Petr Hricko
8. 1. 2019 - 4. 3. 2019
Presentation of photographs in Leica Gallery Café
“I began photographing the autoportrait series in 2012 when I first started experimenting with levitation and surreal photography. I was attempting to visualize my relationship with nature and how I feel when I’m in it. Gradually I started to broaden the concept of the portraits. One time I found an old TV by the trash cans and I decided that I will put it in place of my head. I wanted to point out that the outside world offers the best television programme I’ve ever heard of and it indicates my position on television broadcasting in general. In time, the TV completely fell apart, so I knew I’d have to mend it up and exhibit it somewhere; for me it’s a legend. I collect old phones, old mirrors and I always want just one thing for or from them; to put them back in the game for at least a while through an interesting photography. I like this type of photography because it’s the best way to let off steam and it can also be a challenge. I like to push my boundaries, sometimes I’m poignant in pointing something out and I’m always amused by the end result. If I had to say which autoportraits entertain me the most, it’s definitely the ones where I am by the side of my dog love, Boony.”
Petr Hricko
Petr Hricko was born in Teplice in 1976. His journey towards photography is an unexpected one. As he was twenty-seven years old, he was told he has cancer… When he was staying in the hospital, one of his friends brought him a camera to distract him and that was the moment. Hricko began learning how to photograph and slowly started forgetting about his illness. It was the best therapy one could imagine. Later on, when he was leaving the hospital, he knew that he would never stop photographing. He found a new life style. Ever since 2012, Hricko photographs professionally.
Amongst his favourite subjects of photography are nature, levitations, stories or capturing the atmosphere of the street.
If you’ve ever come across Hricko’s work, it’s very unlikely you’d mistake it for someone else’s. The characteristic light blue overtone of his photographs, magical atmosphere seeping from the images, the captivating expressions in the eyes of the subjects and the unbelievable outlook into nature’s beauty. That’s the world how Petr sees it through the viewfinder of his camera, and it won’t leave you without an emotional response.
