
Maria Svarbova
12/1/17: Maria Svarbova is an incredibly disciplined photographer. Fascinated by the sterile, geometric aesthetic of old Socialist Era swimming pools in her native country of Slovakia, Svarbova used them as both location and inspiration for her fantastically regimented, retroesque photo series called Swimming Pool. The photographer is in control of all aspects of her shoots, from the perfect positioning of her models to the vintage-feeling colors and backgrounds to the impersonal lighting and spectacularly-arranged shadows and reflections.
“The figures are mid-movement, but there is no joyful playfulness to them. Frozen in the composition, the swimmers are as smooth and cold as the pools tiles…Despite the retro setting, the pictures somehow evoke a futuristic feeling as well, as if they were taken somewhere completely alien.”
But though her intent is to remove the joy from her photos, I find them incredibly compelling and not at all depressing. Their eerie perfection feels surreal, like weird scenes from a confusing-but-not-entirely-unpleasant dream. I absolutely love them! (But I know I’m something of an odd duck.)
You can look at all of Svarbova’s hypnotic photos on her website.
All images property of Maria Svarbova.
December 12, 2021 at 8:55 am
I wonder if they create a stencil or if they paint each one. Interesting work. I also enjoy watching them every time I can. Hal
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December 15, 2021 at 8:50 am
These are photographs! I think it also takes real talent and vision to create such perfect-looking photos.
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December 12, 2021 at 10:03 am
Interesting..My Aunt Billie swam on a team like this in college. It’s fun to watch and takes alot of practice.
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December 15, 2021 at 8:51 am
I briefly took synchronized swimming classes in my youth. I absolutely lacked the discipline. It was fun, though!
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December 12, 2021 at 10:48 am
I find the photos beautiful and her description seems perfect.
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December 15, 2021 at 8:51 am
They’re fascinating to me!
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December 12, 2021 at 1:24 pm
I like these a lot. I wonder how long it takes her to set up her subjects.
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December 15, 2021 at 8:51 am
She must be a great communicator!
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