If I had to answer the question of what is photography, I would answer that the creation of an image, the basis of which is independent thinking. If someone were to ask me what life is all about, I would answer similarly - that life is about thinking for yourself every minute of its duration. For several years I have been making self-portraits, my figure has become an indispensable part of my photographs, through which I try to tell stories that interest me. Very often I am inspired by human relationships, as well as human psychology itself.
Michael about himself:
My name is Michal Smuda, for many years I have been using the pseudonym Michal Konrad. On a daily basis I work as a physical education teacher, I devote my free time to photography. I have been involved in photography for a long time, and it is difficult for me to say when was the first moment. Certainly, the key date was 2016. Then my photography became thoughtful and fully conscious. I am self-taught and for a long time I played with photography looking for my own way, I developed my own style in this way. I experimented a lot using different methods of obtaining images. I photographed with both digital and analog cameras, and it was the latter, the traditional form of image creation, that had a great influence on me. I particularly liked the medium format Holga camera. The choice of Holga was not accidental because of its simplicity and imperfections. I always tried to focus on content, form became less important. The Holga allowed me to maintain this consensus.
In 2016, my first project entitled "Promised Land" was already made entirely with a digital camera. It was a series of self-portraits that depicted my emotional attitude to the place where I live. Let me mention that I was born, raised and live in Wodzislaw Slaski in Upper Silesia. The photographs I create are conceptual in nature, they are fully staged scenes in which the main role is played by myself. Every concept that arises in my head I try to convey with the camera. When it comes to thoughts and inspirations for creation, I have always been an observer. The observations I made allowed me to take up various topics about the world around me.
PROMISED LAND
I had a dream. Some strange powerlessness overwhelmed me. I felt weak and tired. My legs like roots were growing into the ground. Each step was heavy and made me feel more tired. I stood like this in stillness despite the snow and cold. I saw others walking away, but I couldn't, I was bound to the earth. I prayed to god. God told me to play music. The project depicts man's difficult relationship to the place where he lives. Despite his difficult existence, this man does not know how to part with the land of his ancestors. With the land where he left his roots.
Some subjects take on a surreal character, remaining in the realm of imagination. Such was the case with the "Conjuncture" project, which could be seen recently at the Opole Festival of Photography in Opole and the Rybnik Festival of Photography in Rybnik. The project refers to the conjunction of the planets, which occurred on December 21, 2020. The last time such a major event in the cosmos took place was more than 800 years ago, and was accompanied by key events affecting the world at the time. In "Conjunctions" I address the change of astrological epochs from the Era of Pisces to the Era of Aquarius, which according to astrologers coincided with the 2020 Conjunction of the Planets and which occurred after about 2150 years. The change of epochs in my project signifies a reevaluation of the world, which now becomes even more important during the hostilities started by Russia in Ukraine. In the description of the project "Conjunction" I wrote that due to the change of astrological epochs a new world was born, in the context of warfare my own words start to frighten me.
CONJUNCTION
After 290,002,306 days, another Great Conjunction of the planets occurred. On December 21, 2020, Jupiter merged with Saturn. Finally the Age of Aquarius was activated, a new world was born. The project refers to an astronomical phenomenon that could be observed on the longest night of the year, on December 21 there was the so-called Great Conjunction of Jupiter and Saturn in the sign of Aquarius. This means that the planets aligned almost with the Earth, forming a common bright spot. The phenomenon in this constellation was last seen in 1226. When Genghis Khan was conquering the world and Konrad of Mazovia was bringing the Teutonic Knights to Poland. According to Johannes Kepler, a 16th-century astronomer, the Great Conjunction of 6 BC formed the so-called Star of Bethlehem. The star lit up the sky, showing the way to the three wise men going to Bethlehem during the birth of Christ. The planetary conjunction that took place in December 2020 heralds the arrival of a new astrological era. The world, after the roughly 2150-year domination of the Age of Pisces, is about to enter the reign of the Age of Aquarius. The Great Conjunctions that have occurred over the past hundreds and thousands of years have always been reflected in events in Poland and the world. Events that had a huge impact on the functioning of the world. The "Conjunctions" project is a poetic interpretation of the transition from the ending Era of Fish to the brand new unknown Era of Aquarius, preceded by a very rare constellation of planets occurring every 800 years or so. The project is not a scientific proof that something must happen, it relates more to intuitions and perceptions that the world is changing. The project introduces an atmosphere of mystery and even horror, emotions that accompany the entry into a new unknown abyss of the world. The form of the diptychs like two different planets, when combined, increase their impact. The diptychs are intended to increase the power of perception, leaving a wide room for interpretation. In most of the photographs, the project was carried out at night, the strong light seen in the photos was obtained using flashlights, flash lamps and car lights. The location of the project was provincial spaces, insignificant and forgotten, where only extensive power lines bear witness to human existence.
I also have projects in which current world events were the main inspiration. Such is the case with the project "Plague" which was created during my isolation related to the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020. In the project I tried to depict my emotional state caused by uncertainty, fear and loneliness caused by long confinement in a small apartment.
ZARAZA
Freedom gives us the ability to act according to our own will. In 2020, our will has been curtailed by the ongoing plague in the world. Overnight, people were confined to their homes, confined to small spaces. The forced confinement and associated social separation caused great psychological discomfort. With a sense of fear and uncertainty, people plunged into loneliness. I was inspired to create the series by my personal, private quarantine, when in mid-November, I was locked up with my family in 17 days of home isolation. "Blight" is my next series made in the form of diptychs. I really like this form of communication, because it offers many possibilities for interpretation. I don't literally talk about the subject of interest in my photographs, and through the frequent use of metaphors I try to broaden the field of vision, stimulating the imagination. The series obviously refers to the situation related to Covid-19, while it has many hidden themes. In most of my photographs I use non-urban spaces, large fields stretching to the horizon. In "Immediately" I limited myself to the small spaces of my apartment. I treat the project experimentally, not only because of the deprivation of space in the photographs, but also because of the way they were made. The series was created in the dark, without the use of flash on a long exposure, which was a new experience for me.
The latest project I'm working on, titled "River," juxtaposes elements of the body with elements of the landscape. The river, as a permanent, strong and long-lasting element of the landscape, juxtaposes the fleeting life of a human being. A being who conforms to the place in which he lives and is a short-lived creator of the environment, leaving a small footprint. If someone were to ask me why I do photography, I would answer that I have an irresistible need to create, to make my own thoughts and emotions real. It gives me joy, satisfaction and, in a way, solace.
RIVER
The river identifies in itself the lives of many generations, often divided into other disparate nations. I am referring to the Oder River, which for hundreds of years united the histories of Poles, Czechs and Germans, often being a border between countries. When we look at the river at the turn of history, it has always been here, and everything around it has changed. Man's existence represents only a small fraction of the river's life, but each person leaves a small mark by conforming to the place where he lives, a place of which he is a temporary creator.
Other projects by Michal Konrad:
TRANSFER
The universe is filled with living and dead matter. Both matter interpenetrate each other. Everything that surrounds us is energy. Words, thoughts, feelings cause vibrations, release energies. A way of communication. The story of a man in whose consciousness the word "Transfer" has many meanings. "Transfer" is a violation of time and space. It is crossing the boundary of reality. It is a search for truth and the meaning of existence, which do not give a clear answer.
BIRDS AND PEOPLE
Birds are like people, and people are like birds. They are smart and stupid. They are pretty and ugly. They are full and hungry. They are gentle and predatory. Some sing, others scream. People, like birds, can fly. Birds fly to warm countries. Humans fly away in their own thoughts. Birds have always accompanied man. They were often described in literature. Some were viewed positively, others negatively. Man has made a symbol out of the bird. Some birds are a symbol of good, others a symbol of evil. People judge birds based on appearance. Dark ravens are seen as death, bright pigeons as life. I wonder how birds perceive humans? Are birds also full of prejudices about human appearance? Maybe I am bad? Because I am black, like a raven.
Michal Konrad:
COMPETITIONS
2016 - Third place in the Neutral Density Photography Award in the Conceptual Design category.
2017 - Winner of the "Debuts" competition according to Doc Magazine (Grzegorz Kosmala and Aneta Krawczyk) for emerging Polish photographers. Competition concluded with numerous group exhibitions, as well as published in a book published by Blow Up Press. The book is available at the Museum of Contemporary Art in Krakow.
2018 - Second place in the Neutral Density Photography Award in the category of Auto Project - Portrait.
2018 - Nominated in the International Photography Magazine contest in the People category.
2019 - Third place in the Neutral Density Photography Award in the Conceptual Design category.
2020 - Second place in the Budapest International Photography Award in the People category.
2020 - First place in the Tokyo International Foto Award in the People category.
2021 - Winner of the "Show Yourself" competition as part of the Opole Festival of Photography in Opole.
EXHIBITS
2017 - solo exhibition in Rybnik as part of the 14th edition of the Rybnik Festival of Photography.
2017 - collective exhibition of the winners of the "Debuts" project in Lodz at the Andels Hotel.
2017 - A group exhibition of the winners of the "Debuts" project at Maison De La Photographie in France.
2018 - author's meeting and screening of artistic achievements at the Wodzislaw Slaski Cultural Center in Wodzislaw Slaski.
2019 - A group exhibition at the Museum in Wodzislaw Slaski.
2019 - A group exhibition at the Chania International Photography Festival in Greece.
2021 - Slide Show projection in Rybnik as part of the 18th edition of the Rybnik Festival of Photography.
2021 - solo exhibition in Opole as part of the 11th Opole Festival of Photography.
ART EDUCATION
2021 - Since October, a first-year student at the Institut tvůrčí fotografie Filozoficko-přírodovědecké fakulty Slezské univerzity v Opavě (Czech Republic).
1 Komentarz
Waldemar Sliwczynski
Michal Konrad's imagination seems to have no limits. Consciously or unconsciously (I don't know) he draws heavily on the achievements of staged photography. At times his compositions remind me of Zdzislaw Beksinski's photography from the 1950s, as well as Jerzy Lewczynski's photography from those years. A strong inspiration is also, as you can see, the abundant hair that nature has bestowed on the author. The juxtaposition of fragments of the human body with the shapes and textures of inanimate nature seems particularly interesting to me because of the meanings it brings into existence. It is not metaphors, but a direct pictorial link between man and the rest of nature - man is not a distinguished, more important element in this pair. He is part of nature, and nature is part of man.
And what do you think of these photographs? Which series is closer to you? Feel free to discuss.