Slovenian Contemporary Portrait exhibition catalogue Nov 2013 | Page 5

Nika Perne

PREFACE

With its long and interesting history – within photography as well as
other artistic practices, portrait is an exceptionally representative
genre. It is the genre that deals fundamentally with the individual,
their identity, at the same time intervening intensely in the field of
resolving the issues of representation and perception of the
individual and of what is inherent to the man and mankind.
According to art historian Mil?ek Komelj, an insightful mental view
of the personality is of major importance in portraying, as it is such
a view that can allure the viewer and hold their attention. Similar
qualities have been ascribed to portrait by art critic Max Kozloff,
who believes it to be the part of the photographic art that best
shows the concept of the soul held by each individual. Portrait is a
highly enigmatic genre that explores the complex questions
emerging from the relation between the author, the portrayed and
the viewer. It is this relation between the three that triggers
questions on social dilemmas, identity and finally on the important
role of photography in today's image-saturated world.
Slovenian Contemporary Portrait is a group exhibition presenting
the above-mentioned general features, with some of its series that
might not even seem distinct examples of portrait exceeding the
traditional understanding of the genre. In contents, it focuses mainly
on psychological conditions and individual fates, while it also
challenges the viewer with considerate concepts, requiring from
them more than a fleeting gaze. The exhibiting authors represent
various orientations within the genre, the exhibition emphasising
diversity as its basic premise. Katja Goljat as well as Borut Peterlin
both keep returning to a specific moment in the history of the
portrait. Each in their own way, they follow the tracks of the history
of photography, and even surpass it, mostly with the emotional
states of those portrayed and with their distinct signature styles. In
a similar fashion, some photographers are revisiting history with the
form of journal entries. Such series range between deeply
expressive and documentary, Nataša Košmerl and Simon Chang
being the most obvious representatives of this current in
contemporary Slovenian photography. With Nataša Košmerl, we
can typically encounter intimate experience and explorations of self
and her surroundings. In case of Simon Chang, who often toys with
advanced media, the focus is on the feeling for the present
moment, for the individual in their own, mainly domestic
environment. The stories they tell are general, thus leaving the
viewer sufficient space to create their own interpretations. Katja
Kremeni? in her series approaches similar forms, yet in a lively