Tanja Lažetić
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O SERIJI
Devet bazenov in zlomljeno steklo (1968) je bil naslov prve knjige barvnih fotografij Eda Rusche, umetnika, ki je danes bolj poznan po svojem slikarstvu. Kadri razkrivajo njegovo pop-art ozadje in vplive grafične umetnosti, medtem ko prostorske relacije in specifični zorni koti namigujejo na močan vpliv, ki ga je imela na njegovo delo kinematografija. Kakor številna njegova dela, tudi ta serija prikazuje ambivalenten odnos med konceptom in realnostjo; realnost obstaja na robu okvirjev, a v fokusu je mitologiziran ameriški vsakdan. Približno v istem času, ko je Ruscha ustvaril svojo serijo, je bila ustvarjena tudi serija fotografij jugoslovanskih turističnih destinacij, opremljenih z bazeni. Tanja Lažetić, ki se na Ruscho sklicuje tudi v drugih delih (npr. Samo šestindvajset bencinskih črpalk), je te fotografije odkrila v turistični brošuri.
Devet bazenov za zlomljenim steklom je projekt, ki naslavlja specifično estetiko za promoviranje turističnega produkta. Bazeni so bili v času socializma del počitniških paketov, mitologiziranih krajev, uvoženih od drugih kultur in zahtev. Posebej na obali, kjer so v neskladju s svojo okolico predstavljali bistven presežek, so bili morda smatrani kot luksuz namenjen gostom, ki se niso počutili zadovoljni in varni le zaradi lepote narave. Počeno steklo, pod katerim so povečane fotografije, skupaj drži rdeč lepilni trak. Njegov vidni vzorec razkriva potlačeni strah, ki ga je za sabo pustila izguba skupne zgodbe, okvirja, znotraj katerega se je nekoč formiral jugoslovanski turizem. Ruschajevo zlomljeno steklo simbolizira drugačno atmosfero, ki preveva slikovite dele Los Angelesa; steklo je položeno na gladko površino, ki odseva modro nebo (in katere barva in položaj znotraj okvirja spominjata na bazen). V nasprotju s tem je počeno in ponovno sestavljeno steklo v delih Tanje Lažetić poskus rekonstrukcije zlomljene podobe užitka. Rdeči trak simbolizira propad politične utopije (ki je s sabo na žalost vzela tudi mnoge hotele in bazene); je kakor filter, skozi katerega lahko opazujemo novejšo zgodovino, ki ostaja nedostopna in jo je nemogoče obdržati kot skupno celoto.
Sandra Križić Roban
ABOUT THE SERIES
Nine Swimming Pools and a Broken Glass (1968) was Ed Ruscha’s first colour photography book, the artist better known at that time for his painting. The frames reveal his pop-art background and the influence of graphic art, while spatial relations and specific viewing angles point to the strong influence of cinematography on his work. As many of his works, this series also exhibits an ambivalent relationship between the concept and reality; while reality exists at the edges of the frame, the mythologized American everyday life is placed in the focus. At about the same time when Ruscha created his series, a series of photographs of Yugoslav tourist destinations, regularly equipped with pools, had also been made. These photographs were found in a tourist brochure by Tanja Lažetić, who also refers to Ruscha in her other works (e.g. Twentysix Gasoline Stations Only).
Nine Swimming Pools behind Broken Glass points to a specific aesthetic used in order to successfully launch a tourist product. Pools were a part of a holiday package during socialism, mythologized places imported from other cultures and demands. Especially at the seaside where they were an essential surplus, in discord with the surrounding landscape, they might have been considered a luxury available to guests for whom nature’s beauty did not provide a satisfactory level of accommodation or safety. The broken glass under which photo enlargements are laid is being held together with a red adhesive tape. The visible pattern unveils the latent scare left by the loss of a shared narrative, a frame within which Yugoslav tourism was once formed. Ruscha’s broken glass symbolizes a different kind of an atmosphere which permeates the picturesque parts of Los Angeles; the glass is placed on a smooth surface which reflects the blue sky (and whose colour and position within the frame is reminiscent of a pool). In contrast, the glass that is broken and then pieced together in Tanja’s series attempts to reconstruct the shattered image of pleasure. The red tape symbolizes the downfall of a political utopia (unfortunately bringing down with it numerous hotels and pools); it is like a filter for observing recent history which remains inaccessible and impossible to hold together.
Sandra Križić Roban