Slovenian Contemporary Portrait exhibition catalogue Nov 2013 | Page 6

manner that often seduces the viewer with what is not visible at first sight, but only reveals upon
second viewing. Portrait is also typically used in documentary, socially committed and reportage
series. As expressed in the words of Uroš Ho?evar, photojournalist and author of a book on the
aesthetics of news photography, it is often of key importance to characterise an individual if we
are to understand such series. Ciril Jazbec and Matic Zorman use their series to explore social
issues. The former is mostly interested in individuals whose fates are unclear due to rapidly
increasing climate changes, and the latter in individuals suffering due to numerous political
conflicts and wars. They are both extremely sensitive to the problems of marginalised
communities pushed to the edge of society, which they present by portraying the individual in the
harsh everyday life. Portrays of individuals in their indigenous environment are also typical of
Boštjan Pucelj, their classical quality again reminding us of a certain turning point in the history of
portrait photography. In contrast, photographs by DK and Jošt Franko are markedly
documentary, primarily conveying the perception of a certain time and space. Robert Hutinski's
works could also be labelled socially committed, but the author further upgrades them with the
patchwork technique that would normally not be related to the genre. His works are therefore
bordering conceptual photography, which holds a special place in contemporary Slovenian
photography. It can also be ascribed to Uroš Abram and Jure Kastelic, both applying digital
manipulation to blur the border between reality and fiction. They manipulate the viewer, toying
with their set perception of photography as regards it contents as well as its physical attributes.
What also has to be mentioned eventually is self-portrait, which is not represented
comprehensively in any of the series, but it can be traced with many of the exhibiting authors,
either very subtly or in clear representation.
In recent years, portrait has been a very heterogeneous genre in the Slovenian environment, both
as regards its technical aspects and its contents, which is also confirmed in the selection of
photographers participating in the exhibition. Some of them are crossing the borders of the genre
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