The displayed collection, Interior and Exterior Landscapes, has been compiled
from photographs of landscapes, landscape details, but also from paraphrases on
these classical themes. The photographs have been taken in various milieus, both
exteriors and interiors. The oldest part of the collection comprises of photos
that are closest to the classical landscape photography. The author took these
photographs in not very well-known protected territory Turkov, situated on the
boundary of municipal parts Ostrava – Martinov, Poruba, and Třebovice. In
the peaceful atmosphere of the old flood-plain forest with pools and dams of
former ponds, lined with 200-year-old oak trees, the author managed to take
photographs reflecting mysterious, majestical calm of this unique natural
enclave.
Another part of the collection can be also characterized by distinctive artwork
features, careful composition and precise technical processing. The author
captured poetic magic of shapes and textures in details of seaside landscape of
Denmark’s northernmost point. In the photographs there are weather-beaten
bunches of wild grasses, sand dunes, stony shores, and above all dramatically
cloudy sky underlining the intensity that could be felt somewhere in the second
plan of this collection of the black-and-white photographs.
The author’s skilful work with details and minimalisation of expression has
been expressed even more dramatically in another, this time, colour collection
that was taken in the scenery of deserted barracks in Bruntál. Bednář
concentrated on the aesthetic value of details of concrete or sheet-metal
surfaces with fine colour shades or lines. Many times he managed to create
abstracting photographs, reducing parts of presented reality to basic surfaces,
lines, and colours. This part of the displayed collection proves
Bednař’s ability to concentrate on illusive banality, to transform such a
seemingly ordinary reality, and to present it from his creative perspective.
Last part of the collection shows photographs capturing light on the wall of a
flat. The light is not here only a mean of recording, but it becomes a
significant part of the composition.
The author’s creative compositions in all parts of the displayed collection
are very convincing thanks to his fine-art approach. His light motives as well
as found objects stem from the photographic tradition. Some photographs can
belong to so called minimalism, attempting to reduce to fundamentals. He carries
his motif inside all the time, which is the likely connecting link of all his
photographic collections, whether they were taken in Ostravian forest, on the
seashore, or on the premises of deserted barracks.
Dalibor Bednář has been taking photographs since his youth, but with desire to
express himself, he started to use photography in late 90s. Since that time he
has been presenting his mainly landscape pictures, as well as nude photos, at
collective or individual exhibitions.
Dalibor Bednář belongs among the photographers who work especially for the joy
and satisfaction of the creative work. He is not a professional photographer
because he does not make his living by taking photographs. When we look at his
technically precisely processed and perfectly composed photographs, we must
think of how useless and pointless it is to draw a line between
non-professionals and professionals, which persists only just in the
photography.
Martin Smékal
Ostrava, February 2007
