Artwork can often surprise. Not as a formal experiment, but rather with its message hidden within the artwork, with its formal presentation purposefully referring to other contents and other artistic traditions. This definition also applies to the presented photo series by Marek Šefrna Výsledný obraz/Resulting image. By their framing and choice of topics these somewhat dull enlargements refer to specific Czech photographical tradition presented by works of artistic duo Martin Polák and Lukáš Jasanský or images by Markéta Othová. The best way to trace this interconnection is in the image of a pedestrian crossing with part of a sidewalk and a house. In the middle of the image, there is a puddle and a small window from the basement. In a sense, it is a banal, almost ridiculous shot. Why would anybody take a picture of an ugly and unimportant window? This plastic and glass rectangular distinctly does not fit into the facade, sidewalk nor part of the road. Or did the author intend to capture the puddle?
Maybe he did. If you look around more precisely, you will uncover a puddle in every picture. Yes, you did attend the exhibition of puddles.
Fact, that these images formally refer to photographical work of the mentioned authors, is a byproduct of this series. Just as many other associations, that will come to your mind related to puddles – e. g. climate change, lack of rain, adverse impact of humankind on environment etc. Even though Marek is thankful for all these associations, they do not correlate with his original intention.
Images, you currently see, are mainly photographical records of his performative interventions into the public space. Marek took them after he created replicas of puddles on dried pathways in Prague in spring.
He poured water into pits of various sizes and afterwards with his fingers, a sponge, fallen leaves, nuts and seeds created their authentic imitations. We can even speak about models of Prague puddles. The places for Marek's performative interventions were chosen on purpose, realised in places, where the puddles usually emerge after rains.
Art works of some authors can still disturb or suprise us, Marek´s work is one of them. On one hand, it develops a specific kind of play, built upon innocent contact with public space, resulting in imitation of unimportant and banal situations, such as models of puddles. On the other hand, this play has a clear and meaningful tie within art context, associates the art works of the recent past and at the same time reminds us of important issues of today's world.
