THE OBSERVERS
The series of diptychs “Observers” (Viewers) combines double perspective, from within and from without. On the territory of the Zagreb neighborhood Dubrava, I wanted to connect urban landscape with people who live in the given generic environment. This neighborhood was the one that provided various landscapes, social story and urbanistic whirlpool.
The camera is actually an excuse to enter intimate space of neighborhood inhabitants and to observe those who observe, that is to observe what those who observe can see. In the city slang Dubrava is a metaphor for something different, out of the center, and often something generalized and prejudiced.
I decided to keep the monumentality of the landscape taken from the air and then connect it to portraits of people of different age, gender, social status. I tried no to give a commentary through overt stylization nor to take a personal position. I tried to be distanced. I have lately been interested in the relation between photography and voyeurism, that is, observing.
PROMATRAČI
Serija diptiha “Promatrači” kombinira dvostruki pogled, izvana i iznutra. Na teritoriji zagrebačkog kvarta Dubrava želio sam povezati urbani pejzaž s ljudima koji žive u zadanom generičkom okolišu. Upravo ovaj zagrebački kvart mi je pružio različite pejzaže, socijalnu priču, urbanistički vrtlog. Foto aparat mi je zapravo izgovor da uđem u intimni prostor stanovnika ovog kvarta i promatram one koji promatraju, odnosno promatram ono što oni koji promatraju vide.
U gradskom slengu Dubrava je metafora za nešto drugačije, nešto izvan centra, a često i nešto što se generalizira i što je predmet predrasude.
Odlučio zadržati monumentalnost pejzaža snimljenog s visine, a onda to povezati s portretima ljudi različitih godina, roda, životne dobi i socijalnog statusa. Trudio sam se ne dati svoj komentar, pretjeranim stilizacijama ili zauzimanjem osobnog stava. Pokušavam biti udaljen, distanciran. U zadnje vrijeme me zanima odnos između fotografije i voajerizma, odnosno promatranja.