AFTER DARK

JITKA ERTELOVÁ

// Jitka´s photographic journey began with a transition from the written to the visual world. Before pursuing literature, she was an avid reader and writer, crafting stories on an antique typewriter or by hand. However, following a significant eye surgery, her passion for writing waned. A profound desire to capture the world visually, a sense previously denied to her, emerged. The photographic series we present here is a stark and introspective exploration of her small, industrial Czech hometown, Chodov, in the Karlovy Vary Region.

Jitka spent countless hours observing the ordinary with extraordinary curiosity and delight. Seventeen years after she began with it, the thrill of photography remains as potent as it was on the day she took her first picture, just two weeks after her surgery.

While she relishes the opportunity to exhibit her work globally, her ultimate aspiration aligns with Kurt Vonnegut’s philosophy: “To practice any art, no matter how well or badly, is a way to make your soul grow. So do it.” Her aim is to foster continuous growth through the art of photography.

“It often seems to me that the night is much more alive and richly coloured than the day.”

Vincent Van Gogh

What draws you to the arts?

“Art is a sweet escape from the hundreds of tasks I face every day. I feel free, unburdened from tasks and worries, thanks to art. Whether it’s taking pictures, listening to music, reading a good piece of writing, or watching a quality series or movie, life would be unbearable without the opportunity to dream, imagine, relax, and express yourself!”

What do you like most about this series?

“I am fond of the atmosphere captured in the series of photos. The high contrast of the night and white snow turns an ordinary small town into a mysterious place. I am a huge fan of Stephen King and Alfred Hitchcock, so I imagine their work might have been set in my ´After Dark´ universe. “

By focusing on nocturnal imagery, Jitka transforms the familiar into the enigmatic. Her work challenges the viewer to look beyond the mundane, revealing hidden depths and atmospheres within the urban landscape. With a minimalist approach to post-processing, Jitka emphasizes the raw, often haunting beauty of her subjects, inviting viewers to interpret the meaning. Her project “After Dark” has won an honorable mention in the Monovisions Black and White photography award.

In her own words, she talks about her hometown, her night walks, and how taking such pictures makes her feel:

I am a night animal. I have always found it fascinating how the darkness can transform even the most familiar things into something different. Walking through familiar parts of the town brings intense feelings of freedom and peace and at the same time, the need to focus harder on every small detail, hardly audible sound, intuition talking to me.

What is my town like? It is small, nevertheless, its population of around 14,000 inhabitants rates it among ‘larger’ towns of the Karlovy Vary Region, that is the smallest, coldest and poorest of all regions of the Czech Republic. My town is situated on the foothills of the Ore Mountains and is surrounded by coal and clay mines. Indeed, it is not a fancy tourist destination by any means. Blocks. Parking lots. Blocks. Their ubiquitous presence may make one easily forget that the town originated in the 12th century. Only a few historical buildings left, not to speak about the displacement of the original German population after WW2. That is my town in a nutshell.

The goal of the series is not to examine the town´s transformation, complicated history, or the relationship of its ‘new’ inhabitants whose ancestors came from various parts of (not only) my country. I am a night animal, do you remember? I like the vibes coming after sunset. Dimly lit by the street lights, the routes I know by heart, seemingly boring, unworthy of attention, become mysterious thanks to the darkness. Almost no one in the streets. I feel as if I am walking through a ghost town. My attention is at its peak. Vincent van Gogh´s quote about how the night is more alive and richly coloured than the day describes my perception perfectly. No way my series would be full of colours. Shades, reflections, high contrasts, and leaving many details up to a viewer´s imagination were my choices for conveying the vibes.

A strange, almost sinister feeling came down my spine while I was standing in the dark, watching the snow or rain falling on an empty playground, usually full of kids during the day. Are there any people living in all those blocks at all, or are there just vacant shells waiting for someone to come in and turn on the lights? I may be caught in a vortex of thoughts and feelings, but despite that, I remain calm. I savour the magic moments that stop time, breathing the cold air that turns lungs into metal. Anywhere I go, my camera goes, ready to capture the strange, mysterious atmosphere of the small mining town after dark. Join me on my exploration, meet me among blocks. I will show what you would fail to notice in broad daylight.

Jitka´s series is a testament to the power of observation and the ability to find extraordinary moments in the still of the night, even in seemingly uninteresting places.

Click on the photos to see the full image in original size.