Inhale. Exhale.

Boštjan Lah

I observe my image in the mirror. Is everything okay? Inhale. I repeat, or perhaps it is better not to. The seats in the stalls are still empty, I can crawl into them for a moment. The technicians are in full swing. Are the lights ready? The costumes and make-up will be ready soon. Exhale. Where are the props?

Stories recorded by Boštjan Lah with his camera. As part of the Maribor Theatre Festival, Boštjan photographs performances and other events and also walks through the tensions, expectations and exciting feelings of theatregoers just before the start of the performance. His photography is distinguished by a balanced composition, which often pushes the main character slightly out of the centre, thus establishing a more eloquent dialogue with space, objects and light. He uses artificial light for dynamic light-dark and colour contrasts. In addition, he plays with depth of field, perspective and flatness. However, the point is to capture that right moment of the look, facial expressions and gestures of the portrayed individuals and take us into his/her inner world. Even before he really opens up to us, he invites us to the theatre with his recognisable signature of an inconspicuous photographer.

The text on this year's photo exhibition of Boštjan Lah was written by Brigita Strnad, curator at the Maribor Art Gallery.