Brainstorm – nenaden trenutek, ko je nemogoče razmišljati jasno
Po naslovu in tematiki se projekt navezuje na epilepsijo – nevrološko motnjo, ki povzroča napade, fotografije pa so vizualna interpretacija osebnih epileptičnih aur. Epilepsija je morda nekoliko stigmatizirana, in čeprav je lahko nekoliko zastrašujoča, jo avtorica želi predstaviti na lep način. Kljub temu, da je predstavitev teme pomembna, želi, da si gledalec posamezna dela interpretira na svoj način, z lastno kreativnostjo. Prav zaradi tega fotografije nimajo posameznih naslovov in so zgolj oštevilčene glede na vrstni red, v katerem so bile ustvarjene.
Projekt je vsebinsko precej oseben, a je poudarek na uporabljenih alternativnih tehnikah enakovreden. Gre za popolnoma analogno fotografijo, pri kateri kamera ni prisotna. Fotografije so izdelane v barvni in črno-beli temnici, pri čemer so za osvetlitev fotografskega papirja uporabljeni ročno izdelani negativi. Pri črno-belih fotografijah je ponekod za razvijanje uporabljena tehnika kemigrama – ročno slikanje s kemikalijami, kar omogoča, da nekateri deli papirja ostanejo nerazviti in beli, v primerjavi z barvnimi, kjer je prisotno več črnine.
Ob pogledu na dela morda ni (takoj) očitno, da gre za fotografijo, in avtorica meni, da ravno to dodaja čar. Dela vzbujajo zanimanje in radovednost ter ustvarjajo prostor za diskurz.
Brainstorm – a sudden state of being unable to think clearly
The project’s title and theme refers to epilepsy – a neurological disorder that causes seizures – while the photographs serve as a visual interpretation of personal epileptic auras. Epilepsy might be somewhat stigmatised, and while it can seem unsettling, the artist seeks to present it in a beautiful way. Although the presentation of the theme holds significance, the artist wants to invite the audience to interpret the work in their own way, using their own creativity. Therefore, the photographs do not have individual titles but are instead numbered according to the order in which they were created.
Thematically, the project is quite personal, but equal emphasis is placed on the used alternative techniques. The work is entirely analogue, with no camera involved. The photographs are created in both colour and black-and-white darkrooms, using handmade negatives to expose the photographic paper. Some black-and-white photographs are developed using the chemigram technique – hand-painting with chemicals – which allows certain areas of the paper to remain undeveloped and white, in contrast to the colour prints, where black tones are more prominent.
At first glance, it may not be (immediately) obvious that these works are photographs, and the artist sees this as part of their charm. The images evoke curiosity and intrigue, creating space for discourse and reflection.
Kristina Žetko (rojena v Ljubljani, 1997) je svoje izobraževanje v fotografskem mediju pričela leta 2012 z vpisom v Srednjo šolo za oblikovanje in fotografijo v Ljubljani, smer Fotografski tehnik. V tem času ji je največje zanimanje vzbudilo delo v temnici in umetniški pristop k fotografiji, zaradi česar je izbrala dodiplomski študij na Akademiji za likovno umetnost in oblikovanje, Univerza v Ljubljani. To ji je doprineslo splošno znanje likovne teorije ter jo podrobneje seznanilo z drugimi likovnimi mediji kot so grafične tehnike, risanje, slikanje in kiparstvo. In prav to je pripomoglo, da je v času magistrskega študija iz umetniške fotografije (Master of Fine Art in Photography) na Univerzi v Göteborgu razvila lastno unikatno alternativno tehniko ustvarjanja analognih fotografij brez uporabe kamere.
Kristina Žetko (born in Ljubljana, 1997) began her education in the photographic medium in 2012 by enrolling in the Secondary School for Design and Photography in Ljubljana, programme Photographic Technician. During this time, she developed a strong interest in darkroom work and an artistic approach to photography, which led her to pursue a bachelor’s degree at the Academy of Fine Arts and Design, University of Ljubljana. This provided her with a broad knowledge of art theory and introduced her to other visual art disciplines such as printmaking, drawing, painting and sculpture. And it was precisely this that helped her, during her Master of Fine Arts in Photography at the University of Gothenburg, to develop her own unique alternative technique of creating analogue photographs without the use of a camera.