Swimming Pools With Mária Švarbová

AK: Can you talk about the process of creating these images and explain how important the roles of set design, props, wardrobe and models are to the image you want to create?

MS: All of the above are very important to me as the photo must look good on the camera first and foremost. I’m a perfectionist and I love Photoshop and editing too. Ideas pop into my head and I follow my instincts. These scenes require a lot of preparation because I work with a big production team, including stage and costume designers. Usually we use original Socialist designs and costumes because they look minimalistic and futuristic at the same time. I call this style ‘FUTURO_RETRO’. The lighting also plays a big role. Ideally I use natural lights during the day and occasionally one big softbox. I see my work as a fictitious documentary in the style of art. I prefer shooting on location where there are large open spaces and a lot of daylight. I often stumble upon something interesting by accident and include it in the scene. I love these moments because it feels like fate.

AK: ‘Lost In The Valley’ feels even more surreal than some of your other works – the people seem displaced in the desert, as if they’ve appeared out of thin air. Can you talk about this series and your reasons for creating it in the way you did?

MS: The series is about the harmonisation of people and space i.e. humans existing as individuals or as part of something bigger. This was the first time I shot in nature.

AK: ‘Girl Power’ feels like a change of direction, the people and bodies are much more active in the images – what inspired this change?

MS: I switched from static bodies to more movement. It shows a transition from a tense position into being more relaxed and in motion. Freedom is very important for me and my art process, and also for women and all people around the world.

AK: What do ‘Swimming Pool’ and ‘Girl Power’ mean to you?

MS: I created the series over four years with a subseries called ‘Girl Power,’ which symbolises hope, unity of womanhood, and the power of mutual support.

AK: You’ve been in and around the pool for years taking photographs. Do you like swimming?

MS: Yes, I swim but I tend to do standard holiday swimming. I can only do breaststroke.

AK: What’s the most Glorious photo that you’ve taken for your latest ‘Swimming Pools’ series?

MS: That’s a difficult question. I don’t have a favourite photo from that series, but I always support new photos. For example, I’ve started taking underwater pictures. It’s very demanding, but it excites me.

AK: What role does sport play in your work and in your own life? And why are you interested in harnessing it in your work?

MS: I love the costumes that athletes wear. I think sport is so important in society. Generally, I try to follow a ‘kalokagatia’ approach to life (derived from the Greek term ‘kalokagathia’, it means striving for mental and physical perfection). I’m also inspired by Communism and its famous Czechoslovak celebration of physical prowess, called ‘Spartakiada,’ in which thousands of young people performed synchronised movements in a stadium.

AK: Do you have any female sporting icons of your own and if so, who are they?

MS: My admiration goes to sisters Serena and Venus Williams. I like their story, how they grew up and how hard they worked. In general, I like athletes because I admire it when someone works on themselves. I think athletes know how to sacrifice a lot for their passion. Mostly they do not give up and try to press on and that is such an inspiring attitude.

AK: What do you want people to feel when they look at your work?

MS: Lightness, voltage, time – because that’s what I feel.

AK: What has been your moment of glory?

MS: My huge solo show in Taipei where my whole body of work was exhibited.

AK: What are you working on currently?

MS: I’m very excited and grateful becasue at the moment I’m preparing a huge solo show in the Art Culture Centre in Malaga, Spain, which will focus on my entire work. The show takes place from October 2022 until February 2023.