REFLECTIVE DIARY
Publisher:
SKC Gallery, Belgrade, SCG
2004
A photograph is very often regarded as an image of reality; as an authentic and objective evidence of material being. A certain qualification for that indeed cannot be denied. However, in practice the chance to miss an authentic image is much higher. A photograph is lying, there is no way out. Besides all kinds of optical/technical deficiencies or possibilities, in fact the person behind the camera is the guilty one. Choosing a particular moment and detail automatically means withholding what is not being displayed.
“Reflective mind” is a series of thirteen photographs which fulfil the facts of an intentional selection. Each of these pictures represents one day in life reduced to one single memorable motive. The delict of manipulating the viewer by reducing the visual information cannot be punished in that case. MP´s intention corresponds to their concept: Due to the strictly introverted perspective the viewer is deprived of his efficiency to give an own interpretation.
MP are together experiencing and documenting a temporary period of time at a new place. This temporary kind of reality is based on the interaction of various physical and mental factors, which has an influence on the interaction of the two protagonists among themselves as well as with the outside world. The MP-specific observation of their own intimate perception results in choosing one significant picture at the end of each day. Some time later an additional level of reflection is placed over these pictures. This time the appropriate kind of feeling is being filtered, verbalised in letters and combined with the motive. The initial emotionally based selection of the motive is now being extended with a rational level of reflection and in this way loaded with additional content.
In this moment the motive loses its innocence and turns into a predefined and constructed reality. And in this moment the viewer is being released from his enacted apathy and invited to enrich the so far intimate togetherness of MP with his interpretation.
Gerhard Gross