The Abyss
Matej Sitar
The Angry Bat
English
Softcover with spiral binding
Handmade edition of 300
60 pages
220 x 300 mm
2024
ISBN 9789619551639
The series “The Abyss” captures more than mere landscapes; it encapsulates a profound narrative of our contemporary era, marked by turmoil, isolation, and introspection. Each image, devoid of colour yet rich in contrast, serves as an allegory for the challenges we collectively face – the wars that rattle our sense of security, the pandemic that has reshaped our existence, and the deeply human experiences of longing and love.
“The series Abyss focuses exclusively on one motif. It is the night motif of a sea pier, which the artist pursued over a longer period of time. The title Abyss indicates the symbolic significance of the series that the photographer himself interprets as a response to current political affairs and a feeling of the spirit of the times we live in. The pier as a temporary and limited space of current residence on which strangers coexist, images of people indicating a point in the distance or bending over the water as if searching for answers in it, images of a secluded pier in total darkness, photographs of lightning and close shots of the sea, all this evokes an allusion to the current images of refugees who are following points in the distance, reaching unknown territories, talking to strangers on that same pier, and staring at the sea on which their survival depends. Only a few elements of the narrative are specifically highlighted; each change in the framing, each gesture or attitude of protagonists in this empty space immersed in the darkness resonates more strongly. He thus achieves various effects, ranging from calmness to drama, using minimal variation. Broadly speaking, we can also perceive the Abyss as an illustration of our own existence in all its ranges: finding the right direction, approaching the coast, coexisting with strangers, surviving storms and unpredictable seas, and finally moments of confiding closeness of two lovers with whom the series ends. Hence, with love that gives meaning and (solely) shows a way out of the abyss.”
Text by Andreja Borin, curator at the Maribor Art Gallery
(Source: https://theangrybat.com/product/the_abyss)
About the Artist
Matej Sitar (1980) is an art photographer with a wide spectrum of interests. He has worked as an architectural photographer, publishes limited edition photo-books under his own brand The Angry Bat, organises the Maribor photobook award, presents photo books by different authors on his blog and tries to exhibit regularly in Slovenia and internationally. Sitar currently lives and works in Maribor. His publishing house has so far produced eleven photobooks, and he is a regular participant at photobook fairs and talks about photobooks at festivals. He was awarded the EMZIN prize for his series America, my way, several artistic grants and the prestigious Essl Award for young contemporary artists (2009).
https://www.matejsitar.com
(Source: https://kranjfotofest.org/en/team/matej-sitar)
About the Publisher
The angry bat is a publishing trademark of the Slovenian photographer Matej Sitar. Its goal for the future is to publish as many limited edition photobooks as possible.
https://theangrybat.com
(Source: https://theangrybat.com/about-us-corporate)
