My Schoolwork

Foto / Photo: J. Rečo
Grafická úprava / Graphic design: J. Rečo
Text / Text: J. Rečo
Předtisková příprava / Pre-printing: J. Plesl
Tisk / Printed by: xPrint s.r.o., Příbram
Počet výtisků / Number of copies: 55
Vyšlo/Published: 2009


Fastfood Koruna (Crown) – 1975
I was at FAMU (FILM AND TV SCHOOL OF ACADEMY OF PERFORMING ARTS IN PRAGUE) in the second year. At that time the lecturer Paul Štecha began to work there. Till then I did not know much about the documentary photography. It was Pavel who turned my attention to the document genre. I discovered new authors, studied their photographic publications. The theme of the schoolwork was “the Wenceslas square” – place known by both locals and the rest of us. I decided for the fastfood buffet Crown. One reason was that each time before I started taking pictures, I could “strengthen” myself by drinking beer. Photographing people was very difficult and this was my first experience. It took sometimes two hours before I even pulled my camera out of the bag. I just drank beer and looked around. Later only I realized that the most important part of the photographers profession is the observation.


Accounting Office – 1976
Third year at the university and the topic “Homo Faber”. At that time “the people where constructing advanced socialist society”. Many honored socialist workers, heroes of socialist labor … So I tried to capture the atmopsphere of one such brigade. Of course it was a common accounting department, thousands places like this were around the country. It did not matter if the sign of socialist work hanged on the wall or not. This environment attracted me, seemingly nothing happened all the time. Real photographer’s challenge.


Ministery – 1977
This topic I chose as part of my thesis. I decided to take pictures in the political institution. For me, an apolitical man, it seemed almost impossible. Finally, circumstances led me to the Minister of Labour and Social Affairs Dr. Emiliano Hamernik. He welcomed my photographic plans with understanding. I was able to move around the building of the Ministry freely, participate in various events. I tried to ingore the dislike of the ministerial officials and gradually took more and more photos. Politicians, civil servants, porters, boring meetings, unnecessary papers … This is how I saw it then, and how I see it today.