Ľuba Lauffová Life As a Temporary Miracle
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48 Ľuba Lauffová 49 European Journal of Media, Art & Photography Portfolio Life as a temporary miracle: from manierism to concept ĽUBA LAUFFOVÁ As an exceptional artist, charging the atmosphere with Ľuba Lauffová (*1949 - †2004) Ľuba Lauffová created her own movement (Disappeared Albertina) Ľuba Lauffová was born on photographic poeticism and and optical blurring. This work was the 17th of May 1949 in Bratislava. exploited a wide range of genres: created in the late 1960s. Ľuba Life as a temporary miracle: Her father was one of the founders Nudes, Portraits, Action Art, Lauffová was introduced into the of the photography club life in Illustrations, Work with Children, world of professional artists by Slovakia. Her sister trained as Photography in the Public Space, the curator Zuzana Bartošová in from manierism to concept a pianist. Although Ľuba had a Staged Photography, Light Painting her first exhibition (1976) as a fresh musical talent, she was destined to and Collage. Such classification graduate from the Department of study photography at the School of Lauffová’s work makes it more Photography at the Film School of of Applied Arts in Bratislava and in comprehensible and reflects the the Academy of Fine Arts, shown 1976 graduated from the Academy distinctive character of her creative at the Bratislava Gallery of Cyprián of Performing Arts in Prague as an scope. Majerník. Lauffová’s first exhibition Abstract: various forms of imaginative photogra- exceptionally creative photographer. The female body, the nude as a was devoted to classical themes of The article is based on a book and texts phy, masterfully exploiting collage, mon- At first she worked at a primary art means of expression, is inventively modern photography, variations from Elena Lichá-Zábranská and deals tage, light painting and staged photog- school in Bratislava and from 1983 interwoven in her entire work. on the female nude and portrait, with the lifetime work of the significant raphy. Lauffová completed her positives as a free-lance artist. Apart from The nude appears as part of her but her treatment was unusual. Slovak artist and photographer Ľuba with painterly interventions, giving free creative work, she was concerned creative expression. She started All the technical and expressive Lauffová, who is considered as an ex- rein to her intuition and associations. As with illustrations of children’s taking photographs of nudes at means she used when exposing traordinary personality not only for Slo- an exceptional artist, Ľuba Lauffová cre- books in particular. The year 1989 the Film School of the Academy and enlarging were subordinated vak, but also for European photography ated her own photographic poeticism was marked by general feelings of of Performing Arts at the end of to her unconventional vision. By in general. She studied photography at and exploited a wide range of genres. cultural and personal depression. the 1960s and accomplished them toning black and white photographs, the School of Applied Arts in Bratislava Ľuba Lauffová had a close affinity with She eventually committed suicide on by planting butterfly torsos on the she accentuated their essence. and in 1976 graduated from the Acade- the postmodernist thinking of the early the 21st of March 2004. nudes of the Bodies of Rudolf Fila in She freely continued in the vein of my of Performing Arts in Prague as an 1980s. Irrespective of the domestic so- In the period between 2004. In the meantime she created Czech studio photography of the exceptionally creative photographer. At cial situation, she identified herself with the 1970s and 1990s, her work, the majority of her series and 1930s, being associated with its first she worked at a primary art school European and world art development characteristic of avant-garde and sequences of nudes. preference for the aesthetic level in Bratislava and from 1983 as a free- and through her staged photography inventive artistic vision, challenged Nude in fashion (a scantily clad of work, merely one of the forms lance artist. Apart from creative work, embraced the principles of classic mod- many stereotypes of Slovak art body of a woman in a dress of white of her own artistic personality. she was concerned with illustrations of ernism in the development of Slovak photography. Combining humour flowers). Nude as a portrait (Sasha, Her determination to express the children’s books in particular. The year photography, thus contributing to the with poetry, and beauty with Girl with a Daisy). Nude in Action internal state of women on a level 1989 was marked by general feelings of frequency of photographs as works of eroticism, her photography has art (Deja` vu). Nude as an object unique in the development of Slovak cultural and personal depression. She art in 20th century Slovak fine art. affinities with Czech poeticism and (in the Pezinok chateau park). Nude photography was equally important. eventually committed suicide on the 21st the Slovak form of Surrealism. Ľuba in staged photography (Homage In the large series Homage of March 2004. In her work, characteris- Key words: Lauffová was never confined to pure to Magritte). Nude in collage to Magritte she applied abstract tic of avant-garde and inventive artistic Photography, Imaginative photography, forms of photography and always (Anatomical Collages). Through painting on to the bodies of vision, she challenged many stereotypes Painting, Collage, Montage, Light paint- transformed her point of departure. female nudes she promoted the main protagonists. Through of Slovak art photography. Combining ing, Staged photography, Female body, She easily transferred to various jewellery (Jewellery and Portrait). her emotional integrity, devoid humour with poetry, and beauty with Nude, Portrait, Self-portraits, Stereo- forms of imaginative photography, Nude Judith in a cave is captured of frivolity, she rejected the eroticism, her photography has affinities types, Poetry, Poeticism, Beauty, Erot- masterfully exploiting collage, within old symbolism. When taking moralising view of women, offering with Czech poeticism and the Slovak icism Sensitive, Interior, Artistic, Sur- montage, light painting and staged photographs of nudes, Lauffová’s communication with female form of Surrealism. Ľuba Lauffová was realism, Avant-garde, Secret, Intuition, photography. Lauffová completed inner vision always exploited props nostalgia. Lauffová’s nudity is never confined to pure forms of photog- Associations, Aestheticism, Stylisations. her positives with painterly (scattered feathers from a duvet provocative, but also contains the raphy and always transformed her point interventions, giving free rein to her covered the model’s breasts) noble Aristotlean goal hidden in the of departure. She easily transferred to intuition and associations. and the photographic potential, things we perceive. » 50 Ľuba Lauffová 51 European Journal of Media, Art & Photography Portfolio Life as a temporary miracle: from manierism to concept She never misused nudity photographers. Using photographic and beauty. Lauffová photographed her allegory. It was not a problem Laubert, Daniel Fischer, Vladimír as an intimate zone of the human montage she created figures herself with a neat decoration in for her to do anything for the Kordoš, Marián Mudroch, Dušan being, yet her work did not lack symbolising ancient European her hair, in a staged environment people she wanted to portray in the Nágel, Rudolf Sikora, Jana Želibská, glamour. The artist did not use the civilisations. and arranged postures. Sometimes photograph providing that it would Peter Meluzin, Matej Kren, Igor nude model in the common sense of Lauffová’s modern she lent herself to her creative be an artistic rendering, not a mere Kalný and others) who reacted the word nor intend to objectivise photographic portrait developed themes as a model (Shift in Man record. Apart from stylised portraits against the effect of totalitarianism her visual invention, but through new forms, expressiveness and a Ray‘s Violin), but always in a positive of figures of Slovak culture, her on people and opposed emptied her communicative approach she penetrating psychological structure aesthetic light. Her self-portraits male or female friends, she created official art. Lauffov. responded to freed it from rigidity in front of of the image. In doing so she confirm and depict her identification an excellent series of portraits of the Artefact Shift organised by the camera; this was reflected avoided the unnecessary roughness with refinement, elegance and Dominik Tatarka that undoubtedly Tóth four times: in the Violin, 1979, in the absence of compositions and sentimental aestheticism into romanticism. Lauffová did not need manifest the artist’s sensitivity she produced a photographic of stereotypical postures. The which Czech photography lapsed to show herself or other women as to documentary stylisation. The record of the animated image and pictures became rare documents at that time. Organically staging anything other than beautiful. This photographer allowed herself to in the photographic series Nude of understanding between the her own elements, she was able to corresponded to that with which drift with random expression, while in Water, 1979, she drew on the artist’s and the model’s individuality. turn real space into artistic space. she liked to identify herself. She was avoiding the pitfalls of spontaneity, theme of sensuality. In 1980 she Soft drawing, dissolved contours, Joining artificial and real in one aware of her personal charm, French and bringing