Vaclav Havel, Tsjekkia, 1989

Pavel Banka (f. 1941) has worked in many directions over the years; 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 of him with his images. Some of his best work is figures, usually nude women, shot in the studio with simple props--the prints are beautifully split toned. His sensitivity to light in the studio is extreme and often the figure seems to have a glow or halo-an aura. His most recent series is pictures of Terezin, a concentration camp near Prague, they are large empty rooms that hold the memory of human presence.