Pavel Baňka Workshop

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Workshop Pavel Baňka: Photography as „the potential of the impossible.“

The art of photography at arts schools is largely taught with emphasis on a formal approach, or as an introduction to „how to make art.“

Often what results is a unified product, applying the current reigning trends. These, usually, in a couple years die out and other trends come in.

It is important:

- to forget about all aesthetic preconceptions.

- to know that the purpose of photography, which we the chosen (this we feel from the beginnings of our decision to express ourselves by one of the available arts forms) is to communicate which we want to do thorugh our media by capturing, saving in our personal records or display in public forums, either in an exhibit or published form.

- the fundamental approach of the artist is a reflection of personal freedom, which, necessarily must fight against manipulation of majority opinion and taste, popularized trends in art, and, often, arts schools (no to confuse the completion of tasks with future professional work).

- a billion people on Earth take pictures. Millions consider themselves photographers. Only a small percent - one in thousands - has the chance to be recognized as an artist either at the national or, even, international level. These are no those who continue in the well-established trends, but those who rebel and contribute something different: going against the stream.

- this, often, leads to efforts in garnering attention at any price. What results is „screaming art.“ Also, the majority quickly die away and finish in forgotten history.

What has hope, then, is art made only for oneself. When I please myself, I possibly please others attuned me.

- Workshop „Photography as the potential of the impossible“ will be focused on liberation from the deposits of well-established cliche.

- the suitable form will be working in pairs, which enables direct sharing of new knowledge, efforts and intense investigation and original dialogue which in the history of art nealy always was linked to new directions and discoveries.

- whoever is truly an individualist, may work alone

- anything is possible. The only requirement for success is the complete harmony of complete freedom of though of one's work, desire for new discoveries in photography, possibly a dialogue with one's media which is now one of the breakthrough situations in all of history.

Prof. Ing. Pavel Baňka, photographer and chief editor of Fotograf

Has lectured in schools for many years:

Michigan University, USA (1990)

Ohio University, USA (1992-93)

Univerzita JE Purkyně v Ustí nad Labem (1996 - 2012)

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Exam: grades awarded based on the fulfillment of individual tasks and assessment of submitted works.

A requirement for grading is attendance at 60% of lectures, participation in announced obligatory group consultations established at the beginning of instruction and the submission of agreed results and digital recordings of execution in 300dpi resolution max longer side 250mm.

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