INTRODUCTION The Museum of Photography in Kraków has existed for over 30 years; it occupies a unique place among Polish cultural institutions and remains the only museum in Poland devoted entirely to photography. We regard photography as a cultural phenomenon that has defined the zeitgeist for almost two hundred years, manifesting itself in various domains: education and media, commemoration and documentation of the past, propaganda and advertising, and, finally, art. Without knowledge of photography and its history, its specific languages and uses, it is impossible to understand the reality that surrounds us. That is why our Museum, whose purpose is to improve the public’s understanding of photography and thereby enhance their enjoyment of it, plays such an important social role. Our mission is to take care of the cultural heritage that has been entrusted to us and to highlight the role of the past and of memory in contemporary society, but also to be a modern institution – a venue for lively meetings and exchanges of views on cultural canons and the problems of visuality. The Museum’s premises have been undergoing an expansion project since mid-2018 in order to meet the needs of the public in the best possible way and to ensure that the Museum’s collections are properly protected. The collections contain over 70,000 items documenting almost the entire history of photography from the second half of the nineteenth century until the present day. They include both positive and negative prints as well photographic, darkroom and cinematographic equipment. There are many excellent examples of artistic, documentary, studio, amateur and reportage photography. The main strength of this unique resource lies in its diversity and multitude of contexts. It includes artists who were hugely important for the development and endurance of Polish photography and a large group of lesser-known artists representing craft photography, as well as anonymous authors for whom photography was an outlet for individual expression, a work tool or a means of documenting their personal history. The Museum also has a professional library
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The Museum building at ul. Józefitów 16
The Museum building at ul. Królowej Jadwigi 220
and collects archive materials, including bequests from Polish photographers and photographic studios operating in Poland. The nature of the collections compels the Museum to pose important questions about photography and the image in general, and therefore aspire to be an important centre of inspiration and good practice. The Museum’s acquisition policy, as well as its exhibition, publishing, education and research activities are informed by this strategy. For years, the Museum has embraced and implemented the concept of an institution that is friendly towards visitors and responsive to their needs. This publication in the Director’s Choice series goes beyond the parameters suggested by the title, since it is the result of a joint effort between myself and a large group of the Museum’s staff. I am grateful for their support in making the final selection of works and for supplying very interesting commentaries. We made our choices in the full conviction that the stories we have told, inspired by the important photographic images included in this publication, will encourage readers to further explore the collections and give them a good excuse to visit the Museum of Photography in Kraków. Marek Świca Director of the Museum of Photography in Kraków
INTRODUCTION |
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INTRODUCTION The Museum of Photography in Kraków has existed for over 30 years; it occupies a unique place among Polish cultural institutions and remains the only museum in Poland devoted entirely to photography. We regard photography as a cultural phenomenon that has defined the zeitgeist for almost two hundred years, manifesting itself in various domains: education and media, commemoration and documentation of the past, propaganda and advertising, and, finally, art. Without knowledge of photography and its history, its specific languages and uses, it is impossible to understand the reality that surrounds us. That is why our Museum, whose purpose is to improve the public’s understanding of photography and thereby enhance their enjoyment of it, plays such an important social role. Our mission is to take care of the cultural heritage that has been entrusted to us and to highlight the role of the past and of memory in contemporary society, but also to be a modern institution – a venue for lively meetings and exchanges of views on cultural canons and the problems of visuality. The Museum’s premises have been undergoing an expansion project since mid-2018 in order to meet the needs of the public in the best possible way and to ensure that the Museum’s collections are properly protected. The collections contain over 70,000 items documenting almost the entire history of photography from the second half of the nineteenth century until the present day. They include both positive and negative prints as well photographic, darkroom and cinematographic equipment. There are many excellent examples of artistic, documentary, studio, amateur and reportage photography. The main strength of this unique resource lies in its diversity and multitude of contexts. It includes artists who were hugely important for the development and endurance of Polish photography and a large group of lesser-known artists representing craft photography, as well as anonymous authors for whom photography was an outlet for individual expression, a work tool or a means of documenting their personal history. The Museum also has a professional library
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| THE MUSEUM OF PHOTOGRAPHY IN KRAKÓW
The Museum building at ul. Józefitów 16
The Museum building at ul. Królowej Jadwigi 220
and collects archive materials, including bequests from Polish photographers and photographic studios operating in Poland. The nature of the collections compels the Museum to pose important questions about photography and the image in general, and therefore aspire to be an important centre of inspiration and good practice. The Museum’s acquisition policy, as well as its exhibition, publishing, education and research activities are informed by this strategy. For years, the Museum has embraced and implemented the concept of an institution that is friendly towards visitors and responsive to their needs. This publication in the Director’s Choice series goes beyond the parameters suggested by the title, since it is the result of a joint effort between myself and a large group of the Museum’s staff. I am grateful for their support in making the final selection of works and for supplying very interesting commentaries. We made our choices in the full conviction that the stories we have told, inspired by the important photographic images included in this publication, will encourage readers to further explore the collections and give them a good excuse to visit the Museum of Photography in Kraków. Marek Świca Director of the Museum of Photography in Kraków
INTRODUCTION |
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Robert Kuśmirowski (born 1973)
Documentary Works, Part 1 2004–2013 digital photography on paper, installation MHF 38509/F
Looking at the pictures included in Robert Kuśmirowski’s Documentary Works, one has the impression of interacting with a private set of photographs. A souvenir from one’s father or grandfather, perhaps. In actual fact, it is a collection of fictitious self-portraits. In each of them the artist wears a different mask and costume, preparing himself for his next role. In every photograph, the portrayed man is somebody else: a respected nineteenth-century citizen, perhaps a landowner or city resident, an aviator from the early twentieth century, and a scientist from the 1960s. The artist painstakingly blends in with the old photographs or creates scenery and props that perfectly imitate the features typical of particular historical periods. At the same time, he manages to capture the old styles of portrait photography – from the specific characteristics of studio work to various outdoor shots. The impression of authenticity is likewise enhanced by the recreation of old photographic techniques and damage caused by atmospheric conditions which appears on the surface of images over time. Also not without significance is the way in which the photographs are presented – frames, passe-partout, and the various types of cardboard to which they are glued. Recalling the realities of a bygone era is a procedure which Kuśmirowski often uses; indeed the past, and the memory which reconstructs it, determine the main axis of his interests. Kuśmirowski likes to imitate elements of reality that bear traces of the history they have created and in which they have participated. In this way, he achieves an extremely hyperrealistic effect that multiplies the difficulties in distinguishing reality from an artificially created world. MK
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DOCUMENTARY WORKS, PART I |
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Robert Kuśmirowski (born 1973)
Documentary Works, Part 1 2004–2013 digital photography on paper, installation MHF 38509/F
Looking at the pictures included in Robert Kuśmirowski’s Documentary Works, one has the impression of interacting with a private set of photographs. A souvenir from one’s father or grandfather, perhaps. In actual fact, it is a collection of fictitious self-portraits. In each of them the artist wears a different mask and costume, preparing himself for his next role. In every photograph, the portrayed man is somebody else: a respected nineteenth-century citizen, perhaps a landowner or city resident, an aviator from the early twentieth century, and a scientist from the 1960s. The artist painstakingly blends in with the old photographs or creates scenery and props that perfectly imitate the features typical of particular historical periods. At the same time, he manages to capture the old styles of portrait photography – from the specific characteristics of studio work to various outdoor shots. The impression of authenticity is likewise enhanced by the recreation of old photographic techniques and damage caused by atmospheric conditions which appears on the surface of images over time. Also not without significance is the way in which the photographs are presented – frames, passe-partout, and the various types of cardboard to which they are glued. Recalling the realities of a bygone era is a procedure which Kuśmirowski often uses; indeed the past, and the memory which reconstructs it, determine the main axis of his interests. Kuśmirowski likes to imitate elements of reality that bear traces of the history they have created and in which they have participated. In this way, he achieves an extremely hyperrealistic effect that multiplies the difficulties in distinguishing reality from an artificially created world. MK
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DOCUMENTARY WORKS, PART I |
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Georg Schönau (19th/20th century)
Stanisław Rawicz-Kosi ski’s Dog Greiz, Germany, 1872–1881 albumen print 10.1 × 6.2 cm MHF 414/II
In the ateliers that were densely scattered throughout European cities in the nineteenth century, craft photography focused on the portrait. It was executed according to precise rules, the main one being that the model had to pose in a manner that emanated dignity and gravitas. In this portrait of a dog, it is evident that these rules were meticulously applied. When we look at this picture, however, we get the impression that something is not quite right; its perfection disturbs us. By analysing the details, we discover the reasons for our surprise. This photograph – somewhat extravagant even for the time, as the subject is an animal – reveals the typical features of nineteenth-century portraiture and portrait photography. The image of the dog can be seen both as a symbolic portrayal of loyalty and as an educational example of how to compose the perfect portrait. The figure, striking a noble pose, sits on a chair against the simple but elegant background of a dark curtain. The motifs of the “portrait” thereby reinforce the role we expect dogs to play. Sitting signifies obedience; the dog’s head is turned towards its master, whose presence is implied (we know from another photograph that he is there). The key “author” of the photograph is the camera, even though it is invisible. Because the camera is mounted on a tripod, the dog is positioned on a chair and is aligned with the lowest possible position of the lens. This method of photographing animals on furniture was common until the emergence of cameras that did not require tripods. Dogs and cats immortalised by their owners sit on tables and in flower beds at various elevations. Now that we employ different methods of pet photography, photographs such as this appear incongruous; they have become increasingly mysterious and intriguing. MMi
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STANISŁAW RAWICZ-KOSIŃSKI’S DOG |
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Georg Schönau (19th/20th century)
Stanisław Rawicz-Kosi ski’s Dog Greiz, Germany, 1872–1881 albumen print 10.1 × 6.2 cm MHF 414/II
In the ateliers that were densely scattered throughout European cities in the nineteenth century, craft photography focused on the portrait. It was executed according to precise rules, the main one being that the model had to pose in a manner that emanated dignity and gravitas. In this portrait of a dog, it is evident that these rules were meticulously applied. When we look at this picture, however, we get the impression that something is not quite right; its perfection disturbs us. By analysing the details, we discover the reasons for our surprise. This photograph – somewhat extravagant even for the time, as the subject is an animal – reveals the typical features of nineteenth-century portraiture and portrait photography. The image of the dog can be seen both as a symbolic portrayal of loyalty and as an educational example of how to compose the perfect portrait. The figure, striking a noble pose, sits on a chair against the simple but elegant background of a dark curtain. The motifs of the “portrait” thereby reinforce the role we expect dogs to play. Sitting signifies obedience; the dog’s head is turned towards its master, whose presence is implied (we know from another photograph that he is there). The key “author” of the photograph is the camera, even though it is invisible. Because the camera is mounted on a tripod, the dog is positioned on a chair and is aligned with the lowest possible position of the lens. This method of photographing animals on furniture was common until the emergence of cameras that did not require tripods. Dogs and cats immortalised by their owners sit on tables and in flower beds at various elevations. Now that we employ different methods of pet photography, photographs such as this appear incongruous; they have become increasingly mysterious and intriguing. MMi
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STANISŁAW RAWICZ-KOSIŃSKI’S DOG |
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Klementyna Zubrzycka (1887–1968)
Wiktoria, Maria, and Klementyna Zubrzycka Limanowa, Poland, 1910 gelatin silver process, glass plate negative (positive image) 9 × 12 cm MHF 27166/II
Klementyna Zubrzycka was a modern woman with diverse interests. Photography was her true passion. She would always have a camera with her on trips, when skiing or playing tennis and during meetings with friends. Most interesting are her portrait sessions, a record of a staged reality, which reflect Zubrzycka’s creative personality. She organised situations in order to photograph them with the use of multiple shots, props, backgrounds and costumes. Zubrzycka appeared in a number of these photographs herself, often in the company of her sisters Wiktoria and Maria. Their enthusiasm for posing in front of the lens is clear. The women look both natural and striking in their folk-style costumes and ball gowns. The photoshoots were often organised in the Zubrzycki home in Limanowa, often with the front door in the background obscured by a rug or bedspread acting as a Eastman Kodak Co No. 2 Brownie camera (Model F) Rochester (NY), USA, 1924–1925 11 × 8.5 × 13.8 cm MHF 2129/I Visible in the photograph is a No. 2 Brownie camera (Model F) from 1924 used by Zubrzycka. It was the successor to the Brownie cardboard box camera from 1900 manufactured by Eastman Kodak. The name Brownie derives from the hero of a popular series of illustrated children’s stories by Palmer Cox; it suggests something that is extremely easy to operate, such that even a child could use it.
makeshift screen. Spaces for an amateur studio were created around the house, supplemented with props in the form of home appliances and accessories as well as musical instruments and flowers. In Zubrzycka’s photographs, careful arrangement and attention to detail are combined with a slightly nonchalant atmosphere, thanks to which they are an excellent and still intriguing example of amateur photography from times past. MJ
MM
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WIKTORIA, MARIA, AND KLEMENTYNA ZUBRZYCKA |
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Klementyna Zubrzycka (1887–1968)
Wiktoria, Maria, and Klementyna Zubrzycka Limanowa, Poland, 1910 gelatin silver process, glass plate negative (positive image) 9 × 12 cm MHF 27166/II
Klementyna Zubrzycka was a modern woman with diverse interests. Photography was her true passion. She would always have a camera with her on trips, when skiing or playing tennis and during meetings with friends. Most interesting are her portrait sessions, a record of a staged reality, which reflect Zubrzycka’s creative personality. She organised situations in order to photograph them with the use of multiple shots, props, backgrounds and costumes. Zubrzycka appeared in a number of these photographs herself, often in the company of her sisters Wiktoria and Maria. Their enthusiasm for posing in front of the lens is clear. The women look both natural and striking in their folk-style costumes and ball gowns. The photoshoots were often organised in the Zubrzycki home in Limanowa, often with the front door in the background obscured by a rug or bedspread acting as a Eastman Kodak Co No. 2 Brownie camera (Model F) Rochester (NY), USA, 1924–1925 11 × 8.5 × 13.8 cm MHF 2129/I Visible in the photograph is a No. 2 Brownie camera (Model F) from 1924 used by Zubrzycka. It was the successor to the Brownie cardboard box camera from 1900 manufactured by Eastman Kodak. The name Brownie derives from the hero of a popular series of illustrated children’s stories by Palmer Cox; it suggests something that is extremely easy to operate, such that even a child could use it.
makeshift screen. Spaces for an amateur studio were created around the house, supplemented with props in the form of home appliances and accessories as well as musical instruments and flowers. In Zubrzycka’s photographs, careful arrangement and attention to detail are combined with a slightly nonchalant atmosphere, thanks to which they are an excellent and still intriguing example of amateur photography from times past. MJ
MM
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WIKTORIA, MARIA, AND KLEMENTYNA ZUBRZYCKA |
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Tadeusz Rząca (1868–1928)
The Market Square in Tarnów Tarnów, Poland, 1910–1915 autochrome 8.9 × 11.9 cm MHF 3727/II/122
Very few photographs made using autochrome plates have been preserved in Poland. One reason for this is the fragility of glass transparencies. Transporting and viewing them in various slide shows carried a high risk of damage. It is also difficult to say how many photographers there were on Polish soil who used this oldest colour photography technique, which was pioneered by the Lumière brothers in 1907. The Museum holds a valuable collection of 193 autochromes by the Kraków amateur photographer Tadeusz Rząca, one of the largest such collections in Poland. They were created in the years 1910-1920 and their unique value lies in Rząca’s artistic sensibility, which reflects the trends in painting during the modernist Young Poland period. This view of the Market Square in Tarnów, its dominant and staid Town Hall building contrasting with fleeting figures of children, has preserved not just the shapes and colours of the past. The photograph reveals several characteristics of this forgotten technique: the necessarily long exposure time, which even in the bright sunlight of the square did not prevent some of the busier figures from fading; the graininess of the image, which results from the structure of the emulsion made from dyed grains of starch; and finally the green patch in the upper part, which is a sign of microbes absorbing the organic, starchy components of the emulsion. With their blurred grainy images, autochromes resemble the work of the Pointillists and reflect, perhaps better than painting does, their creative ideas of reproducing nature. MMi
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THE MARKET SQUARE IN TARNÓW |
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Tadeusz Rząca (1868–1928)
The Market Square in Tarnów Tarnów, Poland, 1910–1915 autochrome 8.9 × 11.9 cm MHF 3727/II/122
Very few photographs made using autochrome plates have been preserved in Poland. One reason for this is the fragility of glass transparencies. Transporting and viewing them in various slide shows carried a high risk of damage. It is also difficult to say how many photographers there were on Polish soil who used this oldest colour photography technique, which was pioneered by the Lumière brothers in 1907. The Museum holds a valuable collection of 193 autochromes by the Kraków amateur photographer Tadeusz Rząca, one of the largest such collections in Poland. They were created in the years 1910-1920 and their unique value lies in Rząca’s artistic sensibility, which reflects the trends in painting during the modernist Young Poland period. This view of the Market Square in Tarnów, its dominant and staid Town Hall building contrasting with fleeting figures of children, has preserved not just the shapes and colours of the past. The photograph reveals several characteristics of this forgotten technique: the necessarily long exposure time, which even in the bright sunlight of the square did not prevent some of the busier figures from fading; the graininess of the image, which results from the structure of the emulsion made from dyed grains of starch; and finally the green patch in the upper part, which is a sign of microbes absorbing the organic, starchy components of the emulsion. With their blurred grainy images, autochromes resemble the work of the Pointillists and reflect, perhaps better than painting does, their creative ideas of reproducing nature. MMi
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THE MARKET SQUARE IN TARNÓW |
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Andrzej Tobis (born 1970)
A Strong Wind from the East, from the series A-Z (Educational Cabinets) Poland, 2008–2016 Digital photography on photographic paper 44 × 55 cm MHF 38519/F
A S trong W ind from the E ast is a work that originates from an extremely interesting conceptual project – A–Z (Educational Cabinets), which Andrzej Tobis has been pursuing for over a decade. The starting point for this linguistic and visual activity was the Bildwörterbuch Deutsch und Polnisch – a dictionary published in the German Democratic Republic in the 1950s. Tobis, choosing entries from this Communist-era dictionary, juxtaposes them with the contemporary world to absurd effect. For instance, the entry “starker Wind aus E (Ost)”, which was originally intended to refer to meteorology, is interpreted by Tobis metaphorically as a reference to Poland’s former eastern neighbour and the significant influence it had on the country. Each photograph in the series is a game of associations that links the past and present; it also plays on the ambiguity of translation and the (in)congruence between words and images. An important aspect of A-Z (Educational Cabinets) is that work on it cannot be completed within a single human lifetime. The Bildwörterbuch Deutsch und Polnisch has around 10,000 entries. In terms of rational effectiveness, Tobis’s actions could be regarded as meaningless. If one rejects the dictate of utilitarianism, however, one could see them as fascinating in their conceptual disinterestedness. MK
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A S T R O N G W I N D F R O M T H E E A S T , F R O M T H E S E R I E S A - Z ( E D U C A T I O N A L C A B I N E T S ) |
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Andrzej Tobis (born 1970)
A Strong Wind from the East, from the series A-Z (Educational Cabinets) Poland, 2008–2016 Digital photography on photographic paper 44 × 55 cm MHF 38519/F
A S trong W ind from the E ast is a work that originates from an extremely interesting conceptual project – A–Z (Educational Cabinets), which Andrzej Tobis has been pursuing for over a decade. The starting point for this linguistic and visual activity was the Bildwörterbuch Deutsch und Polnisch – a dictionary published in the German Democratic Republic in the 1950s. Tobis, choosing entries from this Communist-era dictionary, juxtaposes them with the contemporary world to absurd effect. For instance, the entry “starker Wind aus E (Ost)”, which was originally intended to refer to meteorology, is interpreted by Tobis metaphorically as a reference to Poland’s former eastern neighbour and the significant influence it had on the country. Each photograph in the series is a game of associations that links the past and present; it also plays on the ambiguity of translation and the (in)congruence between words and images. An important aspect of A-Z (Educational Cabinets) is that work on it cannot be completed within a single human lifetime. The Bildwörterbuch Deutsch und Polnisch has around 10,000 entries. In terms of rational effectiveness, Tobis’s actions could be regarded as meaningless. If one rejects the dictate of utilitarianism, however, one could see them as fascinating in their conceptual disinterestedness. MK
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A S T R O N G W I N D F R O M T H E E A S T , F R O M T H E S E R I E S A - Z ( E D U C A T I O N A L C A B I N E T S ) |
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danger, fear and loneliness. The universal function of photography is not only about revealing emotions, but also about identifying the uncertain status of human beings in an unstable modern world. In Beksiński’s view, the photographic image is an accumulation of human fate, which is why his works are permeated by themes of anxiety and existential fear connected with loneliness, oblivion, and death. The people in these pictures are often presented as anonymous, meaningless figures appropriated by the hostile environment that surrounds them or by shapes, only half-visible, which remain pushed to the edges of the frame and whose partial presence neither interests us nor inspires us to construct a narrative. The fabric of Beksiński’s photographs is saturated with negative energy and an uninviting atmosphere, clearly conveying his dramatic message about human fate. MJ
Zdzisław Beksiński (1929–2005)
Windows Poland, 1958 gelatin silver print on paper 17.5 × 11.5 cm MHF 13478/II
Zdzisław Beksiński was an architect, painter and photographer, who was considered one of the most important initiators of the post-war avant-garde. He treated the photographic record as a starting point in the process of extracting new meanings from visual documents. Beksiński’s art was a reaction to the monotony and oppression of Socialist Realism; it emphasised an interest in the complexes and obsessions of the subconscious and in psychological mystery. The drawing out of hidden meanings takes place in confrontation with the viewer, who is forced to revise their judgments and presuppositions about reality. The visual aspect of the photographs is consistent and coherent, thanks to which these highly expressive works have a very evocative impact. Beksiński’s vision is hardly optimistic: the traumatic experiences of the recent past are still present and the future does not seem to bring hope; on the contrary, it is associated with a sense of
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Zdzisław Beksiński (1929–2005) Untitled Poland, 1958 gelatin silver print on paper 11.8 × 15.5 cm MHF 18779/II
WINDOWS |
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danger, fear and loneliness. The universal function of photography is not only about revealing emotions, but also about identifying the uncertain status of human beings in an unstable modern world. In Beksiński’s view, the photographic image is an accumulation of human fate, which is why his works are permeated by themes of anxiety and existential fear connected with loneliness, oblivion, and death. The people in these pictures are often presented as anonymous, meaningless figures appropriated by the hostile environment that surrounds them or by shapes, only half-visible, which remain pushed to the edges of the frame and whose partial presence neither interests us nor inspires us to construct a narrative. The fabric of Beksiński’s photographs is saturated with negative energy and an uninviting atmosphere, clearly conveying his dramatic message about human fate. MJ
Zdzisław Beksiński (1929–2005)
Windows Poland, 1958 gelatin silver print on paper 17.5 × 11.5 cm MHF 13478/II
Zdzisław Beksiński was an architect, painter and photographer, who was considered one of the most important initiators of the post-war avant-garde. He treated the photographic record as a starting point in the process of extracting new meanings from visual documents. Beksiński’s art was a reaction to the monotony and oppression of Socialist Realism; it emphasised an interest in the complexes and obsessions of the subconscious and in psychological mystery. The drawing out of hidden meanings takes place in confrontation with the viewer, who is forced to revise their judgments and presuppositions about reality. The visual aspect of the photographs is consistent and coherent, thanks to which these highly expressive works have a very evocative impact. Beksiński’s vision is hardly optimistic: the traumatic experiences of the recent past are still present and the future does not seem to bring hope; on the contrary, it is associated with a sense of
50
| THE MUSEUM OF PHOTOGRAPHY IN KRAKÓW
Zdzisław Beksiński (1929–2005) Untitled Poland, 1958 gelatin silver print on paper 11.8 × 15.5 cm MHF 18779/II
WINDOWS |
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Jan Motyka (1924–2005)
Spectators Kraków, Poland, 1965–1975 gelatin silver print on paper 38.8 × 49.8 cm MHF 3270/II
Seen through the eyes of a fan, a sporting event is a battlefield. Sport requires agility and reflexes, control over one’s body, hand-eye coordination and a unique blend of cunning and grace. The fan experiences sporting rivalry in two ways: by supporting his team, but also, like a photographer, by fighting for the best view. Spectators are just as interesting a subject for photography as the spectacle itself. The crowd captured in the photograph holds its breath and freezes in delight. What are they watching? Who are they cheering? Although it is perhaps not a competition at the very highest level, the noble elegance of the spectators, which emphasises the uniqueness of the spectacle, makes us think that there must be a lot at stake in this match. Photography that tries to register movement is doomed to fail. It is an intrinsically contradictory activity – it's impossible for the photographer to capture the action within a single still frame. And yet he manages to direct our attention to what is hidden within the crowd of spectators, their backs turned towards us. He places us in a Platonic cave, revealing only the shadows of genuine sporting excitement. But he does it in a way that makes it impossible for us – like for the little girl at the bottom of the photo – to resist the temptation to climb up the scaffolding and feast our eyes. Portrait and sports photography occupy a special place in Jan Motyka’s work. His rich oeuvre, mainly consisting of black-and-white photography, brought him international recognition. The Museum of Photography in Kraków has assembled the world's largest collection of his works. EK SPECTATORS |
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Jan Motyka (1924–2005)
Spectators Kraków, Poland, 1965–1975 gelatin silver print on paper 38.8 × 49.8 cm MHF 3270/II
Seen through the eyes of a fan, a sporting event is a battlefield. Sport requires agility and reflexes, control over one’s body, hand-eye coordination and a unique blend of cunning and grace. The fan experiences sporting rivalry in two ways: by supporting his team, but also, like a photographer, by fighting for the best view. Spectators are just as interesting a subject for photography as the spectacle itself. The crowd captured in the photograph holds its breath and freezes in delight. What are they watching? Who are they cheering? Although it is perhaps not a competition at the very highest level, the noble elegance of the spectators, which emphasises the uniqueness of the spectacle, makes us think that there must be a lot at stake in this match. Photography that tries to register movement is doomed to fail. It is an intrinsically contradictory activity – it's impossible for the photographer to capture the action within a single still frame. And yet he manages to direct our attention to what is hidden within the crowd of spectators, their backs turned towards us. He places us in a Platonic cave, revealing only the shadows of genuine sporting excitement. But he does it in a way that makes it impossible for us – like for the little girl at the bottom of the photo – to resist the temptation to climb up the scaffolding and feast our eyes. Portrait and sports photography occupy a special place in Jan Motyka’s work. His rich oeuvre, mainly consisting of black-and-white photography, brought him international recognition. The Museum of Photography in Kraków has assembled the world's largest collection of his works. EK SPECTATORS |
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This edition © Scala Arts & Heritage Publishers Ltd, 2019
Inside flap (front): Visualisation of the
Text © The Museum of Photography in Kraków
Museum building at ul. Rakowicka 22:
Images © The Museum of Photography in Kraków
Pracownia Lachman Pabich Architekci
First edition: Scala Arts & Heritage Publishers Ltd 10 Lion Yard, Tremadoc Road London SW4 7NQ, UK www.scalapublishers.com
Page 4: Visualisation of the Museum building at ul. Józefitów 16: Jerzy Lasoń Architektura Budownictwo Sima Inside flap (back): Portrait of Marek Świca, the Museum’s Director: Marcin Gierat
In association with The Museum of Photography in Kraków
The Museum has made every effort to ensure
www.mufo.krakow.pl
that the photographs included in this book do
ISBN 978-1-78551-227-8
not violate image rights or copyright.
Edited by: Laura Fox Translation by Jasper Tilbury in association with First Edition Translations Ltd, Cambridge, UK
If you recognise your own image or a photograph of which you are the author, please contact the Museum.
Designed by: Matthew Wilson, www.mexington.co.uk Printed and bound in Turkey Reproductions of objects and photograph of the Museum building at ul. Królowej Jadwigi 220: Image
front cover: Jerzy Lewczyński (1924-2014)
Documentation Studio of the Museum of Photography in
Unknown
Kraków
Poland, 1959 (see pp. 48–49)
Text authors: Bartosz Flak (BF), Marek Janczyk (MJ), Aneta Kopczacka (AK), Monika Kozień (MK), Eliza
frontispiece: Zygmunt Rytka (1947-2018)
Kubiak (EK), Dominik Kuryłek (DK), Marek Maszczak
Fiat 126p
(MM), Marta Miskowiec (MMi), Agnieszka Olszewska
Poland, 1976/2006 (see pp. 56–57)
(AO), Andrzej Rybicki (AR), Marek Świca (MŚ) 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the written permission of the Museum of Photography in Kraków and Scala Arts & Heritage Publishers Ltd.
Director’s Choice is a registered trademark of Scala Arts & Heritage Publishers Ltd.
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back cover: Nicolas Grospierre (born 1975) Żory, from the series W70 Poland, 2007–2016 (see pp. 74–75) inside flap (front): The Museum building at ul. Rakowicka 22 inside flap (back): Photograph by Marcin Gierat