History The project of my diploma work closely relates to my previous creative work, which I have been carrying out from the beginning of my university studies. The project concentrates on a self-portrait, representing a theme to which I continuously oriented all of my work in various modifications. Many artists generally often return to self-portraits, in spite of the fact that it is a well-trodden theme. This is because authenticity cannot be denied to any self-portrait, as it is authentic within the artist's presentation alone. In most cases, it is a route that does not lead anywhere else except to the artist himself, whichever direction he takes. This theme, therefore, is relatively often expressed in art, from the renaissance up to the present day. In my case, it does not just concern the capturing of physical appearances, but rather work with self-presentation, self-popularization and even self-glorification. In my view, this work reflects several aspects.

1. Parasitism on the popularity of a famous person is not expressly positive or negative; rather it is an approved method, or an under-mining of media policy, as it is treated as a malleable material, such as colour, stone or video. It sets up a mirror to shallow and often corrupted rules for the selection and manipulation of media fame. Media popularity within Czechoslovakia is the key for the selection of individual celebrities. The media environment is full of inspiring impulses and I like to situate and present myself in it, whilst crossing the door-step of my studio and realising myself in a wider context.

2. Image is used as a symbol of the present successful era. A suit, as a type of clothing, is a medium on its own. A person presenting oneself in a certain image may often more easily achieve the things he is interested in, whether in business or in other areas of life. This fact has also been fully demonstrated in my case. A suit makes a person more socially acceptable, giving respect to the issue that he requires. Many people based their fame or success on image, even though nothing and nobody stood behind them.

3. Curatorial project. My work allows several angles of view. One of the possibilities of perception is that it basically concerns a curatorial project. As I present the chosen artists as photographers, and in an environment they do not act in at all, I become the project curator. Media popularity within Czechoslovakia was the key that I have used for the selection of individual celebrities. I intentionally chose well-known and recognized celebrities and artists, instead of seasonal stars. Apart from that, my taste and personal view of individual artists was not substantial and my perception of the quality of their work had to be suppressed in favour of the project, as it is not possible to be a fan of all of the celebrities concerned.

4. Authorship. The question of authorship and my relation with the particular person forms another very important aspect of the project. In art, we find various approaches to authorship; for example, in the creative work of minimalists, the idea, performance and presentation is already carried out by various people. One person invents and presents a project and another one makes it happen. In my case, I cooperate with a specific personality from the idea, to the performance, up to the presentation of the entire project, whereby the question of authorship moves to a totally different dimension. I am the author of an idea; he is the author of a photograph. I ensure a print of the photograph that he made by pressing the trigger and I present him, as well as myself, as I state his name below the photograph. Our positions are completely equivalent and we come to form an author pair, this being the essential point of the project. Cooperation between me and the particular person often only takes a few seconds, whilst our joint work is basically the product that results from our meeting. This meeting and related links occurring between us really enriches me (and often also the person concerned), as I have the opportunity to experience some part of his life, absorb some of his charisma and be inspired with the circumstances and environment that the meeting is held in, or in which the person works or lives.
In the first place I present photographs of me taken by famous people. The quality of photographs or their own creative work is not the important element, but the popularity and media power of their name and personality.
During the performance of these photographs, I experienced the most fruitful year of my artistic life. That is what I experienced and, seen in connection with these people, how I got to them and what I could feel from them, it enriched me greatly in many ways, even in the cases when some of them simply refused to take photographs of me.

WHO IS THE KING?

Koncept Autor sa necháva sa fotografovať mediálne známymi ľuďmi Čiech a Slovenska. Slávna osobnosť sa stáva spoluautorom fotografie, na ktorej je Viktor Frešo v obleku - prototyp usmiateho mladého úspešného muža. História Projekt mojej diplomovej práce úzko nadväzuje na moju doterajšiu tvorbu, ktorú realizujem od začiatku svojho štúdia na vysokej škole. Témou projektu je autoportrét - téma, ku ktorej sa v rôznych obmenách neustále vyjadrujem. Dalo by sa povedať, že k autoportrétu sa mnohí umelci neustále vracajú napriek tomu, že ide o overenú tému. Žiadnemu autoportrétu totiž nemožno uprieť autenticitu - je autentický v rámci samotného zobrazenia umelca. Vo väčšine prípadov je to akási ulica nevedúca nikam inam než k sebe samému - ktorýmkoľvek smerom sa po nej vydáte. Téma je teda pomerne často v umení realizovaná, od renesancie až po súčasnosť, no v mojom prípade nejde len o zachytenie fyzickej podoby, ale skôr o prácu so sebaprezentáciou, sebapopularizáciou, až sebaglorifikáciou. V tejto práci sa z môjho pohľadu odráža niekoľko polôh.

1. Parazitovanie na popularite niekoho slávneho nemusí byť jednoznačne negatívne alebo pozitívne, je skôr akási overená cesta, alebo podkopávanie mediálnej politiky aj tým, že je s ňou narábané ako s tvárnym materiálom - ako je farba, kameň, či video. Je nastavením zrkadla plytkým a často skorumpovaným pravidlám výberu a manipulácii mediálnej slávy. Kľúčom k výberu jednotlivých osobností je ich mediálna popularita v rámci Československa. Mediálne prostredie je plné inšpirujúcich podnetov a ja sa doň rád situujem a prezentujem sa v ňom, čím prekračujem prah svojho ateliéru a realizujem sa v širšom kontexte.

2. Image - použitie úspešného image dnešnej doby. Oblek je médium samo o sebe. Človek prezentujúci sa v istom image môže často ľahšie dosiahnuť veci, o ktoré má záujem - či už v prostredí biznisu alebo kdekoľvek inde. Táto skutočnosť sa aj v mojom prípade preukázala. Oblek robí človeka sociálne prijateľnejším a dodáva vážnosť tomu, čo požaduje. Množstvo ľudí založilo svoju slávu či úspešnosť na image, a to aj napriek tomu, že za nimi často nie je nič a nikto.

3. Kurátorský projekt. Moja práca umožňuje niekoľko uhlov pohľadu. Jednou z možností vnímania je to, že v podstate ide o kurátorský projekt. Tým, že umelcov, ktorých vyberám, predstavujem ako fotografov a prezentujem v prostredí, v ktorom sa skoro vôbec nepohybujú, sa stávam kurátorom projektu. Kľúčom k výberu jednotlivých osobností je ich mediálna popularita v rámci Československa. Zámerne som si vyberal ľudí, ktorí sú rokmi preverenými osobnosťami; etablovanými umelcami a nie sezónnymi stars. Môj vkus a osobný pohľad na jednotlivých umelcov nehral rolu - moje vnímanie kvality ich tvorby muselo byt potlačené v prospech projektu. Nie je možné byť fanúšikom všetkých zúčastnených celebrít.