Branimir Ritonja

Poetry of hidden glances

With the present exhibition Branimir Ritonja offers a mosaic of diary notes written in four European cities. The photographs have been taken on journeys between 2001 and 2006 and form four cycles that are not divided by motif but still show diverse impressions imposed on the photographer by the individual town. The main protagonists of the photographer's opus are Bratislava,Madrid, Maribor, and Zagreb. The photographs exhibited are black and white and of middle panoramic format, only the photos from Zagreb, who differ in motif from other cycles, have a slightly smaller format.

When strolling through the cities, which Branimir Ritonja caught in his objective, images are disclosed in front of us that we probably would not have noticed if we had visited these same cities ourselves. The artist namely searches for hidden nooks, reveals districts and views that usually remain concealed to the curious tourist. He searches for the city's soul far away from the glittering sightseeing and general points of interest. And he finds it: in unattractive streets and coincidental passers-by, in dilapidated buildings and everyday things. His photographs carry the spirit of timelessness; in some places the geographic appurtenance is effaced which gives us the feeling that the photograph could be taken anywhere. The black and white technique he uses gives the story uncompromisingly and with the necessary acuteness. In this way the contrasts are more distinct and the play of light and shadow more expressive and narrative. The poetics of Branimir Ritonja are marked by the geometry of sight. The picture opening in front of the beholder is cut up, often divided into several individual entities but always constructed in a way that its entirety is perfectly balanced and harmonious. The poetic everyday ceases entirely. The artist constructs the picture with the help of visual elements that attract the beholder and lead him through his photographs. With an exceptional feeling for composition and perspective he unites the intertwining lines and thus gives the images a new, deeper, symbolic meaning.

Bratislava. A city of contrasts, a compilation of different architectural styles with impressions from the past and a vivid seal of the present. On the one hand dilapidating remnants of socialism, on the other large shopping centres with huge, glittering advertisements. The photographer stayed here for studying purposes but the city did not catch his sympathy.

The artist plays with geometric forms and intertwines horizontal and vertical lines. An element, like a tree or a fence, is often placed in the forefront, which drags the view into the background. This characteristic is repeatedly shown on the majority of photographs exhibited. Another iconographic speciality of the works by Branimir Ritonja is the complex structure of the photographs. On first sight they seem like collages put together from different sights – the photograph's composition namely acts unusually. And yet it is a real view that only a trained photographer's eye is able to observe. Individual parts of the photograph are united in contrast, formal or contextual, but always in accordance with the balanced entirety. Thus old and new, remnants of the past and the contemporary spirit entering this space, organic and geometric shapes are combined, leading towards various interpretations that uplift the story to a symbolic level.

Madrid. Certainly unusual photographs, when it comes to a presentation of the hot Spanish city and temper. We can possibly perceive this city character in some of the photographs with people, although it is not them that are playing the main part, but the city streets and architectural elements. People are often blurred and act as ghosts wandering through the town. The portrait of Madrid through the photographer's eyes shows interesting pieces torn from the whole. Sharp cuts, exposed architectural details, playing with reflections, are elements that introduce additional contents and thus open new stories. A different image of the city is revealed, seen through the prism of the photographer's personality. Here we maybe perceive most intensively the above-mentioned timelessness and effaced geographic appurtenance. Then, as a reminder, a photograph with Goya's pictures of the naked and clothed Maya appears and brings us back to space and time.

Maribor. A Sunday morning awakening over the town. In this case the beholder is probably most surprised when discovering completely new pictures of well-known and domestic sights. The caught images act like a fictitious compound. Strong contrasts are the main guideline through the artistic expression of Branimir Ritonja. The playing of closed and open forms, sharp geometric and softened, aerial shapes conjure up a new image of everyday pictures. Again the artist builds the composition the way that he puts a subject in the first plane that cuts and delimits the composition and thus starts a new story. Such visual solutions attract the photographer to the extent that he actually finds them everywhere. Again people are not the central object of the photograph's interest, they are only a part of the composition and participate in its forming; there are no portrait depictions.

Zagreb. An April afternoon. A city caught in the faces of the people. Here the photographer dedicated himself exclusively to the town inhabitants and presented the town's portrait through the images of coincidental promenaders. Despite some short moments of acquaintance the photographs show a certain closeness, a connection felt in the eyes of those portrayed. Each photo is equipped with the names of the depicted and thus becomes more personal. The portrayed are aware of the camera's presence and pose for the photographer, but regardless of that the atmosphere in the photographs is relaxed and unaffected. The photographer succeeded to entice a spontaneous smile and catch a genuine moment. He succeeded to make contact with the portrayed and transferred it to the photo.

The photographs by Branimir Ritonja are marked by a solid and balanced construction. A compound of unusual sights and the uniting of contrasting forms ceaselessly attract the photographer's eye. It seems as the motif is not the most important carrier of the story, although releasing the trigger starts to weave an uncommon narration, through which these elements are not dispossessed of poetry but contribute to a greater expressiveness giving the photographs a special charm.

Maja Vuksanović