs are the result of digital processing of pre-composed and premeditated double exposures. In the first instance, he used a full nude, and in the second one, he covered it with white fabric.
Although he says himself that photographs let him create what he might have wanted to paint if he had known how to, his photographs made up of white drapery and bodies give the feel of a work of sculpture rather than painting. Each of them inspired by another historical period. Stoic bodies, the absence of heads and naturalist white folds might remind us of antique sculptures; whereas in some other instances the fabric fits so tightly, yet with decorative folds that it might seem somewhat baroque – just like those thin fabrics used by baroque artists to cover their nude sculptures so that they could not be reproached for nudity. The added background textures – marble, stone, wall – undoubtedly contribute to the parallels with sculptures. Cold elements make the body lose its vital function and become an expressive object. Hidden mysteriously behind the hair, hands, and fabric, the models’ facial expressions and feelings are inconsequential.
When looking at photographs, the visitor is thus forced to explore their own feelings. Although part of the same series, they all have their own features to enthral the visitor and satisfy their aesthetic interest. We could refer to Roland Barthes, saying that each photograph has its own punctum – a detail that prods us and remains in our memory or becomes even more prominent even when the photograph is no longer in sight. The magic of punctum is in the fact that it has not been made intentionally and cannot be forced on us by the photographer, but it is equally difficult to explain since each visitor might have their own variety.
The exhibition will thus affect each visitor differently. And this is just what the author had in mind, his primary intention having been to pass on, not a conceptual but an aesthetic feeling. Rather than a deeper meaning, we should be looking for personal interpretation – and there can be a plethora of them.
Sara Erjavec Tekavec
