"I nervously walked across the historic Charles Bridge for the first time in 1982, to be “greeted" by two military guards, with what looked like machine guns, asking for my ID. After checking my British passport, they continued to pace, expressionless, back and forth over the cobble stones. Prague was occupied, tense, paranoid, and hostile in those days. The Velvet revolution, which transitioned Czechoslovakia to democratic rule, would not occur for another seven years, and coincided with my next visit to Prague in 1989. I was searching for locations where one of my idols, the great Josef Sudek, had photographed. In those days, the thirty sandstone statues along the Charles Bridge were weathered a ghostly black, the result of dense smog and coal dust which all too often enveloped the city. An unhealthy atmosphere for sure, but greatly intriguing for a photographer, especially at night. Nowadays, Prague, in Czechia, as it is now called, is a prime tourist destination. Bright and lively cafes, shops and hotels are open to the public. The statues along the bridge, along with many city buildings, have been cleaned, and a walk along the Charles Bridge usually entails weaving through dense crowds and vendors. This photograph is a souvenir from a dark, bygone era, which will, hopefully, never, ever, return."
~ Michael Kenna
I was recently struck by this photograph from Michael, with its quiet and haunting beauty. He has an ability to find serenity in the environment. The statues loom like silent witnesses, shrouded in coal-stained dusk, their presence both ghostly and graceful. There’s a deep sense of solitude here, not loneliness, but contemplation.
