Today was the three P's. In the order of Photography, Pork and Politics. Let's
discuss each one as they occurred.
As I discovered yesterday, this is the start of Photography Month in Krakow
which it mostly devoted to UK photography. What a great time to be here. There
are exhibitions and photography events happening all over the place.
So after enjoying the exhibition yesterday, I decided my tast today was to cover
as many exhibitions as I could.
First off I headed for the National Museum, only half a dozen blocks from the
hostel. Here there was to be a major coverage of recent (last three decades)
British photography; FACTS OF LIFE – PHOTOGRAPHY IN BRITAIN 1974-1997. Now
the programme clearly indicated that it was open from 10am daily and that the
8th was the first day. I bought my ticket (senior concession) asking for the
photography exhibition. Then headed to what looked like photographs from the
foyer. In fact it was not photos, but rather photo like paintings by Marcin
Maciejowski who rather likes to poke fun at politics and capitalism. I enjoyed
a quick wander around the extensive exhibition and then asked the attendant
about the British photos. He also had the tendency to draw images with no
facial features. Upstairs she said, but that it didn't open until 4pm so come
back tomorrow. Not good. Well perhaps come at 4pm was the concession. So I went
off to have coffee and think about my next move.
Blow it I thought I am here so I'll go up and see what happens. I got to the
door which was just the tiniest bit open and walked in. An attendant asked for
ticket and I showed it to her. She said it is for the permanent exhibition
across the way. I said that I had asked for the photography at the ticket
counter – no good. So I showed her the programme which said open 8th from
10am and said I had walked from the middle of town and din't want to do it
again. There were already half a dozen people in side. OK she said come in and
then shut the door. So I had this great opportunity to wander and enjoy the
various photographers; work. I noticed a coule of the men in there had passes
around their neck and I asked one if he was exhibiting. He was a guest, but the
other spoke up that he was exhibiting. Who are you I asked and he turned his
pass over and I read 'Tom Woods'. Wow, I had to shake his hand as he is one of
the big 'names' in British photography and I have seen his work published.
I felt priviledged to stand there as these two and another guest discussed one
of John Davies famous urban/rural Bistish landscapes and pointed out the key
points which made it his best work. Tom wondered how I had got in as he had to
wait an hour to get through the door. We parted at the end with his comment
that he always wanted to come to New Zealand . Perhaps one day he will.
Incidently one photo which amused me was a shor of eggs in a competition. Some
had been broken and had the shell to oneside of the white and yoke. All were on
the same sized saucer and some had award cards. Am I right in thinking that only
the British would have a egg show and awards?
Next to head off to the Contemporary Art Gallery which had two exhibits on. On
the ground floor was a retrospective showing of Anna Fox, who I do not think I
have heard of. The first series of her pictures consisted of photos of
cockroaches in her house in London. Not always sharply in focus but she must
have lived in pretty poor housing even without the cockroaches. Apparently
there were fleas as well. She also had two series on a village and the second
featured people in the village. She must have attended some sort of show there
as some of her subjects were wearing grotesque masks.
There was a series of woman lying on the ground, under bushes or in a stream.
Another covered shots of a woman who seemed to live in a caravan, over a
decade.
I decided that Anna Fox was not my favourite photographer.
On the next floor was NOTHING IS IN THE PLACE , a large collection all printed
on A3 paper, but most only taking up a part of the sheet size.In this showing
of around 100 prints the concentration is on Britain in the 1990's. This was a
decade when things were meant to be going well in the UK with lots of creative
things happening. However, this collection seems to aim at deconstructing the
myth and showing a much more seamy side to the nation. Rather depressing view
really.
Next it was a walk through the streets to a showing called AFTER LIFE, which was
a series of images printed on glass against a white wall. The images were all of
men about to be exhibited in Iran during the 1970's.
UPDATE UK was a slide show showing the work of a number of photographers whom I
would expect consider themselves to be art photographers. So there were the
sort of shot which many would throw away, this would include out of focus and
fuzzy images. But here they were proving that one person's judgment may not be
that of the next person. On one floor a British photographer was giving a show
and tell presentation which because of the need to translate moved very slowly.
I spent some time in the crowd at the door and picked up the comment that the
green grass in the photo was meant to represent paradise and contrast with what
Britian was.
An interesting show, once you located it as there was no notice on the road
frontage and was own and alley and up two flights or stairs, was photo
collarges by John Stezaker. He has been collection old 1930's and 40's portrait
and publicity stills of film stars. He has simply had a face of one person over
a different but similar posed picture of another. At first glance they seem the
one person but then closer up you see the humour. He may have a male face over a
female, which makes an interesting result. There was also a series of cut up and
mixed up pacts of buildings, but I really enjoyed the head shots the best.
One I would liked to have seen is by John Davis but in a suburb and not open on
Sundays. A pity.
Having wandered around these exhibitions I wondered just what the Poles in
Krakow would think of the British afer seeing these images?
While wandering around the streets going to galleries I spotted a restaurant
which claimed to have a Pork Knuckle Festival on with 16 ways of having a pork
knuckle meal. So I recalled everyone enjoying this in Prague a couple of years
a go and so when it was dinner time went back there. It was set up in an old
brewery and in sort of old fashion look with heavy wooded tables a bit lick our
picnic table designs.
I was taken with an offer to try any four of about 10 different Polish soups.
Bit like a wine tasting. So I selected my four. One was made fom sauerkraut
another from cabbage and so on. All seemed to be some sort of borse. The cup
sized serves were all tasty although I do not think I would go for the
sauerkraut again. The pork knuckle was roasted with honey glaze, garlic and
plums – which were in fact prunes. There were some dried or dehydrated
vegetables which I didn't enjoy plus mustard and horse radish I think. A slice
of bread came with a container of spread which looked and tasted suspiciously
like pork lard.
Finally politics.
On the way back to the hostel I passed through a smaller square and found a
concert stage set up for a free concert. So I took a seat and waited. It turned
out to be a concert of song which covered 20th century Polish history with what
seemed a patriotic content. The woman singer was backed by a band of saxaphone
flute drums etc. She sang strongly in a Edit Piaf style and was I thought, very
good. Behind her on a large screen were projected matching images. Sometimes
soldiers and war, other times art deco advertising from the 1920's and 30's. I
left when she was into World War 2. People came and went to seats during the
songs, perhaps because they were feeling the cold.
Well that will do for this epistle. Perhaps a few more highlights will be added
tomorrow.
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