Maros Krivy
New Coat of Paint
2010-2011

This work studies current practice of colour re-paintings of prefabricated panel buildings in post- communist countries.

In everyday language of the 21st century, housing estates [sidliska] and prefabs [panelaky] are described as 'grey'. The meaning of 'greyness' bears implicit negative connotations – anonymity, boredom and desolation. In such context, pink, yellow and green facades embody a long-forgotten promise of happiness.

By portraying these re-painted prefabs in black&white, author constructs visual relation with the utopian representation of housing estates in post-war era. Is urban utopia of today limited to colour ornaments, surface design and politics of envelopes? Reference to post-war utopia is present also in the uncanny virginity of the new coat of paint (this immaculateness is highlighted by using a 4x5 large-format camera, which today might itself stand for a certain photographic utopia). The effects of time have been forgotten; what we see may easily look like a new construction, suggesting a bright, colourful, future. The flamboyance of colours, however, is literally performed on prefab facades, suggesting a model of happiness which lies in the ideals of variety and diversity. Psychology experts and colour consultants are called upon to explain which combinations create that supposed perfect harmony fostering positive energy.

I don't allow the spectator simple pleasure of laughing at peculiar colour combinations by offering them richly saturated colour photographs. Instead, shades of these combinations are recorded in the clearly visible grey patchwork. On one side, I take away the colour – that, which is supposedly subject-matter of the presented photographs. On the other side, however, I offer captions that list all colours of each new coat of paint. By reading them, spectator can visualise the new colourful situation.