When a satisfactory story pops up in Bára Prášilová’s head, she knows it’s worth bringing to fruition. The Prague-based photographer walks us through the creative process behind her staggering art — from sketching settings on paper, crafting costumes, to pressing the shutter. Words: Erik Sedin, Photography: Bára Prášilová

You’ve mentioned that you dropped your career as an economist to be a photographer. How did it all start? Why did you want to create art and why did you choose photography as your medium?

“I actually became a photographer in order to avoid working in an office. Photography seemed to be the fastest route to doing that. I was 18 years old and needed to make the change quickly, so I spontaneously decided that it would be photography, without knowing or admiring any photographer. This was also the moment when I finally discovered my hidden potential for myself and when I started to trust that my subconscious was guiding me well. Since then, I believe that I don’t have to analyze my ideas before I shoot them because if I have a strong urge to shoot them, it’s always the right thing to do.”

When I look at your images they strongly remind me of children's books, the illustrations you would see in them and the stories.

“That’s a pretty interesting observation as I actually don’t remember any fairy tales from my childhood at all. The lack of these memories and my willingness to believe the unbelievable creates infinite space for me to create my own fairy tales.”

The Three of Us (2020), from the series Circles

“The humour in my photos is mainly to balance the often heavy and tough content. But it is only visible to people with a sense of irony, or a love of the absurd.”

How much of your work consist of sourcing set designs and costumes?

“Designing and handcrafting props and costumes is one of my great passions, although these days it's mostly my team that creates them for me. My other great passion is finding the right locations based on my original sketches. Usually, the end result is a composite of multiple locations, and I love that I create new realities.”

Your photography also features a lot of humour. Are laughter and smiling reactions confirming that your artistic vision has succeeded?

“I think they’re just a sign that I share the same sense of humour with the viewer. But the humour in my photos is mainly to balance the often heavy and tough content. But I would say that the humour is only visible to people with a sense of humour, irony, or a love of the absurd. Otherwise, only kindness, confusion, or cruelty prevail in the photographs. It's all about finding a balance. Which I think I create in my photographs. But first, I'm going to take away people’s footing. Or put their foot up against an unstable pole, like in ’The Three of Us’.”

Untitled #3, 2011

Without Clouds, 2020

“I don’t have to analyze my ideas before I shoot them. If I have a strong urge to shoot them, it’s always the right thing to do.”

Speaking of humour, where do your ideas come from?

“I sketch out all my ideas, but I believe that I don’t own them. These ideas are the way the world comes to me, how I process it and how it leaves me, forever with the imprint of my personality.”

Imagine that the producer of your favourite movie calls and asks you to shoot advertisements for its release. What movie would that be?

“I’m afraid that currently I'd be more tempted to make a film than to photograph a poster. But I might reconsider if I got a call from Spike Jonze. Spike has been my artistic crush for about 20 years now. Every time I see one of his films, my soul melts and my artistic ego gets annoyed that it wasn’t me who came up with the movie.”

Untitled #4, 2011