Primeval Forests 1937 - 1938

Editor: This photograph is Jaromír Funke's "Primeval Forests," created between 1937 and 1938. The stark contrast between the delicate, slender trees and the dense undergrowth evokes a feeling of both serenity and a little anxiety to me. What do you see in this piece, especially given the period in which it was made? Curator: That anxiety is a key point. Look closer. These 'primeval forests' aren't simply neutral landscapes. Funke made this work on the eve of World War II. What was happening in Czechoslovakia, Funke’s homeland, at the time? Consider the cultural context. Editor: I know the Nazi occupation of Czechoslovakia began in 1938. So, this forest becomes something more...a refuge, perhaps, or a symbol of resistance? Curator: Precisely. Forests, across cultures, can represent the unknown, the untamed, but also, spaces of hidden strength and community. Does the density of the composition emphasize these possibilities for you? The way it almost seems to conceal what lies beyond? Editor: It does. It makes me think about the people who might have sought shelter or organized resistance movements in these dense landscapes. How subversive could landscape photography like this be in the face of rising authoritarianism? Curator: It's a visual poem of resilience. It invites us to think about how nature and identity intertwine in times of conflict, and how art becomes a subtle tool to preserve cultural memory, or even express dissent, when direct expression is censored. Editor: I had viewed it more simply, as a nice nature shot, but thinking of it as an act of quiet defiance during such a tumultuous time completely changes my perception. It makes me wonder how many seemingly simple images conceal powerful social commentary. Curator: Exactly. The landscape is rarely just a landscape. Funke has gifted us the opportunity to consider the forest as a space both threatened and threatening. The personal and the political intertwine in unexpected ways.