Matěj Dereck Hard was born in 1985, in the capital city of Czech Republic – Prague, where he currently resides and creates. Master of Fine Arts from the Institute of Creative Photography in Silesian University of Opava, Czechia.
His artworks are a comprehensive series of styles based on pop art photography with a clear concept. He focuses on staged photography – mainly still lifes, self-portraits and photographs telling a story. He is interested in art form of photography, in which he does not hinder the joke. He often criticizes himself and the contemporary social problems, the topics that matter to him. Dereck also reflects the contemporary environment of the modern city. He uses photographs using conventional photographic techniques (f.e. multiple exposure), but using digital camera. Of course, using post-production as well, but he doesn’t create collages or photo montages.
He publishes authorial art books with a story (f.e. fairy tale ZUličníci or comics PHOTOMAN!) and has regular exhibitions at home and abroad. In addition to his free art work, he cooperates with Red Bull – he has his own photography art sections about living and working environment of interesting people in Czechia and Slovakia – LIVI´N and WORKI´N. These are complemented by the sport lifestyle orientated TRAINI´N. Between the years 2010 to 2016 he was photographer, publisher and editor in chief of magazine about street culture called Are We BASTARDS?!, which was published free of charge in printed and digital format. Dereck was the official ambassador of Canon in the Czech Republic between 2014 and 2015. The current ambassador of: LG OLED TV / Casio G-Shock / Fuji Instax. [Official website]
9
“9” is brand new series about sadness in the relationship. A woman is waiting for her partner with whom she is expecting a baby. Each photo shows one month during her pregnancy. Models are the author and his real girlfriend, whom a child is real waiting.
KURO NI KURO
A series of minimalist still lifes. The name means “black on black” in Japanese. The author made this series as art-therapy as he went through a complicated relationship. Items on photos are things that reminded him mentioned relationship. Photographed with common photographic procedures and minimum post production.
LITTLE REALITY
Series of staged photographs which the author created with toys: collectible figures, die cast model cars and miniature props. The author combines portrait photography and still life with this series. He created his own reality, reminiscent of a stopped film frame, often inspired by the character in context. At the same time, the viewer was left wondering whether they were real actors or only figurines.
ONE MAN MANY STYLES
A series of staged double self-portraits. The author poses as six couples – fans of certain genres of music. On all portraits he acts both characters – man and women. The self-portraits combine his passion for photography, acting and directing. Photo / director / actor: Dereck Hard, MUA: Nikola Skučková, Production: Dagmar Edelmannová, Assistant: Yan Renelt.
ZULIČNÍCI (STREETIES)
A photo fairy-tale book published in 2018 by Mladá fronta. The author created the theme, text, photographs and was also the art-director of the entire project. The storybook tells the tale of the unexpected adventures of the Streeties family from Prague’s Smichov. Streeties are fictional miniature good-natured creatures that can be found in every city. Their home is the streets from which their name is derived. Theme, direction, text, photo, art-director: Dereck Hard / Starring: Petr Čtvrtníček, Matteo Ravizza / Produced by: Barbora Chromečková / Design by: Matěj Rejl / Production by: Jiří Propílek / MUA: Nikola Skučková
SUICIDE STILL LIFES
A series of minimalist still lifes. Each still life represents a different type of suicide. The author made this series as art-therapy as he went through divorce. It was also author´s final master’s thesis at the University (ITF). Photographed with common photographic procedures and minimum post production.
TELEPHONE
A series of staged photographs that criticizes the current people´s overwhelming addcition on smartphones. This is the story of one day of the couple. The actors were deliberately stylized to resemble artificial people without emotions. Starring Czech singer David Kraus and world tennis player Barbora Strycova. The series was presented on “Love is HARD” exhibition in the form of a cinemagraphy 4K video with sound and origin music.
