Encounters with Photography in Michalowice – Mariusz Kubielas

On 18 June 2011 in the evening, we met again to encounter Photography in the Cinema Theatre in Michalowice. This time we were honoured to welcome Mariusz Kubielas, who is a graduate of Wyzsze Studium Fotografii in Jelenia Gora, and Jakub Grzywak, the co-author of the photographic project, which our guests brought with them, entitled “At Schulz”.

The inspiration to the photographic series, which has been developing for seven years now, was Brunon Schulz’ prose. Kubielas likes to emphasise that the idea was conceived when he was studying at WSF in Jelenia Gora, and so the godfather of the project was Wojciech Zawadzki – a well-known photographer, the head and a teacher at WSF, who we had already had the honour to have as a guest at Encounters with Photography in Michalowice.

The series of photographs, still growing in number, is taken according to the trend of so called “clean photography”, which derived at the beginning of the 80s from so called “elementary photography”, which in its ideas referred to works of such artists as Weston, Evans or Sudek.  Using large format cameras, making contact prints of images, which are, on the one hand documentary, and on the other personal, is a very short characteristic of the idea of “clean photography”.

Mariusz Kubielas is a perfectionist who prepares each shot with utmost care, taking into consideration the tiniest prop as well as the characters. Kubielas himself takes a role of Shulz’ father, which is not very convenient because of the disguise and also due to his effort of combining a few extremely important functions at the same time. Looking at the photographs “At Shulz” and listening to the authors, one cannot resist the impression that the whole project looks like plying a theatre, a very good theatre. The photographs are very picturesque, proving the very deep emotional experience of what Shulz wrote and also of the world in general.

Recently, Kubielas and Grzywak decided that they will include in the exhibition a multimedial presentation of the documentation – taken by a digital camera this time – of the project, which made unusual opportunity to have a look at what was going on at the backstage.

All the guests were astonished with the consequence and dedication Kubielas goes on with his project. They also felt honoured as the photographs had not yet been exhibited. We all hope that the exhibition which,  is going to be prepared soon, will be a great photographic event.

Mariusz Kubielas, born 1953, lives in Zywiec, is a GOPR rescuer, traditional photography and old techniques enthusiast. Has graduated of Wyzsze Studium Fotografii in Jelenia Gora and Fine Arts at the Zielona Gora University.

Jakub Grzywak, born in 1978, lives also in Zywiec, a graduate of Photographic School in Bielsko-Biala and Silesian University in Cieszyn.