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O SERIJI

Serija Bagatelles se celovito vpenja v Bogatajev opus in je logično nadaljevanje krajinske serije Sonata za sonce in meglo, pri čemer je navdih za njeno poimenovanje, ki sicer označuje kratko, manj zahtevno skladbo za klavir ali komorno zasedbo, fotograf ponovno našel v svetu glasbe. Kompozicije na fotografijah iz serije Bagatelles so povsem podrejene barvam in vzorcem, iz katerih so sestavljene. Pogosta odsotnost izrazite globine pred gledalcem razgrinja eno samo dvodimenzionalno ploskev, na kateri glavno vlogo igra pointilistični preplet naravnih pigmentov in rastlinskih oblik. Ob redkih pojavih obzorja naš pogled najprej v prvem in drugem planu zajame gozdni razcvet z vsemi njegovimi raznolikimi elementi, nato pa neovirano zdrsne v brezmejnost neba, ki ga zaznamo v ozadju. Še pogosteje detajlirano živopisno rastje grmovnic in dreves napolnjuje prav vse kotičke fotografije, pri čemer umetnik zaplate močnih toplih barv, še posebej jesenskih odtenkov rumene, oranžne in rdeče, kontrastira s komplementarnimi zelenimi niansami. Če nanje gledamo z vidika kompozicije, so Bogatajeve fotografije popolne – uravnotežene so do te mere, da delujejo skladno vsaka zase, kompozicije narave pa se dopolnjujejo in skladajo, tudi ko jih sopostavljamo v manjših skupinah ali na serijo gledamo kot na zaključeno celoto.

Ključ do razgibanosti motivike leži v naravni svetlobi, ki jo Bogataj lovi v svoj objektiv. Barve, v katerih žarijo rastlinske vrste, so zaradi spremenljivosti časa v dnevu in vremenskih pogojev, ki vplivajo na končni rezultat, praktično na vsakem izmed razstavljenih del malenkost drugačne. Spretnost umetnika je biti v pravem trenutku na pravem mestu in zajeti ne le gole podobe, pač pa tudi atmosfero. Najsi gre za jutranje prebujanje sveta pod koprenastimi oblaki, nežne žarke, ki se igrajo med pomladnimi popki in cvetovi, močno poletno sonce, ki v snopih lije skozi drevesne krošnje, ali difuzno, malodane mračno svetlobo jesenskega večera, vsaka izmed fotografij priča o izbranem trenutku v času in je absolutno neponovljiva. Čeprav Janez Bogataj na motive, ki pritegnejo njegovo pozornost in ga nagovorijo, med svojimi pohodi po rodni Gorenjski mnogokrat naleti naključno, je njegova poglavitna značilnost, da se vanje docela poglobi in si zanje vzame čas. Končni rezultat je tako z vidika motiva in kompozicije v celoti premišljen in izpiljen do popolnosti, kar njegovim fotografijam daje tudi jasno prepoznaven avtorski pečat.

– Vida Jocif

ABOUT THE SERIES

The series Bagatelles, the name of which denotes a short, light piece of music for the piano or a chamber ensemble, comprehensively builds on Bogataj’s opus and represents a logical continuation of his landscape series Sonata for Sun and Fog, with both series taking the inspiration behind their names from the music world. The compositions in the photographs from Bagatelles are utterly subordinate to the colours and patterns from which they are made of. In front of the viewer and through the frequent absence of prominent depth, a single two-dimensional surface unfolds, with the main role taken over by the pointillistic interlacement of natural pigments and shapes of flora. The rare appearances of the horizon cause our gaze to first take in the flowering of the forest in the foreground before undisturbedly gliding into the boundlessness of the sky we can sense in the background. More commonly, the detailed growth of vibrantly coloured bushes and trees fills every corner of the photograph, in which the artist contrasts patches of vivid warm colours, especially hues of yellow, orange and red, with complementary nuances of green. With regards to composition, Bogataj’s photographs are perfect – they are balanced to the point where each photograph is well proportioned on its own, while the compositions of nature complement each other and go together even when viewed as small selections or when we take in the entire series as a harmonious whole.

The key to the diversity of the photographer’s distinctive features lies in natural light, which Bogataj captures with his lens. Due to the changeability of time in the day and weather conditions that affect the final result, the colours in which the plant species radiate are slightly different practically in every single one of the exhibited artworks. The skill of the artist is being in the right place at the right time, not just capturing the mere image but also the atmosphere. Be it the morning waking of the world under gossamer clouds, gentle sunrays playing among the spring’s buds and blossoms, the strong summer sun pouring down through the canopies in beams of light, or the diffusing, almost gloomy light of the autumnal evening, each photograph testifies of a chosen moment in time and is absolutely unrepeatable. During his hikes around his native Gorenjska, Janez Bogataj stumbles upon the motifs, which capture his attention and speak to him, coincidentally. In spite of that, his principal characteristic is that he takes his time to study them thoroughly. From the standpoint of the motif and the composition, the final result is thus completely deliberate and polished to perfection, which grants Bogataj’s artworks a clearly visible authorial mark.

– Vida Jocif