Still life in photography implies a double
death of things. The nature dies first, transformed into art, composition,
abstraction. And by its nature, photography brings death as it halts processes both of growth and decay. This
paradox underpins Paweł Żak’s art. For a quarter of a century, the artist works
with things: he thinks, he sees, he arranges and records them. A glass, bush
withes, fruits, balloons, stones, bowls, dishes, milk, water, shells, wood,
paper, books, bread, flags, cloth add up to create a universe where meanings
and symbols escape flat interpretations. Surprise with the material world,
constant critique of the casual and search for deeper meanings of things are
what make Paweł Żak fly.
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Żak’s photographs reflect the turn of eras (analog/digital), the
overlap of techniques (photography/painting) and genres (still life/landscape),
as well as changing aesthetics (surrealism/minimalism). We see one of the most
consistent artists in the history of Polish photography.
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Paweł Żak (b. 1965 in
Warsaw), an artist, a photographer, an academic. Studied social sciences at the
Warsaw’ University, then graduated from the Academy of Fine Arts in Poznan.
Since 1995 he’s a member of Polish Union of Art Photographers. Since 1998 he
teaches photography and history of art – recently (since 2011) at University of
Warsaw.
His most
famous series are devoted to floral motifs and still life. Precise frames are
carefully planned and neatly executed in the studio. In his still lifes the
artist gives new meanings to daily objects. These extremely aesthetic works
combine metaphysical sacred space with the prose of life. The result is a kind
of mystery, that is open to various interpretations. And although these works
were created by the simplest means, they reach deep into the multicultural
world of symbols.
Paweł Żak’s photographs have been
shown in numerous exhibitions all over the world (including Paris, Wien, Milan,
Singapore and Hong Kong). Selected public collections include: National Museum
in Warsaw, Centre for Contemporary Art in Warsaw, Museum of Art in Lodz,
Bibliotheque Nationale de France in Paris. He lives and works in Warsaw.
156 pages
The book reproduces
nearly 60 photographs (with a few enlargements on facing pages) and covers two
essays – by Bogdan Konopka and by Adam Mazur.
This hard-covered book measures 25x26cm (10x10.5”)
and was printed in 2017.
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