Karol Kallay's Secret Nudes

Slovak photographer Karol Kallay may be best known for his cityscapes, but he has recently opened a new exhibition at Bratislava's Mirbach Palace that shows another side of his work.

The show, entitled 'Fashion and Acts', features more than 60 photographs, taken at various times over the past twenty years, of both fully clothed and nude women.

Nudes remain but a small part of Kallay's oeuvre, most of them being unplanned. The photographer would occasionally spot a beautiful woman and ask her to pose for him. Only a few have ever refused him.

Kallay claims that his nudes represent a search for perfect beauty in a female body, allowing them to impress in close-ups. His work is also distinctive because of the masks the models wear, to represent the masks people wear "all their lives".

When I first saw a masked nude of Kallay, I thought I was looking at a photograph by Grigori Galitsin, who oftens has his models pose wearing masks. In truth, it is more likely Kallay who is the trend setter.

The exhibition offers an execellent chance to see some of Kallay's lesser known work, and is open at the Bratislava City Gallery (GMB) in Mirbach Palace at Františkánske square 11 until June 12.

Related Links
Kállay's shutter reveals all - Slovak Spectator article.