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EDUCATOR ABROAD AND ON HOME
TERRAIN
In the meanwhile, his aptitude for teaching and education also rises to the surface. In 1984,
he was art director of Sebesviz International Photography Art Camp, invited presenter and
workshop leader at the 1st Werkschule für Fotografie, Soltau; at HGhere Graphische Bundes¬
Lehr- und Versuchstanstallt, Wien; and at BodyArt, Bayreuth. Later, he became a leading
educator of the College for Advanced Studies and Masterclass of the Association of Hungarian
Photographers. He is just as impassioned about teaching as he is about photography. His
perspective encompasses a vast horizon; both practice and theory are equally important. He
summarized his expertise and experience, as well as his in-depth knowledge, of photography
in his book, which today is considered an authoritative work (KÉPÍRÁS Fotéakadémia [IMAGE
WRITING - Photo Academy], Kossuth Kiadó, Budapest, 2012).
DIAPORAMA
Janos Eifert and his organic oneness with movement, as of 1985, was further deepened by
his creation of diaporamas. His works earned him awards and grand prizes at numerous
international diaporama festivals. In 1993, his photo entitled Dance and his diaporama entitled
Fire Dance were selected for the FIAP Historical Collection, and, on invitation by the Photo
Ciné Club, he presented his diaporama show in Paris (Un soir, un auteur - StudioRaspail). In
1994, he took his show on tour in the United Kingdom on invitation by the Royal Photographic
Society. This was followed by further touring in Germany, Austria, and Italy.
THE GREAT SHIFT
Janos Eifert’s career was greatly influenced by the shift from analogue to digital technology,
which, in his case became permanent at the turn of the millennium. The debate persists even
today as to whether digital technology has opened any new aesthetic possibilities for art
photography. On this matter, László Haris writes: “Digital photography has brought many
changes and has provided art photographers with many new possibilities. As to whether these
new technical possibilities are good or bad in general - even asking the question is senseless.
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[...] Scientifically determined ‘better results’ are not translatable or interpretable in terms of
artistic achievement.”® Indeed, the knowledge and skilful application of a technique does not
guarantee artistic quality. At the same time, it is undeniably true that, today, moving with the
times and keeping up with the explosive leaps in technology are fundamental requirements
for any art photographer. And this is what Janos Eifert does. He is continuously expanding
his knowledge; he is one of those photographers who consciously work on their own
development - he is “moving with the times”. Here, a thought by László Moholy-Nagy might
spring to mind, which he recorded in the late twenties: “The possible uses of photography are
already innumerable.”? And, indeed, history has very much proven him right. The technical
explosion of recent years has also fundamentally “rewritten” photographic technology. The
fact that Janos Eifert has kept up with these radical developments is one of the many things
that make him so extraordinary.
DANCE
As a matter of course, dance has been a central subject of Janos Eifert’s artistic and
photographic interest since the beginning. He is so engrossed by this topic that, in addition to
taking photographs, he is also a researcher of the history of Hungarian dance photography.
As he puts it: “It was while studying and researching this area that | realized what a wealth
of dance-related artworks we have available to us, which are worth deliberately collecting,
processing and showcasing.” His own photos, however, have brought him success ever
since the beginning of his career. We have already mentioned his portrait of Marcel Marceau.
Another one of his most defining photos is entitled Circus (1971). It captures Miklós Köllő in
a special, atmospheric moment, as he is surrounded by a swirl of dancers of the Domino
Pantomime Ensemble. During this period, he shot many photos of performances by the
Honvéd Dance Company for press reports. This large body of photographs stand out in
terms of the artist’s virtuosic ability to seize and capture moments, to render movement
suggestively perceivable, and the counterpointing of needle-sharp visual flashes and
blurred, in-motion effects (Dance, 1971). Much later, digital technology afforded him the
opportunity to shoot powerful, expressive photographic images, where - in capturing the
ecstatic moment of dance - the intensified liveliness of colours also carries great significance
(Fire Dance - Sirok, 2008).
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