Opening: June 23, 2022, 7 pm
Exhibition open June 25-August 4, 2022
Gallery opening hours:
Tues.: 11 a.m.-5 p.m.; Wed., Thurs., Sat., Sun.: 11 a.m.-7 p.m.
Archeology of Photography Foundation / Social Center of Photography
20 Chlodna St., 00-891 Warsaw
Curatorial tour:July 14, 2022, 6 pm
What did the Polish reality of the early 1970s look like through the eyes of a 23-year-old photographer? What topics were published in the student press? What did the photojournalist focus on and what made his works stand out?
The exhibition features Maciej Musial's photographs from 1969-1971, taken for the student weekly "itd". Most of them have not been published before.
Published since 1961, "etc." was very popular among young people. The early 1970s was an exceptionally good period for the magazine: The editors increased the volume of issues and put more emphasis on the development of the illustrated section. At that time, the weekly brought together talented photographers and photographers of the younger generation, such as: Krzysztof Baranski, Wieslaw Hudon, Anna Musialówna or Andrzej Polec. Their photos - showing everyday life and addressing social issues - became a form of expression independent of text. Of course, the published photo essays had to oscillate around student life, but despite the interference of censors, the authors and authors had more freedom than before in choosing topics. They saw their profession as a certain distinction. Anna Musiałówna recalled in one article: "[...] We felt we were the chosen people, having a tool for looking at reality up close."
These were important years in Maciej Musial's biography as well: the time of his youth, when he was starting a family, and was at the center of events with camera in hand. Undoubtedly a difficult, but also a creative period. It was then that he gave up his studies at the Warsaw University of Technology and devoted himself to his work as a photojournalist. Thanks to this profession, he was able to travel and meet people from the world of culture; with some of them he established long-term friendships, including Wieslaw Walkuski and Jerzy Duda-Gracz.
"Itd" was the first magazine to publish the works of Maciej Musial. The selection presented at the exhibition is only a small part of the photographer's activity and a contribution to getting acquainted with his entire oeuvre. Photos from the beginning of Musial's career show him as an attentive observer who ventured deep into the city and captured unique images of ordinary life; he was looking for the "decisive moment." He photographed students, their labor practices and leisure time, views of construction sites, industrialization. At the same time, he paid great attention to composition, light, technical parameters. The influence of the work of Zofia Rydet and Mark Holzman can be seen in his photographs, as well as inspiration from the Magnum group or "Life" and "World" magazines.
Maciej Musial (1946-2000)
Photojournalist, author of technically difficult advertising photos, studio photographs and many cover shoots, specialist in painting reproductions.
He spent his childhood in Suchedniów. There, his fascination with photography and technology began in the photographic workshop of his father, Marian Musial. At the age of 13, for academic purposes, he went to Warsaw, where he graduated from the Marcin Kasprzak Radio Technical School. He then went on to study at the Faculty of Electronics at the Warsaw University of Technology, but abandoned it for reportage photography.
In 1969 he began working for the weekly magazine "itd", published by the Youth Publishing Agency. The magazine regularly published his reports related to the social life of students. From 1971 to 1987 he worked with the Polish Agency Interpress as a photojournalist for the illustrated magazine "Poland" - West edition ("Poland"). In the pages of the monthly he presented topics related to science, sports and art. In front of his lens stood, among others: Magdalena Abakanowicz, Jerzy Duda-Gracz, Krzysztof Penderecki, Alina Szapocznikow and Andrzej Wajda. He traveled extensively during the making of the materials, including abroad: to Bulgaria, France, Hungary or the then USSR. In later years, when he was involved in studio and advertising photography, he worked with the editors of "Wiedzy i Życia" and "Ladny Dom" and with the company Polskie Zakłady Optyczne.
Since 1976, he was an active member of the Association of Polish Artists Photographers. In the early 1990s he served as president. He also conducted numerous photography workshops in cooperation with Irena Jarosinska.
The photojournalist's work in the 1970s resulted not only in Maciej Musial's long-standing friendships with cultural figures, but also in his participation in numerous competitions and exhibitions. In 1970, he received an award at the National Press Photography Contest for his reportage My Buddies from Zabrze. He also participated in exhibitions: Press Photography in Kielce (1971), Press Photography in the 30th Anniversary of the People's Republic of Poland (1974), Woman (1975), We and Our Time (1975), Poland - Country and People (1975), Family (1978).
Since 2021, the Archeology of Photography Foundation has been working on compiling the photographer's archive.
etc., etc...
Photographs by Maciej Musial from 1969-1971
Curators: Kamila Kobus, Kate Smuraga
Cooperation: Anna Hornik, Ewa Jadacka, Marta Przybyło
Journal queries: Adrianna Grabowska, Maciej Lukian, Natalia Poplawska, Zuzanna Sikorska
Edited by Julia Odnous-Pawlińska
Translation: Aleksandra Szymczyk
Promotion: Maja Sztenke (Steinke Communications)
Exhibition editing: Mateusz Wierzbicki (Willow Service)
Preparation of photos for print: Karol Baginski / FOTO-GRAFIKA
Acknowledgements: Jan Anderman, Anna Musial, Maja Musial
