Posts Tagged ‘exhibition’
Announcing probably my best exhibition opening
“A cyanotype print from a wet plate collodion negative format 10×12" (25x30cm). Print was toned with tanin from green tea. Part of the series "You remained a part of the landscape, it's beauties and it's pain", a hommage to a painter Božidar Jakac. A cyanotype print from a wet plate collodion negative format 10×12″ (25x30cm). Print was toned with tanin from green tea. Part of the series “You remained a part of the landscape, it’s beauties and it’s pain”, a hommage to a painter Božidar Jakac.
On Tuesday I’m opening an exhibition that will probably be my best show until now. In November I was invited to have a show in Gallery Krka in Novo mesto and I thought I’ll have enough time to do nice wet plate collodion plates until the end of April, but winter was lasting until day before yesterday and I was forced to make wetplate images in harsh conditions. I had an extensive help from my mentor Miša Keskenović and Mark Osterman, the world authority in alternative processes. Let me quote Mark Osterman: “Remember that no photographer in their right mind would have been making images in that severe cold in the old days..so you are doing ok. 
“. Topshit compliment indeed!
OK, I had a date of the opening of the show. I knew I wanted to do landscape photography from the beginning, which was not the smartest decision in winter time, but I also knew I don’t want to go for usual mainstream aesthetic, let’s call it national geographic kind of aesthetic or even Ansel Adams aesthetic if you want. I mention Ansel Adams, because he’s a huge influence to me, but I live in different times, I don’t want, can not and I’m not competent enough to replicate his perfection of his art. On other hand I also didn’t want to make shitty collodion plates, that would later be scanned and digitally fixed, printed as inkjets and call it an Art, that’s for sure! I mentioned before how I got inspired to do wet plate collodion process on the exhibition by Sally Mann in London’s Photographer’s Gallery. In her images I saw a huge potential to be explored, a huge vain of gold to be dig, so I was aiming for technical brilliance, but to somehow capture enchanting beauty of Sally Mann’s work. Mission imposible, I know.
Second resolution was, that I need to dig in art history and grow roots deep down there. One of my first tintype landscapes was of frozen river Krka at -17C in year 20012. Last time that river Krka got frozen it was some 85 years ago and at the time young painter Božidar Jakac painted the scene that astonished me as a child. Jakac later became a renown painter in Yugoslavia. I want to make a hommage to his work.
The title of the exhibition is “You remained a part of the landscape, it’s beauties and it’s pain”, that’s a verse of Tone Pavček engraved on his grave.
I’ll make a video podcast about my show, but let me share an image from the show, illustrating what I wrote above. It’s a cyanotype print from a wet plate collodion negative format 10×12″ (25x30cm). Print was toned with tanin from green tea. I took this image like 100 meters from my house and left my dog to guard the camera Because it was a huge contrast between dark trees and white snow, I dodged the plate while exposing. The exposure was 6 minutes at aperture f/16 and 2,5 minutes I was holding a black velvet in front of the lens. Of course I was moving the velvet so it’s not visible. I used Vageeswari 10×12″ camera with a Rodenstock bistagmat lens from year about 1907 and it covers format 18×24 cm, but I wanted to have vignetting effect, so I put it on a camera format 25x30cm (10×12″).
See you on Tuesday 23.4.2013 in Gallery Krka, upravna stavba Krka d.d., Novo mesto, Slovenia, EU, at 19.00.
Invitation to the exhibition Castrumfoto 2012 on a theme Disguise
I’ve been invited to participate in the Castrumfoto International Workshop 2012 that is organized since 2003. The Castrumfoto is an annual workshop for art photographers from Italy, Austria, and Slovenia organised by the Pilon Gallery from Ajdovščina under the leadership of Primož Brecelj. The results of the workshop of eleven artists will be presented on an exhibition in the Pilon Gallery, this Friday, 14.12.2012 with the opening at 19:00.
This year’s theme is A Disguise. My concept is questioning the term disguise and objectivity. I did a series of self portraits, following a dogma of photography that could be defined as un-manipulated, objective photography. I was doing a mug shot, without cloths, staring into a camera. The theme disguise comes into existence only if you see the whole series of self-portraits. For each self-portrait I’ve chosen a different camera, that is ShenHao 4×5″, Mamiya RB67, Zenza Bronica ETRS 645, Nikon D3, Kodak Folding Brownie 3A and Pentax K200. I was trying to maintain all factors that effect photography the same, only camera and a medium on which photograph will be recorded on, will be the variable in this project. I’ve chosen my friends camera Pentax K200 that records infrared specter of light, classic analog camera, digital Nikon D3 and also Wet Plate Collodion as a medium. Wet plate Collodion is sensitive to blue and ultraviolet specter of light.
The presentation will be simple, 50x70cm prints and under the prints there will be a note with characteristics of the camera and medium on which photograph was recorded.
My point here is that all this images are following dogma of photography as an objective recordings of reality, but when you put them together, the questions are arousing which one is more real. Which one is real? Just by noticing how different this self-portraits are, a viewer is faced with the fact that photography is not objective! PHOTOGRAPHY IS THE DISGUISE!
Thx to Luka Gorjup for helping me with infrared self-portrait and my wife Alenka for the help with the rest of self-portraits.
Self-portrait taken with ShenHao 4×5″ camera and wet plate collodion.
Self-portrait taken with Mamiya RB67 camera and Polaroid fp-100c.
Self-portrait taken with Folding Brownie and wet plate collodion.
Self-portrait taken with Pentax K-200, transformed so it records infrared specter of light.
Self-portrait taken with Zenza Bronica ETRS 645 camera and Efke 100 film.
Self-portrait taken with Nikon D3 camera
A description list of the camera and medium on which the photograph was taken.
Just a sketch how I was planning to present the prints on the wall. It’s not The Gallery Pilon.
Invitation to the opening of my show in Gorizia
In few days, that’s 29. October 2012 there will be an opening of a group exhibition in Kulturni dom in Gorizia in Italy. I’ll exhibit my Wet Plate Collodion portraits and some large format portraits. This weekend, that passed, before the opening in Gorizia, I’ve exhibited some of the pictures on a folk celebration that happened in a village where I grew up, in Straža pri Novem mestu. Every year villagers gather to revive a folk tradition of pealing corn and so we made the exhibition for the night. A jolly evening indeed. HERE is a report from a local TV, Vaš kanal. 
After Fotopub festival
A group picture participants and mentors of Fotopub 2012 festival. Photo: Borut Peterlin & Miša Keskenović
Last week we had the 12th edition of Fotopub festival with many exhibitions, lectures and foremost workshops. All together we had 61 participants of different workshops. Miša Keskenović and myself we were running a workshop of Wet Plate Collodion photographic technique. Everything went well and smooth and here are few pictures that we’ve made on the workshop. We had 11 participants working with five cameras, from my Kodak Folding Brownie 3A, Plaubel 13x18cm, Shen Hao 4×5″, antique wooden camera 18 x 24cm to Miša’s mammoth camera 40x40cm. We had two sets of chemicals so the work was really intense and people created many, many plates that they took home. On the last day we decided that we’ll be making more weekend workshops on alternative printing process from gum-print, cyanotype, salt print, albumen print to digital print and camera obscura. fun, fun, fun…
Red Star T-shirt – Mladinina mikica z rdečo zvezdo
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Last week I had to make an advertisement for Mladina’s new T-shirt with a red star. Lately in the peak of recession when Slovenia is mentioned to be the sixth EU country that will need to ask for financial help, Prime Minister Janša started his campaign to trivialize National Liberation Front (Red star) and his right wing colleagues are openly glorifying Hitler’s collaborators Domobranci. Mladina decided to start selling the T-shirts with red star and trusted me to make a good picture for their campaign. My first idea was to go to Dolenjski muzej and on the exhibition dedicated to partisan resistance find some appropriate angle around guns. But guns were all in show windows and that was not possible. I decided I’ll make a very simple image and use the wall with names of over 3000 fallen partisans, activists and victims of o fascistic violence. I’m really happy that this photograph is not only opposing stupid remarks that Slovene Home Guard (Domobranci) soldiers who pledged their service to Hitler and were capturing allied pilots and handing them to SS, were fighting for democracy, but also reminding what red star really represents in history. If you want to buy one HERE is the link.
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Prejšen teden sem naredil reklamno fotografijo za Mladinino novo mikico z rdečo zvezdo. KOt veste, na višku recesije, ko je Slovenija omenjana kot potencaialno šesta država, ki bo prisiljena prostiti EU za finančno pomoč, je Premier Janša začel svojo kampanijo za razvrednotenje pomena narodno osvobodilnega boja in simbola rdeče zvezde. Kot veste, so janševci začeli na glas propagirati hitlerjance in Mladina se je odločila, da naredi mikico z rdečo zvezdo. Meni so zaupali, da naredim fotografijo, ki bo uporabljena za oglase. Moja prva ideja je bila, da bi šel v Dolenjski muzej in na razstavi NOB našel nek zorni kot kjer bi lahko posnel mikico in orožje. Na mojo žalost je bilo vse atraktivno orožje v izložbi, ki je nisem mogel odpreti, tako sem se odločil, da naredim popolnoma enostavno fotko, ob spominski plošči, kjer so imena padlih partizanov, aktivistov in drugih žrtev okupatorskega nasilja. Na ta način fotografija nasprotuje fiktivni ideji, da so se hitlerjanci borili za demokracijo, ampak tudi izpostavlja kaj je rdeča zvezda resnično pomenila ljudem!
Če jo hočete naročiti, je tu POVEZAVA do nje.
The opening of the exhibition “Family Album” was fantastic :-)
Yesterday I had an opening of my exhibition “Family Album” in Gallery Laterna in Črnomelj, Slovenia. It’s a small nice gallery with passionate public. The gallery was packed and at the opening not everybody could fit in. Even friends and colleagues from Novo mesto, Ljubljana and Zagreb came! On the end of the opening ceremonial I’ve made a demonstration of the Wet Plate Collodion and made a group portrait in front of the gallery. Unfortunately this was about half an hour after the opening, so not everybody are on the picture.
From the show I’m literally astonished what kind of quality does a small 9x12cm ambrotype contains! Bojan Radovič and Luminus made a print size 100x80cm and it’s perfect! I have some serious ideas with newly discovered potentials. What do I have in mind? Let me step back and describe a little the background inspiration for the show. About two years ago I saw an exhibition of Sally Mann in The Photographer’s Gallery in London. I immediately fall in love with Wet Plate Collodion process and this was also times when I had enough of my job as a photoeditor and news photography on general. I was looking for a person who would know something about it at the affordable price. Year later I’ve bought a kit from Bostick & Sullivan , but I had all the chemicals, plate and a camera, but still nobody to show me how to do it. In November 2011 I’ve finally met Miša Keskenović who taught me nearly everything that I know about this process. Since then I’m working almost every day with it and it’s Rock and Roll!
Motif-wise of course I was photographing mainly my family and finally I was indulging the need what Susan Sontag describes as a need of a parent to photograph child’s progress. The absence of photographs from your child’s childhood it gives us parents a feeling that you haven’t been a good parent. And I must admit I’ve took thousands of photographs of my children, but ony few of them are in our Family Album! Finally with Wet Plate Process I had a feeling I’m making pictures that are worth to keep for the future! With Wet Plate I was shooting also large format 4×5″ sheet film and I’ve totally fall in love with it!
When I got an invitation for the show, I was told that budget is no-budget, so if I had to finance the show from family’s budget, why not devote the exhibition to my family! This was the start, the inspiration. After working couple of months for the show, I discovered several potentials that will go beyond our family album pictures series. For instance. The photo of Lučka leaning on a tree is inspired by Charles Lutwidge Dodgson‘s (better known as Lewis Caroll) photograph of Alice Lidell (Alice in Wonderland) and when I developed the photo I said to my self this is sooo cool, I want to illustrate a whole book with this kind of images! I have many friends that are writing for children. If you have a tip for me, please contact me.
Anyhow, the exhibition will be open until 14th of June 2012, but before you visit, please call the keeper of the gallery Slavko on 040661802. He will be more then happy to open the space upon your visit.
Včeraj sem imel otvoritev razstave Družinski album v galeriji Laterna. To je majhna, čedna galerija v centru Črnomlja z zvesto, strastno publiko. Galerija je pokala po šivih in za časa otvoritvenega ceremoniala niti ni mogla sprejeti vseh obiskovalcev! Celo prijatelji in kolegi iz NM, Lj in celo iz Zagreba so prišli! Na koncu sem naredil skupinsko sliko in demonstriral tehniko mokri kolodij. Na žalost so nekateri že odšli, tako na fotki niso vsi obiskovalci, a se že tako vidi, da je bil žur!
Z razstave sem se mnogo naučil. Najbolj oprijemljivo je to, kakšno neverjetno tonaliteto, ostrino in nasploh kvaliteto vsebuje ena majhna ambrotipija velikosti 9x12cm! Bojan Radovič in Luminus je naredil inkjet povečavo velikosti 100x80cm in izgleda fenomenalno! Norišn’ca, vam prav’m!
Pa tudi sicer sem nenadejano naletel na potenciale, katere nisem vedel, da obstajajo. Naj malo pojasnim o čem govorim. Pred približno dvema letoma, sem si ogledal razstavo Sally Mann v The Photographer’s Gallery in se v trenutku zaljubil v proces mokri kolodij na steklu! Ta čas je sovpadal z mojim naraščajočim nezadovoljstvom poklica fotourednik in novičarske fotografije v obče. Iskal sem človeka, ki bi me lahko naučil o tem procesu, po sprejemljivi ceni. Leto kasneje sem kupil cel kit pri Bostick & Sullivan , a še vedno nisem vedel kako se s tem operira. Lani novembra sem spoznal Miša Keskenovića, ki me je naučil skoraj vse kar vem o mokrem kolodiju. Od takrt delam ali se učim o tem postopku vsak dan in je čisti Rock&Roll!
Jasno pri učenju postopka mokri kolodij, sem fotografiral predvsem svojo družino in končno sem potešil vzgib, ki ga Susan Sontag opisuje, kot potrebo starša, da dokumentira odraščanje svojega otroka. Pač v sodobni družbi se starša, ki ne fotografira svojega otroka smatra za malomarnega starša. Seveda to ne pomeni dejansko to, a v principu tako se počutimo starši. Sam sem posnel tisoče fotografij svojih otrok a le nekaj jih je dejansko v obliki fizične fotografij in v družinskem albumu.Končno s postopkom mokri kolodij delam fotografije imam občutek, da delam fotografije, ki so vredne hranjenja za prihodnost. Medtem, ko sem snemal na kolodijske plošče, sem tudi začel fotografirati na 4×5″ velikoformatni plan film in se čist zacopal v mehovke in fotografiranju na stojalu.
Ko sem dobil povabilo za razstavo mi je bilo povedano, da ni sredstev za produkcijo razstave, tako sem pomisli, če že moram razstavo financirati iz družinskega proračuna, zakaj jo ne bi posvetil svoji družini! To je bil prvi vzgib, inspiracija. Potem ko sem delal za to razstavo par mesecev, pa sem odkril kar nekaj potencialov, ki bodo daljnosežni! Na primer fotografija Lučke, ki se naslanja na drevo je bila inspirana s fotografijo Alice Lidell (Alica v čudežni deželi) fotografa Charles Lutwidge Dodgson, bolj znanega pod psevdonimom Lewis Caroll. Ko sem razvil to fotko sem bil tako navdušen, da sem takoj pomislil, da ilustriram kako knjigo za otroke po tem postopku. Poznam veliko pisateljic, ki pišejo za otroke, tako se bo že kaj našlo. Če imate nasvet me prosim kontaktirajte
Razstava bo odprta do 14.6.2012 in če boste šli pogledat, prosim pokličite prej skrbnika galerije slikarja Slavka na 040661802. Z veseljem vam odpre galerijo tudi zunaj urnika galerije.
Photo: Damir R.
Invitation to the exhibition of my Wet Plate Collodion photographs
Dear reader, I invite you to the opening of my exhibition Family Album that will be in Galerija Laterna in Črnomelj, Slovenia on Friday 25.5.2012, at 19:00. I’ll exhibit a series of portraits of my family that I’ve made in last half a year. Some of it are made in Wet Plate Collodion technique, others are taken of sheet film format 4×5″. Large format rules! I’ll also make a live demonstration of Wet Plate Collodion portraiture. Fun it will be! Here are some previews from the show.
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Dragi bralec, predraga bralka, vabim te na otvoritev razstave Družinski album, ki bo ta petek, ob 19. uri v Galeriji Laterna, v Črnomlju. Razstavil bom portrete svoje družine, ki sem jih naredil v zadnjem obdobju, v tehniki mokri kolodij na steklu in na velikoformatnem plan filmu. Na otvoritvi bom izvedel tudi demonstracijo tehnike mokri kolodij. Bo zabavno! Tu je nekaj predogledov z razstave.
Daniel Miller, the founder of Mute Records
Few weeks ago a festival Slovenian week of music was happening and they hosted Daniel Miller in Ljubljana. He is the legendary founder and the big boss of legendary Mute records. He was (still is) collaborating with names in popular music like Nick Cave, Depeche Mode, Erasure, Laibach, Moby and many many others. Mladina weekly hired me to make his portrait to illustrate an interview with him. Creative editor called me and said, that in Mute Records they specifically asked Mladina that I should be making the portrait of Mr. Miller. Apparently that was a condition for the interview. I don’t know from whom exactly this email came from, but I’m quite in doubt that someone from Mute records in London expressed that wish. But what if so… Perhaps it’s time to finish my career as a photographer and become a rock star! Well, for that I have too healthy life style and on the end of the day all I really want is to be a hockey player.
Anyhow, for the shoot I brought with me a guitar that I found in a neighbor’s trash can. My concept was that Mr. Miller would demolished it, you know like a rock star. I’ve made few exposure tests and then we waited our turn for the interview. When our turn came, we had only 10 minutes for an interview and that was not enough not even enough for the photo shoot. I expected this might happen so I had a back up plan. I saw a potential angle that could work and that I could make an interesting picture in one minute that I had. I took this two frames and off we went. Journalist Goran Kompoš made an excellent interview the following day. Everybody was very pleased with the image and know I’m waiting that Nick Cave would call me for a portrait
PS: I have a concept for a portrait of Laibach
music group. It will materialize eventually…
Stitching is a really crazy alternative printing photography process
Company Ercigoj contacted me if I want to be involved in the new printing process, that is stitching. They developed some kind of hi-tech CNC computer guided sewing machine. I never heard about that so of course I’ve was very interested. I’ve sent them two files and after:
50 working hours,
826.920 stitches,
7.000 meters of thread,
of 21 different threads,
the picture size 116x39cm was done!
The result is amazing. I’m sorry because the scan or reproduction of the print can’t show true quality of three dimensional material that thread is. Nevertheless with zooming in details, you can imagine how does it feel like in real. I’m publishing few more pictures from their gallery. More info on the procedure you can see on their site or write them an email.
Workshop on portrait photography
Workshop in Dobova. Photo: Martin Kolar
Workshop on portrait photography.
Every January I panic! No money, no jobs, phone is dead! But then February comes and I feel like my services are needed. It feels great, like I would have a real job! After a depressing January an avalanche of requests for my workshops happen. My first one was a week ago in Dobova and today I’m starting a series of workshops in Novo mesto. This two were closed workshops, but in a month or so it will be a workshop open for everybody on portrait photography in Ribnica, Slovenia. It will be one day workshop with very low tuition fee, somewhere between 80 and 100EUR, but I’ll tell you more in next few days. Beside that I’ll start teaching at VIST higher school and at Visoka šola za umetnost UNG. So rock and roll February!
