Time Persists 1930 - 1933

Editor: Jaromír Funke's "Time Persists", created between 1930 and 1933, presents an eerie, almost surreal scene in monochrome photography. It juxtaposes a classical-style angel statue holding what looks like a wreath with what appears to be a tall, industrial chimney in the background. The contrast is so stark. What strikes you when you look at this work? Curator: It's fascinating how Funke uses these materials - a sculpted form captured through photographic means - to disrupt the idea of timelessness typically associated with monuments. The industrial chimney immediately grounds the angel in a specific moment, a particular mode of production. Look at the process: capturing stone with light sensitive emulsion. How does this interplay between the object, method and the means of technological capture affect your understanding? Editor: I hadn’t thought about the chimney representing a mode of production. I guess I was more focused on how the wreath and the angel usually symbolize eternal life, while the industrial chimney hints at modernity, labor and its inherent temporality. So it's a planned subversion using the subject but also the method used. Curator: Exactly. And think about the act of photography itself. It freezes a moment in time, a commodity created through the labor of the photographer and the technology employed. The choice of monochrome further abstracts reality, drawing attention to the materiality of the image, the grain, and the contrast created through chemical processes. Does understanding this industrial process change your perception? Editor: Definitely. It's not just a melancholic image anymore. Now I see the tension between the handmade, unique sculpture and the mechanically reproducible photograph, highlighting different forms of labor. It all brings more layers to the discussion of time. Curator: Precisely. And by juxtaposing these elements, Funke encourages us to question what endures, how things endure and what we value in the face of industrial progress. Editor: Thanks, this breakdown really shifted how I view not only this photo but surrealism and photography from the period in general!