4 Jana Hojstričová 5 European Journal of Media, Art & Photography Portfolio Retrospective

Jana Hojstričová Retrospective

doc. Mgr.art Jana Hojstričová, ArtD. (*1972, SK) Jana Hojstričová: Retrospective attitude, which she confronted with moments of women, fragments of was born in 1972 in Myjava //. She grad- sociology, psychology, theory of art their private environment, intimately uated in the Academy of Fine Arts and Design in Jana Hojstričová finished a study but architecture and arts too. She familiar things. An application of a . She works as a photographer and as a of photography at Academy of Fine asked questions in what way today´s small depth of field shows a sharp teacher. Since 1998 she has been teaching at the Arts and Design in Bratislava in society has been changing, what segment of reality, which indeed at Department of Photography and New Media at the mid nighties of 20th century. is a position and a role of today´s the same time sinks into expanded AFAD. So more than two decades she has woman, how can we characterize environment. Autobiographical As the author, she participated in a full range of filled her authorial artistic program, a term ´family´ and all the ways it features of individual photographs domestic and foreign exhibitions and photograph- which might not is so extensive, can exist nowadays. Therefore, if are entirely obvious. A way of taking ic festivals such as: Fotofest Houston, Month of but certainly is concentrated and we had to define artworks of Jana photographs and consequently a č Photography Bratislava, International Festival of focused. Every single project Hojstri ová in some way, maybe content statement of photography Young Photography in Ljubljana, International Pho- continues in something else that the best fits an imagination of invokes something, what possibly tography Festival in Łódź, Septembre de la Pho- former one, but at the same time interdisciplinary conjuctions, about is relating to a phenomenon of tographie, Lyone, Moisdela Photo a in . moves on into deeper interpretation an effort get into photography memory, calling to mind or removal In 2013 she was awarded as the Photographer of levels. At the beginning she used sociological aspects. Maybe a term of some moments from own lives. the Year, awarded by the Central European House to tend in her artistic production ´visual sociology´ defines quite Each photo solves a woman‘s of Photography, OZ FOTOFO, Photoport and the to the positions of subjective concisely her artistic production, personal hygiene thematically, her Association of Slovak Professional Photographers. document, she was interested on the other hand this term is not private world. These are classical in a situation of a woman of the quite balanced and equal with a themes from the history of art. In the art scene she entered in the 90s of the 20th today´s society and that is mainly creativity and uniqueness of the Many artists have shown their century. The main theme of her photographic through confrontation between artistic production. Through it interest in these regular female work is a body, which she puts into context with her intimate world and that public. all still it is possible to talk about rituals already in the past. However, the growing influence of consumer society on it. And so after 1989 she integrated interconnection of art, sociology, Jana Hojstričová does not repeat Currently she focuses her photographic creation into a wider stream of Slovak because a key content of her the view of a man on a woman, but on visual sociological interpretation of the state of authors/female artists, who were individual photography cycles is as an author of the 21st century today‘s family. interested, after years of communist always a man, his existence in this she notices women‘s corporeality, In 2010 she began to collaborate with a glass de- regime, in an identity and intimacy world. their biological needs but also their of women, in their sensuality and The first distinctive photography limitations. signer Palo Macho intensively on joint projects č with an author‘s photographic image in the glass. bodily/physical changes. Later she cycles of Jana Hojstri ová are two In the following years, she Since 2011 a series of solo exhibitions and curatori- focused her attention possibilities series called From seven to eight gave birth to two children al projects have been offered to them e.g.: they ex- of staged photography. It namely (2000) and From ten to a midnight and her world view changed hibited in the Museum Kunstpalast Düsseldorf, in enabled the author to release (2002). Time period of the both sequentially. It was performed in the international project „Body Talk“ in Denmark, from subjective perception of the titles refers to everyday activities the project titled Everyday (2005). in the curatorial project of the Slovak National Gal- world in direction to the more of women being executed in These photographs record the lery „Krv/Blood“ and a number of other exhibitions analytical approaches. Although she morning and evening. The author relationship of the author with in Slovakia and abroad. continued shooting photographs approaches to both topics through her first-born son. By the way of of her relatives and friends, still a subjective document, in which photoshooting and with a small [email protected] she developed more universal discovers a view of really intimate depth of field Hojstričová creates 6 Jana Hojstričová 7 European Journal of Media, Art & Photography Portfolio Retrospective

an almost blurred image, which By photographic work titled „40 acts ephemeral and indefinite, just in 36“ Large in Small (2005) Jana like a childhood memory. Colour Hojstričová critically expresses photographs show a testimony towards to the enforcement of the relationship between the of opinion of the mass media mother and the child, about the communication advocacy. These chamber world, that is limited to a opinions influence the attitudes child‘s needs for a certain period and the values of the majority of the time. Poetic images of her society especially. Massive and child, small toys, his little living diverse media campaigns draw space, all this is an interpretation of attention to the life, which is such the mutual need of being together, a perfect and immensely delightful but at the same time they do not illusion. However, it is too far traumatize the public by the split of away from the real one. Fashion the woman‘s maternal and working magazines, advertisements draw roles. This polarizing aspect is just attention to things that are not not found in the photographs, important to life itself. But by our denominator and it is a periphery. equally, without emotions, symbols, staging. An extensive collection although this debate has been consumption of them, we become The periphery in our perception is rather realistically ´it is like that´. of photographs called “Family communicated to the public not part of a commodity carousel, on the edge of social interest and The year 2012 was in the Portrait” (2012) is somewhat seldom in recent years. At present, part of a very thoughtful business č the interest of society. Way of life artistic production of the author contrary to the cycle Hana. The Jana Hojstri ová has returned, strategy. Women become „the face in these days, life values, values especially intensive. In that author implements an analytical like bend back, to the themes that of a product“ in the advertising which are enforced to decrease a time she realized several crucial way of seeing at photographing of generated her initial parental duties. and fashion world very often, value of natural change of human photographic collections, which individual members of her family, Photography cycle titled Album becoming the brand, which sells. body, as well as a peripheral town she introduced in 2013 on her first which is concrete and objective. In of nature (2017) is a combination At the same time, her own identity and a country ever. The author serious independent exhibition this case the point is not standard of various life experiences of is being displaced and remains observes the body in its natural in the Gallery of Bratislava. family portraits with characteristic the author. Frequent visits to unrecognizable. This beauty market shape. She puts to it as a parallel A former artistic production features of face, but mainly portraits natural history museum and other affects the standards of the ideal so called ´territorial body´, which influenced mainly her collection of bodies. She leaves out a head museums along with her children of beauty in women in our real life can be found in outskirts of big of photographs Hana (2012). It as a basic identical moment of and spending time in particular fundamentally. In the photographs, densely populated areas, therefore concerned about time-lapse every human and concentrates her exposition influenced the character the author stages women dressed it is in a periphery of public interest project, which has not achieved its view at photographing of body. of these photos. However, Jana in tight translucent clothes made č about such a housing. An aesthetic final appearance. It does not have She follows a process of making Hosjtri ová‘s research focus was from plastic. The dresses are made aversion towards a deficient body exactly defined extension, number photographs, she mostly selects a associated with that. It was a in an ideal fitting size and they are, or residential area without a human and even not a date of finishing it. neutral background, and removes research of historical photographs of course, narrower than the body face turns into an ethic problem, The number of photographs will whatever surrounded narrations. of the 19th century, her interest dimensions of the photographed which overturns a ladder of values be gradually increased, so as life It concentrates viewer´s attention in their registration, archiving women. The bodies deformed by of society upside down. Diptychs are periods of Hana will be changing. on the body alone. Without an and preservation. The inclination the plastic, which are rounded and not so much shaped and politically As for individual photographs the evident stylization she leaves the towards the museum culture overhanging stand against the exalted like for example in a cycle essential role plays her body, his body in its natural posture. So the along with the so called archival current ideal of the female body. „40 v 36“/Large in Small. Maybe topography, sculptural modelling by author brings simple news about a turnaround has become the starting And so, the body is symbolically the reason is that, photographs light, but also atmosphere of space condition of body: about its age, point for the implementation of this paralyzed by social dogmas in the are not staged, the author does and human, emotional conditions. gender, its an old age and fatique. project. Fragments of expositions, photographs. not use plastic pre-requisites, she On one side the thing is a concrete, She perceives the body as a map of museum´s still-lifes, references to retains a body (female and male) in assertive view on a situation with a years gone by, as something, what recordings of all exhibits are present Peripheral Bodies (2008) its nature, she also leaves it alone photographed subject and on the in an essential extent reflects single in the photographs, but this visual and combine it with a not tempting other side in photographs you can life periods of man. In spite of the world also reach out the experience The author solves a body urban periphery. However, pairs find certain conditions of mind. To fact, that she makes photographs of spending time with the family problem also in a cycle “Peripheral č of photographs often connect a this ambivalence a way of realization of her relatives, in this case she in these spaces. It is the ongoing Bodies”. Jana Hojstri ová connects shaped parable, a small detail, or of photographs contributes also, applies at photographing already project and not completely closed by means of diptychs two views: colourity. She approaches to the which in this case balances on the an analytical language. It relies on a yet, but the basic ranges are built on of body and of town. Both these body and town while photographing interface between a document and precise photographical perfection it already. images connect a common 8 Jana Hojstričová 9 European Journal of Media, Art & Photography Portfolio Retrospective

List of Artworks:

1. Tired Household, 2012 (Fine Art Digital Print, Alumi- nium, Size 100 x 82 cm) 2. Hana, 2012 (Fine Art Digital Print, Alumi- nium, Size 100 x 82 cm) 3. Family Portrait, 2012 (Fine Art Digital Print, Alumi- nium, Size 120 x 100 cm, 100 x 82 cm, 90 x 75 cm, 80 x 65 cm, 60 x 50 cm) and objective, assertive, visual pressure on individual. An impuls projects with an artist - glassmaker 4. Peripheral Bodies, 2008 language. So the photographs for creation of this collection Palo Macho. Their projects (Fine Art Digital Print, Alumi- belong to the stream so called the was a short conversation with a range from little objects to big nium, Size 120 x 50 cm) ´deadpan´ aesthetic. sociologist, who explained reasons installations. An application of Jana Hojstričová realized one of why men in a certain age leave their photography on glass, a glass 5. Large in Small, 2005 her most remarkable photographic wives. Besides traditional, for all board, it is a particularly unique (Fine Art Digital Print, Alumi- projects “Tired Household” (2012) of us well known reasons, she also combination and in Slovak artistic nium, Size 100 x 70 cm, 30 x 20 by method of staged photography. introduced an obsession of women practice maybe only one. Besides cm) The first time she steps back by care about their family and handling of technological process of 6. Album of nature, 2017 from a familiar background she household. Even up to the point, a placement of photographic print does not photograph her family that they lose themselves, they on glass, this project is unique by (author zine, digital print, cya- or close friends. She focused are unable to transmit their own the similarity of views shared by the notype) on a visualization of incomplete impulses, motivation and attitudes duo of authors. Inclination towards 7. Hojstričová/Macho, Boyhood, families. She depends on opinions from outside in direction into their autobiographic conclusions, an 2017 of sociologists, who dedicate families. She even mentioned that interest in the depiction of simple to family problems, its today´s in these cases happen, a woman everyday items, small objects (digital print, sanded sheet glass transformation. If we look at a can be a part of house furniture which reflect upon us, form a good with fired photographs) character of today´s family, we in a metaphoric sense. Women foundation for communication of the find out, that it is impossible to on the photographs blend with artwork with the viewer. talk uniquely about ´traditional furniture, they sit tired on sofa, or At the same time, this is not family´. The family has acquired lean against a kitchen cabinet. They about pleasant compositions; much more variabilities and in are lonely, but in absolutely clean, on the contrary, the facticity nowadays societies do not exist one household. Many women in these of photography is particularly sainted type of family, but many days have ambitions to devote to appropriate for glass. While painter families. According to sociologists their families, leaving behind their interventions render glass more a variability of norms is considered professions, hobbies. Their mental decorative, photography manages for legitimate, even desired. This world has gradually shrunk and to conceptualize it. We are more transformation causes not a few servis, which they provide for their concerned with the content of the problems mainly in such society, families lose their values. Art relies glass installation rather than its that keeps traditional family values on a sociological research or opinion esthetic qualities. Although these and do not accept other models of becomes more and more essential in are significant in both works. a family structure. On one side a the author´s artistic production. She differentiation of family forms brings operates on borders of two terrains doc. Mgr. Bohunka Koklesová, PhD. freedom in decision making how - art and visual sociology. to live, on the other side it creates In the last years Jana Hojstričová an economical and existencial started to cooperate on common 10 Jana Hojstričová 11 European Journal of Media, Art & Photography Portfolio Retrospective

Tired Household, 2012 (Fine Art Digital Print, Aluminium, Size 100 x 82 cm) 12 Jana Hojstričová 13 European Journal of Media, Art & Photography Portfolio Retrospective 14 Jana Hojstričová 15 European Journal of Media, Art & Photography Portfolio Retrospective

Hana, 2012 (Fine Art Digital Print, Aluminium, Size 100 x 82 cm) 16 Jana Hojstričová 17 European Journal of Media, Art & Photography Portfolio Retrospective

Family Portrait, 2012 (Fine Art Digital Print, Aluminium, Size 120 x 100 cm, 100 x 82 cm, 90 x 75 cm, 80 x 65 cm, 60 x 50 cm) 18 Jana Hojstričová 19 European Journal of Media, Art & Photography Portfolio Retrospective 20 Jana Hojstričová 21 European Journal of Media, Art & Photography Portfolio Retrospective 22 Jana Hojstričová 23 European Journal of Media, Art & Photography Portfolio Retrospective 24 Jana Hojstričová 25 European Journal of Media, Art & Photography Portfolio Retrospective

Peripheral Bodies, 2008 (Fine Art Digital Print, Aluminium, Size 120 x 50 cm) 26 Jana Hojstričová 27 European Journal of Media, Art & Photography Portfolio Retrospective 28 Jana Hojstričová 29 European Journal of Media, Art & Photography Portfolio Retrospective

Large in Small, 2005 (Fine Art Digital Print, Aluminium, Size 100 x 70 cm, 30 x 20 cm) 30 Jana Hojstričová 31 European Journal of Media, Art & Photography Portfolio Retrospective 32 Jana Hojstričová 33 European Journal of Media, Art & Photography Portfolio Retrospective

Album of nature, 2017 (author zine, digital print, cyanotype) 34 Jana Hojstričová 35 European Journal of Media, Art & Photography Portfolio Retrospective 36 Jana Hojstričová 37 European Journal of Media, Art & Photography Portfolio Retrospective 38 Jana Hojstričová 39 European Journal of Media, Art & Photography Portfolio Retrospective

Hojstričová/Macho, Boyhood, 2017 (digital print, sanded sheet glass with fired photographs)