by Stephan Delbos

The most striking contrast in Jindrich Streit’s photography is also the most obvious: black and white. But there are other contrasts evident in Streit’s work, contrasts which lose no power for being subtle.

Streit’s dominant subject is life in Czech villages, particularly those in the Bruntal region, where he lived for some time. His photographs capture Czech villagers in a variety of moods and activities - work, rest, mourning and celebration being some of the more obvious themes of Streit’s work.

Because of the sheer breadth of the exhibition, which spans the years 1965-2005, visitors might be tempted to draw contrasts between scenes of life in the Czech Republic before and after the fall of communism. This is more difficult than one might expect, however.

Due to Streit’s choice of black and white, as well as his choice to document rural rather than urban life, his photographs achieve a kind of timelessness. One photo depicts a man reclining on the grass, cigarette in hand, his head propped on a sack of potatoes while a small boy rests on his chest. Were it not for the man’s thick muttonchops, this photo might be impossible to date. Streit snapped this photo, entitled Technov, in 1981.

Viewers might be surprised to see how little seems to have changed over the course of this forty-year sample of Streit’s work. This seeming stasis indicates both the strength of habit and tradition in rural regions, as well as the strength of Streit’s compositions. Those seeking to use Streit’s work to contrast past and present will be disappointed. But one can hardly fail to be struck by how deeply they resonate, perhaps ironically, with contrasting feelings of community and solitude.

Jindrich Streit Photography Exhibit

Until February 10

The Stone Bell House, Old Town Square 13,

http://www.ghmp.cz/a_zvon.php

Open daily except Monday 10 a.m to 6 p.m

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