2019

Ivan Kyncl & Me

Ivan Kyncl born in 1953 and died in 2004, was a Photographer from the Czech Republic, who captured over five hundred plays, operas and musicals throughout his career. Arriving to the UK as a political refugee in 1980, only 27 years of age, only with a few belongings including his camera and not knowing a word of English, Kyncl went on to become one of the country's most in-demand and revered theatre photographers.

Because of his fathers arrest, Ivan was unable to attend university and therefore enrolled in a photography course. Ivan went through a terrible time, and was beaten and arrested by the Communist secret police on various occasions. Ivan was granted political asylum in Great Britain.

Terry Hands ran the Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC) when approached by Ivan Kyncl and was the theatre director there for thirteen years. Because of this they became good close friends and Ivan Kyncl became the RSC House Photographer, which kick started his career.

Kyncls' photos were displayed at The Victoria and Albert Museum called, "Ivan Kyncl: In The Minute" in 2019. This display celebrated Kyncls ability to capture the very essence, atmosphere and emotion of a theatrical production through his unique 'in the minute' approach. Through 60 black and white photos portraying a piece of the history of theatre and its great protagonists.

As a GCSE project, I recreated Kyncls’ images in a dance studio at school with Lucie and Faith. Mostly experimenting with slow shutter speed.