Gregor Salobir, Čas modrine
Narava je najstarejša muza človeka, v kateri se estetika izraža tako v lepem kot v grdem. Naravni procesi, kot so razkrajanje, lomljenje, erozija ali nasprotno, rast, dozorevanje in življenje, hkrati tvorijo unikaten zapis časa. Istočasno naravni procesi ponujajo razsežnost lepote, ki pogosto ostane prezrta, kljub harmonično oblikovanim strukturam, nastalim kot njihova posledica. Organske oblike, kot so lubje ali skalnate površine, polne školjk, ustvarjajo razbrazdane površine, v katere se prikrade senca in ustvari igro svetlobe in teme.
Ekspresivnost spregledanih naravnih materialov predstavlja Gregor Salobir na razstavi Čas modrine. S tehniko cianotipije nam približa kipeče oblike, ki zaradi bližine objektiva delujejo domala abstraktno. Motivi zajemajo skorjo dreves, školjke, razpoke v usnju in pogled skozi krošnje dreves. Vse motive povezuje nazobčana tekstura kot produkt življenja in počasne rasti. Grobe površine pripovedujejo dinamično zgodbo o minevanju časa. Drugi element, ki povezuje fotografije, je občutek miru. Fotografije niso zgolj pripoved o razkroju in razpokanosti, temveč tudi o miru in zatišju, kjer se čas upočasni. Vse je zajeto v dolgotrajni proces dozorevanja. V tišini se naravne oblike preoblikujejo in v tišini nas nagovarjajo – nikoli v dokončni obliki, saj so vsi elementi podvrženi neprekinjeni preobrazbi.
Modrina fotografij je rezultat analognega fotografskega postopka cianotipije. Tehnika je še danes cenjena zaradi svoje estetske vrednosti, saj ustvarja močne modre odtenke, izrazite kontraste in bogate teksture.
Gregor Salobir, The Time of Blue
Nature is the oldest muse of humankind, where aesthetics are expressed both in the beautiful and the ugly. Natural processes such as decay, breaking, erosion—or conversely, growth, ripening, and life—simultaneously form a unique record of time. At the same time, natural processes offer a dimension of beauty that often goes unnoticed, despite the harmoniously shaped structures that result from them. Organic forms such as bark or rocky surfaces filled with shells create rugged textures into which shadows creep, producing a play of light and darkness.
Gregor Salobir presents the expressiveness of overlooked natural materials in the exhibition The Time of Blue. Using the cyanotype technique, he brings us vivid forms that, due to their proximity to the lens, appear almost abstract. The motifs include tree bark, shells, cracks in leather, and views through treetops. All the motifs are united by a jagged texture as a product of life and slow growth. The rough surfaces tell a dynamic story of the passage of time. Another element that connects the photographs is a sense of peace. The photographs are not merely a tale of decay and fracture, but also of calm and stillness, where time slows down. Everything is captured in the prolonged process of ripening. In silence, natural forms transform, and in silence, they speak to us—never in a final form, as all elements are subject to continuous transformation.
The blueness of the photographs is the result of the analog photographic process of cyanotype. The technique is still valued today for its aesthetic quality, as it produces deep blue tones, strong contrasts, and rich textures.
Gregor Salobir (1989, Maribor) je leta 2023 zaključil magistrski študij na Fakulteti za gradbeništvo, prometno inženirstvo in arhitekturo Univerze v Mariboru, smer prometno inženirstvo. Fotografiji se posveča že vrsto let; od leta 2012 je član Fotokluba Maribor, od leta 2015 pa tudi član kolektiva GT22. Poleg tega je eden izmed vodij Mišnice, edine prostodostopne fotografske temnice v Mariboru. Od leta 2016 redno izvaja delavnice fotografije za osnovnošolce v sklopu Kulturnega dnevnika (Narodni dom Maribor). Leta 2021 je deloval kot mentor za področje fotografije v okviru projekta HDLU – Umetniki za umetniško izobraževanje 6 (Erasmus+), kjer so dijaki pod njegovim vodstvom pripravili skupinsko razstavo črno-belih analognih fotografij »V iskanju novega pomena«. Poleg digitalne fotografije se ukvarja tudi z analognimi tehnikami in alternativnimi fotografskimi postopki. V letih 2018–2022 je bil uradni fotograf festivala Jazz’ma mlade ter festivala Prestopi (2019, 2021, 2023). Njegova dela so bila predstavljena na številnih samostojnih in skupinskih razstavah. Leta 2012 je prejel prvo nagrado na fotografskem natečaju Festivala Lent
Gregor Salobir (born 1989, Maribor) completed his master’s degree in 2023 at the Faculty of Civil Engineering, Transportation Engineering and Architecture at the University of Maribor, specializing in transportation engineering. He has been dedicated to photography for many years; since 2012 he has been a member of the Photo Club Maribor, and since 2015 also a member of the GT22 collective. In addition, he is one of the coordinators of Mišnica, the only publicly accessible darkroom in Maribor. Since 2016, he has regularly conducted photography workshops for primary school students as part of the Cultural Diary program (Narodni dom Maribor). In 2021, he worked as a photography mentor in the project HDLU – Artists for Arts Education 6 (Erasmus+), where students under his guidance organized a group exhibition of black-and-white analog photographs titled In Search of New Meaning. In addition to digital photography, he also works with analog techniques and alternative photographic processes. Between 2018 and 2022, he was the official photographer for the Jazz’ma mlade youth and the Prestopi festival (2019, 2021, 2023). His works have been presented in numerous solo and group exhibitions. In 2012, he received the first prize in the photography competition of the Lent Festival.
