Goran Bertok is a Slovenian photographer who states that he was dismissed from the services of the Yugoslav National Army after a diagnosis of having a psychopatic personality. Bertok writes: There are more important things than photography. More important to me. I reached them also through photography, but have nevertheless no particular wish to enter into its world (or the world of art) more than necessary. Perhaps this is the cause of effort with photography, these objections. There is a misunderstanding of sorts going on. Sometimes I feel like I could give up photography without any remorse. Actually photography does not interest me. I am interested in several motifs, which I have been trying to get to over the years. Several more motifs alongside which I do not feel any effort and resistance towards photography. OMG I like this person.
In my mail this morning was Goran Bertok's latest bookwork, REQUIEM, published by the angry bat (thank you Matej). The book, in fact there are two, reminded me why I like bookworks. The work is a tactile object. It has a presence of its own, it begs to be opened.
And more, the work is direct and uncompromising. Death. We don't think about it, talk about it, and we are afraid of it. Goran Bertok deals with it.
Old age, disease, death and facing death bodies are somehow placed on the edge of the contemporary society, which rather uses various channels to emphasize the imperative of health, youth and strength. Bertok approaches death from the perspective of life: he is intrigued by its mythology reflecting through history the notion of the so-called dignified death, he is fascinated by the psychological effects of the omnipresent fear of death and by the organic remnants of the once alive bodily system. He never idealizes death, as it always stands for fear, pain, agony and pain, he rather sees it as a consequence of life. text by Miha Colner.
Published in an edition of 300 copies, you can order the book direct from the angry bat HERE. Dimensions, 16 x 21 cm / 46 pages / paper, cordenons natural evolution white 140g /
selfbound japanese binding / high quality offset print. And you can check out Goran Bertok's website HERE.
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