Volume 14, Number 04
October 9, 2007





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This Week

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Pastiche: Mona Lisa With a Moustache

pasticheI went into the Exhibition Hall at the Faculty of Art, Design and Architecture and had a chance to look around before the exhibition’s curator, Edyta Michalska, greeted me warmly. It was the opening night of "Pastiche. Mona Lisa With A Smile." It soon became clear that I had entered a world of skewed photographic visions, and I wanted to know more!
I wanted to find out who did these things and, more importantly, what these things were!

As it turns out, the photographs were part of an assignment given to a group of Polish students in a seminar called, "The Arts Interpenetrating," led by Pawet Borkowski, with the cooperation of Stefan Figlarowicz and Krzysztof Jakubowski. These seminars are similar to an open university. This was a place where children, teens and adults could experience and learn. This was a place where the age and gender gap was diminished.1

The end products of the seminar were hung on the walls, land looked quite interesting indeed. Classical art works had been reorganized and reinterpreted from a most unique point of view, using the camera instead of the canvas. Pawet Borkowski, who works as a photography teacher in a middle school, took some time to introduce me to the artists. To them, it seemed that photography was not just a hobby, but a passion.

One of the artists shared with me that she preferred to work specifically on portraits of women. When I asked the reason, she stated that women are very interesting. She then clarifies that Polish women are especially interesting. She further clarified, saying that she had also seen some very interesting women in Turkey. During the “Pastiche” sessions, where she tackled the classic "Two Women Drinking," she explained about how her and her subjects had a really good time with the entire process, and the photo shoots were lot of fun.

Also on hand for the grand opening was the curator of the Photography Department at the National Museums in Gdansk. The school these artists attend often cooperates with the National Museums. I had an opportunity to speak with her and get a little more insight on what the school these artists attended was all about. She enthused that it is a fantastic place for anyone with an interest to learn more about photography, culture and art. She also added that it offers good opportunities to intermingle with people of various backgrounds who may not ordinarily cross paths. This group of artists have been working together, and have gone on trips to take photographs. They have created bonds, communicated, and shared experiences and ideas.

It was true; all of the photographers come from an interesting array of professions. One artist is in the communications field, another is an electronic engineer, while another is a graphic designer. Regardless of what they do for a living, photography is the one thing that connects them all, though each artist offers their own interpretations of the world.

I must say that I really enjoyed the photographs and their somewhat mocking perspective. If you ask me, the way the original paintings were transformed into photographs, and then reinterpreted in such unique and often comical ways, will stick in my mind for a long time to come. This exhibit will challenge how viewers have looked at the classics that have been part of our culture for decades, if not centuries. This is one exhibit that will make people tilt their heads to the side, stroke their chin with their fingers and say, "Hmmmm….interesting indeed."

"Pastiche: Mona Lisa with a Moustache," can be seen until October 17 at the Exhibition Hall of FADA.
1- Leaflet from the exhibition, page 3

By Alev Ýclal Deðim (COMD/III)

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