Milan Šober, Crtica iz riječke fotopovijesti by MMSU Rijeka

MILAN

Å OBER

Crtica iz rijeÄ?ke fotopovijesti

“Ljude treba smatrati prijateljima, ne plašiti ih, ne mučiti, ne gnjaviti zamršenostima i nejasnoćama, već im olakšati da razumiju doslovno sve što im se slikom želi reći.” Osim što ovaj citat iz mjesečnika Naša fotografija, koji Milan Šober potpisuje 1954., izriče autorov svjetonazor i radnu etiku, svjedoči i nečemu drugom: da fotografije ipak proizlaze iz analitičke misli, iz nekoga predhodnog stanja introspekcije kojom se utvrđuju razlozi i polazišta obraćanja fotografijom. Iz takvih je poriva nastao i uži izbor najznačajnijih fotografija iz njegova opusa, posloženih u album koji izlažemo u ovoj prigodi, obilježavajući šezdeset prvu godišnjicu njegove samostalne izložbe u Malom salonu. Događaj je to važniji što je Šoberovo izlaganje u siječnju 1955. ujedno i prvo samostalno predstavljanje nekog fotografa u Rijeci. 1 Budući da znače sukus njegova umjetničkog nastojanja, tri albuma s osamnaest fotografija po njegovu izboru izlažemo kao samostalan rad, držeći ga uvodom u cjelovitije razmatranje opusa. 2 Fotoalbum nije novitet, ali je u to vrijeme rijedak format predstavljanja i opremanja fotografije, to više što je ručno rađen. 3 Potrebu za evaluacijom s vremenske distance nametnulo je i to što je u samo dvije godine posvećenosti autorskom radu (ne računajući svakodnevni rad u fotoradnji Milan) obišao trideset pet međunarodnih izložaba na kojima je dobivao priznanja i nagrade. 4 Zatim – što zbog narušenog zdravlja, što zbog samo njemu znanih razloga – nakon tih nekoliko godina pojavljivanja na izložbama, Milan Šober nestaje sa scene, posljednji put izlažući 1979. u atelijeru fotografkinje Suzi Pilet u Lausanni, kamo u to vrijeme često odlazi. Kao što uvodna rečenica najavljuje, problemska jezgra Šoberova nastojanja bila je jasnoća. U njegovim fotografijama nemoguće je pronaći barem pritajenu želju za ekscentričnošću. Nastoji sačuvati čim neutralniji stav prema predmetu, ne stvarajući hijerarhiju između važne i sporedne teme. Tu su

uobičajeni svakodnevni motivi – ribar, glumac, veduta, djeca u igri, ljudi u poslu. Pokazuje, međutim, posebnu finoću u izradi fotografije, što bih pripisala dugogodišnjem radu u atelijeru, 5 možda najjasnije vidljivu u snimanju portreta koji u pravilu nastoji učiniti lijepim, svjestan da primjena svjetla tome može pomoći ili odmoći. 6 Jasno je da portret iz albuma (Jedan iz Arene) nije nastao usputnim okidanjem, pri slučajnom susretu, već pažljivim studijskim snimanjem. Šober promatra precizno, slikarski studiozno, ali cijeni neposrednost kakvu nalazi kod djece. Radove U igri i Na stepenicama komponira centrirano i zatvara u cjelinu koja gledateljev pogled drži unutar rubova kadra. Dakako, to ne podrazumijeva da protagonisti nisu u relaciji s okolinom ili da fotografija nije tek isječak šireg plana. Krpajući mrežu, ribar tvori čvrstu piramidalnu kompoziciju koja pažnju zaustavlja na njoj, bez obzira na to što mreža, protežući se izvan ponuđenoga vidnog polja, optički otvara prostor. 7 Možda su još bolji primjer aktovi koji iz današnje perspektive izgledaju klasično (možda su tijela klasično lijepa?), a zapravo pokazuju kako kompoziciju rješava neklasično. Fotografija voli tijelo pokazati u cjelini, no Šober se više priklanja kiparski klasičnom tretmanu: u kadar smješta torzo, ili njegov dio, usmjerujući pažnju na njegove skulpturalne kvalitete (volumen, tekstura). Time potvrđuje zagovarani postulat jasnih formulacija ideja u prikazu: sasvim je jasno da se bavi likovnošću, a ne suštom pojavnosti tijela. U uvodnom tekstu deplijana izložbe iz 1955. Šober piše kako se uloga fotografije sastoji u spontanom zahvaćanju života i zbivanja. Ta posebna sklonost mnogih fotografa, usidrena u dominirajućoj figuri čovjeka, kod Šobera potpisuje ideju humanizma koju, budući da je jedna od stilskih okosnica poslijeratne fotografije, valja prepoznati kao duh vremena. Promatranje fotografije Bijeli golub u današnjem gledatelju stvara neki poseban osjećaj susretanja sa ‘starom’ fotografijom

(tada pitanje može li fotografija biti stara, iziskuje hitan odgovor), pri čemu slutimo kako fotografov rad uvelike započinje nakon okidanja, u tamnoj komori u kojoj izvlači željene tonove, korigira stvarnost (na nekim negativima vidljivi su retuši). Šoberove fotografije podsjećaju na konvencije kao nužne pratiteljice vremena koje određuju kako ispričati priču. Današnjem se gledatelju mogu činiti preoterećene ljepotom, emocijama udivljenja ili tehničkim zahvatima. Iza toga se skriva zanimanje za fiziologiju fotografije koja posreduje realnost koju uvijek nekako vidimo, bilo kao promatrači ili kao tumači. Vraćajući se okolnostima njegova prvog samostalnog izlaganja, izložba se osvrće i na zapise u knjizi dojmova koja s povijesne distance dobiva vrijednost dokumenta tog vremena. Otisnuti na veliki format, osobni i iskreni komentari posjetitelja izložbe prije više od pola stoljeća svjedoče o važnosti izložbe kao društvenog događaja. 8 Neočekivano zanimanje šire javnosti neposrednim i britkim promišljanjem jezika fotografije ponavlja lekciju kako želja da napravimo fotografiju nema objektivnijeg razloga od potrebe da u njoj promatramo stvarnost i reagiramo na svijet oko sebe.

Iz osobne hemeroteke u vlasništvu obitelji Metzger-Šober dostupan je podatak da je u Malom salonu namjeravao izlagati 1953., a otvorenje se dogodilo 1. siječnja 1955. i, s dva produljenja izložbe, trajalo do 25. siječnja. Po tome se može prosuditi da je sedamdesetak tada izloženih fotografija nastalo od 1952. do kraja 1953. godine. U hemeroteci Muzeja moderne i suvremene umjetnosti nema podatka da je itko od fotografa izlagao prije njega. U Našoj fotografiji, br. 3-4, 1955., objavljena je vijest o “Šoberovom fotoalbumu”, u kojoj se navodi da je riječ o ediciji od petneaest numeriranih albuma s osamnaest fotografija. Tri koje izlažemo u Malom salonu u vlasništvu su obitelji Metzger-Šober. Jedna od te tri bila je namijenjena Josipu Brozu Titu, ali mu zbog nepoznatih razloga nije uručena. Vlasnici po jednog primjerka su Muzej Grada Rijeke, Fotoklub Zagreb i Fotoklub Beograd. Ručno rađeni fotoalbumi bili su u modi u 19. stoljeću. Fotoradnja Androić&Goldstein iz Zadra izradila je fotoalbum s motivima Dalmacije kao dar Franji Josipu I. prigodom posjeta Zadru 1875. godine.Vidi: Nada Grčević, Rana fotografija u Zadru, u: Fotografija u Hrvatskoj 2, CEFFT – Centar za fotografiju, film i televiziju, Zagreb, 1978. Nakon Drugoga svjetskog rata izdavačke kuće izdaju fotoalbume, ali zbog mogućnosti umnažanja fotografije u tisku, nema potrebe za originalnim fotografijama. Fotorevija, u broju ožujak-travanj 1955., navodi Šobera kao najuspješnijeg izlagača mlade generacije članova zagrebačkog Fotokluba. Bio je član riječkog Fotokluba, a od 1953. i zagrebačkoga. Zanat je ispekao u fotoatelijeru u Nišu, a atelijer Foto Milan otvara odmah po dolasku u Rijeku, u Križanićevoj 1 na Sušaku.

U Našoj fotografiji, br. 11-12, 1954., izišao je njegov tekst Portreti pod svjetlom, u kojem kaže kako je za fotografa važno dobro poznavanje svjetla i rasvjete, napominjući da treba biti štedljiv sa svjetlom, a promatrati lice i sjene. Ova fotografija spada među Šoberove najnagrađivanije fotografije. Iznenađujući je podatak da se izložba otvorila na Novu godinu, 1. siječnja, i primila 400 posjetitelja. U hemeroteci Muzeja nalazimo podatak o ukupno 4800 posjetitelja.

Milan Šober rođen je u Mariboru 1920. godine gdje završava osnovnu školu. Životni put vodi ga u Niš gdje 1932. godine završava fotografski zanat. Sve više ga privlači umjetnička komponenta fotografije kojoj posvećuje slobodno vrijeme. Od 1947. do svoje smrti 1985. živi i radi u Rijeci. Godine 1950. na nagovor akademskog slikara Vilima Svečnjaka, upisuje slikarski tečaj kod prof. Makaneca, a 1963. nastavnički smjer Likovne grupe na Pedagoškom fakultetu u Rijeci. Izlagati započinje 1952. kada postaje suradnik mjesečnika za fotografiju Naša fotografija gdje redovito objavljuje. Član je Fotokluba Rijeka, Fotokluba Zagreb i ULUPUH-a. Izlagao je na petnaest samostalnih i stotinjak skupnih izložbi u zemlji i inozemstvu, osvajajući niz nagrada i priznanja.

Fotoalbum iz edicije petnaest numeriranih ručno opremljenih fotoalbuma, sadrži 18 crnobijelih fotografija i umjetnikov statement. Dimenzije: 41x35 cm, 1955. Popis fotografija 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18

Knjiga utisaka Bilježnica sadrži utiske posjetitelja tijekom 25 dana trajanja izložbe.

U razdaljini In the Distance

Krpanje mreĹže Patching the Net

Djeca u igri Children at Play

Jedan iz Arene One from the Arena

Iz Gorskog Kotara From Gorski Kotar

Na stepenicama On the Steps

Bijeli golub The Dove

Gipkost Suppleness

Nudo Nude

Osamljen Lonely

A sketch from Rijekaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s photo-history

“People should be considered as friends, don’t scare them, don’t pester, don’t annoy them with complications and ambiguities, but make it easier for them to understand literally everything that the picture wants to say to them”. Besides expressing the author’s worldview and work ethic, this quote from the Naša fotografija (Our Photography) monthly, which Milan Šober wrote in 1954, it also testifies to something else: that photographs nonetheless result from analytical thinking, from some previous state of introspection by which the reasons and starting points of addressing the photograph are determined. From such impulses, there also emerged the shortlist of the most significant photographs from his opus, arranged in an album, which we are putting on show at this occasion, marking the 61st anniversary of his solo exhibition in Mali Salon. With these the event is more important than Šober’s exhibition in January 1955, at the time also the first solo presentation of a photographer in Rijeka. 1 Since they represent the core of his artistic endeavour, we are exhibiting three albums with eighteen photographs of his choice as a solo work, considering it as an introduction to a more comprehensive examination of his opus. 2 The photo album does not represent something new, but at that time it was an uncommon format in the presenting and mounting of photographs, even more so as it was handmade. 3 The need for a retrospective evaluation was also highlighted by the fact that in just two years of dedicated work (not counting his daily work in the Milan photo studio), he toured thirty-five international exhibitions at which he received acknowledgements and awards. 4 Then, due to ill health, and reasons only known to him, after several years of appearing at exhibitions, Milan Šober left the scene, his last exhibition was in 1979 in the studio of photographer Suzi Pilet in Lausanne where he often went during that time.

As the introductory sentence says, the problematic core of Šober’s endeavour was clarity. In his photographs it is impossible to find at least a hidden desire for eccentricity. With it he attempts to preserve a more neutral attitude towards the subject, not creating a hierarchy between the important and secondary themes. They are ordinary everyday motifs - a fisherman, an actor, a veduta, children playing, people at work. They nevertheless show a special finesse in the production of the photography, which I would ascribe to his many years of work in the studio. 5 Perhaps it is most clearly visible in the shooting of portraits, where he general tries to create beauty, aware that the application of light can help as well as hinder. 6 It is clear how a portrait from the album (Jedan iz Arene – One from the Arena) did not come about from a casual shot, during an accidental encounter, but from a careful studio shoot. Šober observes very precisely, meticulously like a painter, however he appreciates the kind of directness that he finds in children. He composed the works U igri (At Play) and Na stepenicama (On the Steps) centrally and enclosed them entirely, which holds the spectator’s view within the edges of the frame. Of course, this does not mean that the protagonists are not related to the environment, or that the photograph is not just a crop from a wider view. By patching his net, the fisherman forms a firm pyramidal composition that keeps one’s attention on it, regardless of the fact that the net, extending outside of the given field of vision, optically opens up the space. 7 Perhaps an even better example are the nudes, which from today’s perspective seem classical (maybe the bodies are classically beautiful?), and in fact they show how he deals with the composition non-classically. The photograph likes to show the body in its entirety, however Šober is more inclined to a sculptor’s classical treatment: he places the torso, or part of it, in the frame, focussing attention on its sculptural qualities (volume, texture). Thereby he confirms the supported premise of the clear

formulations of the ideas in the image: it is totally clear that this is to do with art, and not just with the appearance of the body. In the introductory text of the exhibition leaflet from 1955, Šober writes how the role of photography is made up of the spontaneous capture of life and events. The special affinity of many photographers, anchored in the domineering figure of man, with Šober underlines the idea of humanism which, being one of the stylistic backbones of post-war photography, should be recognised as a spirit of the time. To today’s viewer the observation of the photograph Bijeli golub (The Dove) creates a special feeling of an encounter with “old” photography (therein the question, could this photograph be old, requiring an urgent answer), upon which suspect how the photographer’s work begins mainly after the shoot, in a darkroom where he draws out the desired tones, correcting reality (the retouches are visible on some negatives). Šober’s photographs are reminiscent of conventions as the necessary companions of time, which determine how to tell a story. To today’s viewer they can look overloaded with beauty, the emotions of wonder or technical procedures. Behind this is hidden an interest in the physiology of photography which intervenes the reality, which we always somehow see, either as observers or as interpreters. Returning to the circumstances of his first solo presentation, the exhibition also refers to the notes in the book of impressions, which over time has gained value as a document of that period. Printed on a large format, the personal and honest comments of the exhibition’s visitors from more than half a century ago, testify to the importance of the exhibition as a social event. 8 The unexpected interest of the wider public with the direct and sharp consideration of the language of photography, repeats the lesson as a desire that we take a photograph - there is no more objective reason of the need that we observe reality in it and react to the world around us.

From the personal newspaper archive owned by the Metzger Šober family, accessible information says that he planned to exhibit in 1953, and the opening took place on 1st January 1955 and with two extensions, it was open until 25th January. By that we can judge that seventy photographs were exhibited at that time, created in an interval from 1952-1953. In the newspaper archive of MMSU there is no information that any of the photographers exhibited before him. In Naša Fotografija, no. 3-4 of 1955 is published the news of ‘Šober’s photo album’, where an edition of fifteen numbered albums of eighteen photographs is stated. Three of which we have put on display in the Mali Salon, owned by the Metzger Šober family. One of these three was intended for Josip Broz Tito, but for unknown reasons it was not presented to him. The owners of each copy are the City of Rijeka Museum, Fotoklubs of Zagreb and Belgrade. Handmade photo albums were in vogue in the 19th century. The Androić & Goldstein photo studio in Zadar made a photo album with scenes of Dalmatia as a gift for Franz Joseph I upon his visit to Zadar in 1875. See: Nada Grčević: ‘Rana fotografija in Zadru’ (‘Early photography in Zadar’), Fotografia u Hrvatskoj 2, CEFFT-centre for photography, film and television, Zagreb, 1978. After the Second World War, publishing houses published the photo albums, however due to the possibility of reproducing the photographs in print, there was no need for the original photographs. Fotorevija, in the March-April 1955 issue, cites Šober as the most successful exhibitor of the young generation of members of the Zagreb Fotoklub. He was a member of the Fotoklub in Rijeka, and after 1953, also of the Zagreb club.

7 8

He honed his craft in the photo studio in Niš, and he opened the Foto Milan studio immediately after arriving in Rijeka, at 1 Križanićeva Street in Sušak. In Naša Fotografija, 11-12, 1954 was published his text Portreti pod svjetlom (Portraits under light), in which he says how a solid understanding of light and lighting is important for photographers, noting how important it is to be sparing with light, and to observe faces and shadows. This photograph belongs amongst Šober’s most awarded. It is an interesting fact that the exhibition opened on New Year’s Day, 1st January and 400 visitors came. In the newspaper archive of the museum there is a reference to 4,800 visitors.

Milan Šober was born in Maribor in 1920 where he finished elementary school. His life path led him to Niš, where in 1932 he completed his photographic apprenticeship. He dedicated his free time to the artistic component of photography, which attracted him more and more. From 1947 to his death in 1985, he lived and worked in Rijeka. In 1950 upon the persuasion of academic painter Vilim Svečnjak, he enrolled in the painting course of Prof. Makanec, and in 1963 in the teaching course of the Art Group at the Pedagogical Faculty in Rijeka. He began exhibiting his work in 1952, when he became a collaborator at the photographic monthly Naša fotografija (Our Photography) in which he regularly published. He was a member of Fotoklub Rijeka, Fotoklub Zagreb and ULUPUH (The Croatian Association of Artists of Applied Arts). He exhibited at fifteen solo and a hundred group exhibitions in Croatia and abroad, winning numerous awards and acknowledgements.

Photo album from a series of fifteen numbered handmade photo albums, containing eighteen black and white photographs and the artist's statement. Dimensions: 41x35 cm, 1955. List of photographs 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18

Book of Impressions The notebook contains the impressions of the exhibition's visitors from the 25 days that it was open.

Odlomci iz Knjige utisaka

—

Za nas laike perfektno sve. Ipak mislim da ima vanredno uspjelih

fotografija. Mnoge bih poželio u svom stanu. —

Pregledavši izložene fotografije došao sam do uvjerenja da jedna

umjetnički izrađena fotografija može isto tako impresionirati kao i umjetnički izrađena slika. Slike kao Klaun i Sjene dojmile su me se naročito, jer osim ljepote, za izradu tih slika potrebno je i veliko tehničko znanje. Hvala na užitku. —

Među dobrim fotografijama bolje su mi romantične, a među njima

Kroz šumu, za moj ukus prednjači. Hvala. —

Slike jako dobre u svakom pogledu. Samo tako nastavi.

17. 1. 1955. —

Fotografije su vrlo dobre. Jako mi se sviđaju. Dale su mi vrlo jaki dojam

za moje daljnje slikanje odnosno ručno crtanje. —

Općenito, zadovoljan sam s izložbom. Posebno što se tiče portreta.

Umjetnik lošije stoji s motivima. Od tri motiva – Dalmacija, Gorski kotar i Slovenija, karakteristike pejzaža uspio je prenijeti samo sa slikom Gorskog Kotara. Uz više istraživanja prirode, uspjeh Vam neće promaći. Samo hrabro! 18. 1. 55. —

Doista, samo umetnik može da vidi ovako kao što vidi naš majstor.

Ko jedanput usmotri Galebove Milana Šobera, sećaće ih se kadgod vidi galeba u letu; a njegovi Jablanovi vode čoveka u beskraj, u daleki, neznani prostor. Delo Mali splavari možda je najsigurnija kompozicija, slikarski vrhunac. Jednom rečju: umetnost! —

Današnja suvremena fotografija ne sastoji se samo u savladavanju

tehnike rada i u dobro izabranom sižeu, već o umjetničkoj vrijednosti, što se lijepo ispoljava kod druga Milana na ovoj izložbi.

Excerpts from the Book of Impressions

—

For us laymen everything is perfect. In the end I think there are some

extraordinarily good photographs. I would love to have them at home. —

Looking at the photographs I came to the belief that an artistically taken

photograph can impress just like an artistically painted picture. Images like the Clown and Shadows particularly impressed me, because besides their beauty, the making of these images also requires great technical knowledge. Thank you, it was a joy. —

Amongst the excellent photographs my favourite are the romantic ones,

and amongst them Kroz šumu (Through the Forest), for me was the best. Thank you. —

The images are very good in every regard. Just continue like this.

17. 1. 1955. — The photographs are very good. I like them very much. They have made great impression on me for my own future painting and drawing. —

In general, I am satisfied with the exhibition. Especially when it comes to

the portraits… The artist is not so good with motifs. Of the three motifs – Dalmatia, Gorski Kotar and Slovenia, he has only managed to convey the characteristics of the landscape with the image of Gorski Kotar. With a further study of nature, success will not pass you by. Just be brave! 18. 1. 55. —

Only an artist can truly see things the way that our maestro does.

Whoever sees Galebovi (The Seagulls) by Milan Šober once, will remember them whenever they see seagulls flying; and his Jablanovi (Poplar Trees) lead man to infinity, to a distant, unknown place. The work Mali splavari (The Little Rafters) is perhaps the most confident composition, artistic perfection. In a word: art! Today’s contemporary photography does not consist of the mastering — of the techniques of the work or in the well-chosen subject matter alone, but in the artistic value, which is beautifully expressed by colleague Milan in this exhibition.

Milan šober 15. 11. – 2. 12. 2016. Mali salon Izdavač | Publisher Muzej moderne i suvremene umjetnosti Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art Za izdavača | For the publisher Slaven Tolj Tekst | Text Sabina Salamon Prijevod | Translation Martin Mayhew Lektura | Proof reading Gordana Ožbolt, Martin Mayhew Fotografije | Photographs Priprema za tisak | Preepress Kaligraf d.o.o. Grafičko oblikovanje | Graphic design Marino Krstačić Furić & Ana Tomić Tisak | Printing Kerschoffset, Zagreb Naklada | Print run 300 Broj kataloga | Catalogue no. 357 © MMSU, Rijeka, 2016.

Edukacija | Education Milica Đilas Dokumentacija | Documentation Diana Zrilić Odnosi s javnošću | Public relations Ivo Matulić Suradnik na izložbi | Exhibition collaborator Branko Metzger-Šober Zahvale | Acknowledgments Jadranka Metzger-Šober, Sonja Briski Uzelac Podržano | Supported by Ministarstvo kulture RH Grad Rijeka CIP zapis dostupan u računalnom katalogu Sveučilišne knjižnice Rijeka pod brojem 131027037 ISBN 978-953-8107-07-8

Grad Rijeka