Lenka Holubec
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Artist’s Statement and Bio
It is my belief that our capacity to understand
and care for the natural environment can be immensely nurtured
through our true and deeply felt connectedness to the natural
world. The cycle Connecting with Stone has been trying to seek
such a connection. Slowly and meticulously sculpted by the action
of wind, water and ice over millions of years, the intricate patterns
on rocks inspire us to contemplate our existence.
A fascination with the rock formations dates many
years back in my life. They strike me as expressions of an enormous
creative force capable of having an immediate, energizing and
uplifting effect upon us. They truly are unique artifacts and
stunning manifestations of nature’s creative powers.
Connecting with Stone is an ongoing work attempting to communicate
the experience inspired by intricate patterns found on the ancient
rock forms. Through the rudimentary shapes, lines, and textures
of the rocks constituting the backbone of Lakes Huron and Superior,
I am trying to capture the essence and authentic meaning of these
magnificent artifacts.
The recurring theme of this work evolves around
exploration of the rocks that have been created millions, and
in some cases billions, of years ago. Being in a sense our chemical
ancestors, these rocks are messengers from the distant past, when
we did not exist as a species, just as they will continue their
existence long after we have gone. When closely observed, the
rocks may take us on a path reaching beyond the ordinary reality,
while connecting us through nature to a universal existence of
which we are all a part.
Many years of capturing the rock patterns on film
and learning about their inherent aesthetics and energy have influenced
significantly my ways of depicting them. During this process,
I moved from straightforward images of the rocks with their surroundings,
through close-ups of specific patterns to more conceptual representation
reflected also in my recent series Transcending Stones and its
segment Fragility of Life.
The existence of all living and “non-living”
things, rocks including, is fragile. To appreciate this existence
and life more, we have to learn to appreciate its transient beauty
and fragility.
The images featured here Flight of Spirit; Tears of Sorrow, Dream
of Turtle and Gentle Guardian are part of this new segment where
I am combining a particular pattern with a landscape of its origin
to contemplate the energies emanating from around that specific
location. When focusing on a particular rock pattern and a landscape
surrounding it, perhaps we begin to notice the energies around
that area. As our attention remains captivated by the infinitely
stimulating pattern, we may become aware of the imprints of life
and energy in the rock similar to those carried in our mind, body
and soul.
Born in the Czech Republic, Lenka Holubec studied
at the Film and Video Department of York University in Toronto.
She worked as an independent filmmaker developing feature and
documentary projects. Since still photography always held a strong
appeal to her as a tool of powerful visual expression, she later
devoted herself to this field.
Photographing the various elements of nature
remains a very intense and revealing experience to Lenka as it
involves a process of achieving a unity and harmony between the
surrounding environment and her. The images then echo an endless
pursuit to capture and preserve the meaning of what she sees and
experiences. Perhaps traces of this meaning can be found embedded
in the details of rocks, the world of reflections, water images,
landscapes or still life.
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