The short film Studio Visit with Daniel Tchetchik is available to watch at the top of the page.
Renowned photographer Daniel Tchetchik’s portfolio spans numerous portraits and impactful documentary projects. An adept user of analog techniques, Tchetchik photographs with film, employing traditional methods to enhance the texture and depth of his images. Since 2003, Tchetchik has served as an editor for Haaretz newspaper’s photography blog Exposure. His fine art photography skillfully unveils the profound implications of seemingly ordinary moments, offering a poignant commentary on the fleeting nature of life.
Through his lens, Tchetchik captures the essence of his surroundings, immortalizing the landscapes and people he photographs. His work is showcased in various forms, including photographic series and artist books, allowing him to weave narratives from a collection of images. He often experiments with film that has been exposed to radiation and stored under adverse conditions, a technique that reveals unique characteristics of both the photographic medium and the subjects captured.
One of his most notable works, the “Sunburn” photo series, explores Tchetchik’s complex relationship with his homeland, Israel. This series not only delves into regional themes but also addresses global issues such as climate change, resource scarcity, and the destabilizing effects of desertification. During the tumultuous period of 2014, marked by Israel’s conflict with Gaza, Tchetchik’s photography captured the paradoxical nature of the Middle Eastern sun—a source of both nourishment and destruction.
Tchetchik’s photographs portray a reality marked by uncertainty and conflict, yet they are imbued with elements of fantasy, dreams, and theatricality. The images in his book, seared by the sun’s intense heat, symbolize an extinct era. These “sunburned” photographs intriguingly resemble contemporary digital filters, prompting reflection on the passage of time and the evolution of visual aesthetics.
In the accompnying video, Tchetchik articulates his artistic intent: to provide a counterpoint to the relentless visual saturation characterizing our everyday media consumption.
The featured video Studio Visit with Daniel Tchetchik is part of the web series Yotsrim by Shachaf Dekel. Yotsrim includes five seasons and 73 episodes. The series won the Best Documentary award at the NYC Web Fest in 2019.
