STORIES UNFOLD IN BLACK-AND-WHITE PICTURES
From pulsing Cuban streets to peaceful Norwegian islanders, from a dried-out lake in Salföld, Hungary to the barren peaks of Mt. Etna
SLIDESHOW
I trained to become a cinematographer for a long time. Perhaps that is why, to this day, I still have the urge to smuggle complete narratives into my photos. Thus, it is practically irrelevant where I am; what is essential is where my mind happens to be wandering. The Still Movies slideshow consists of eight chapters: Silent Stills, Sleep of Reason, Pilgrims, Ocean of Sighs – Cuba, Arab World, Townfolks, Hungary, and Mediterranean. We travel half the world, but more importantly, we construct that of our own! Of the five slide shows, this one uses the most black-and-white. (61 minutes)
PRESENTATION
The introduction explains why I opted more often for black-and-white techniques in the past, and why nowadays I photograph in colour as well. I compare my early artistic flights with my mature works. Also, I reveal how I manage to stay unnoticed while taking street photos and my approach to the random or accidental. What are all the preconditions before I finally press the exposure button? Why don’t I give titles my pictures, and why don’t I wish to explain their stories? How did I meet Fidel Castro? Why do sensational photos leave me cold? Is photography truly the art of the moment? Why is a season of yoga practice more valuable than an expensive camera? (Introduction duration: 25-30 minutes)
TESTIMONIALS
“Seeing these amazing pictures this evening, a thought took shape in me – that Zoltan’s world is an amazing planet, and the ‘extraterrestrials’ who inhabit it live in perfect symbiosis with this planet. The camera is a tool for spreading joy. Everyone is lovable. One cannot even criticise the perfectionism, which appears to be spontaneous simplicity.” | István Roskó, spectator
“Just as one cannot photograph a poem, I could not describe these pictures if I wanted to. […] I enjoy seeing Zoltan’s Central European pilgrims’ worn-out cardigans, scarves, homes, permed hair, and mini-skirts. The posture of being unswervingly bound for somewhere.” | Lajos Parti-Nagy, author
“The Silent Stills are as quiet as a taut arrow just before release.” | András Földes, author and journalist