Subjective Documentary Photography in ‘‘Normalised’’ Czechoslovakia (1968-89). Decoding Vladimír Birgus’ Work

Gortazar, P. 2019. Subjective Documentary Photography in ‘‘Normalised’’ Czechoslovakia (1968-89). Decoding Vladimír Birgus’ Work. Fotocinema. 19, pp. 101-123. https://doi.org/10.24310/Fotocinema.2019.v2i19.6647

TitleSubjective Documentary Photography in ‘‘Normalised’’ Czechoslovakia (1968-89). Decoding Vladimír Birgus’ Work
TypeJournal article
AuthorsGortazar, P.
Abstract

This paper aims to study the use of a ‘subjective’ view in Czechoslovakian photography through documentary practices developed during the period of ‘normalisation’ (1968-1989). Its intention is to analyse how are we to understand the notion of ‘subjective’ in Czechoslovakian documentary photography and its significance during the last two decades of communist rule in the country. Through the analysis of Vladimír Birgus’ work, the article discusses how the principles of ‘subjectivity’ in photography aided Czechoslovakian photographers to express their reactions against the established power; a reaction that, thanks to the attributes of this ‘subjective view’, was able to remain ‘under-cover’ through the use of a coded visual language in the photograph.

KeywordsCzech photography; Slovak photography; normalisation; subjective documentary photography; Vladirmír Birgus.
JournalFotocinema
Journal citation19, pp. 101-123
ISSN2172-0150
Year2019
PublisherUniversidad de Málaga
Accepted author manuscript
License
CC BY-NC-SA 4.0
File Access Level
Open (open metadata and files)
Publisher's version
License
CC BY-NC-SA 4.0
File Access Level
Open (open metadata and files)
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)https://doi.org/10.24310/Fotocinema.2019.v2i19.6647
Web address (URL)https://revistas.uma.es/index.php/fotocinema/article/view/6647
Publication dates
Published22 Jul 2019

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