Vaclav Havel, Tsjekkia, 1989

Pavel Banka (b. 1941) has explored many different directions over the years, ranging from drawing with light and layering multiple strobe exposures to straightforward documentary prints with objects added later and rephotographed, to a series of self-portraits featuring him alongside his own images. Some of his best work consists of figures—usually nude women—photographed in the studio with simple props; the prints feature beautiful split tones. His sensitivity to light in the studio is extraordinary, and the figure often seems to have a glow or halo—an aura. His most recent series consists of photographs of Terezin, a concentration camp near Prague; they depict large, empty rooms that hold the memory of human presence.