For most of the time of my artistic creativity, I was wrong. I thought that the audience is not an essential part of Art.
It was happening during the initiating part of my photography activity. During the extended period, I was taking photos on the streets of Warsaw without publishing photographs. This situation lasted for more than one year. For a long time, I did not think about the audience of my photos.
I felt that I produce pictures for myself and that maybe I will never publish these photographs.
Thanks to the photography exhibition, which took place in June 2018, I am aware that art without an audience does not exist. When I saw people who came to one specific location to see my images, I realized that the viewers are an essential part of the artistic process. Also, I opened my eyes and saw that there are people who genuinely enjoyed watching my photographs. Also, they wanted to talk about them. This photography exhibition was a groundbreaking point in how I perceived the audience. Thanks to this experience, I know that my photographs received a new, restored life. The fact is that I do not have any influence on this life.
I am aware that this new life is taking place in the minds of the viewers.
I would call it a transfer of experience. My thoughts are coded in the artworks. It is up to the audience how they decode my photographs. The viewers see the artwork. They are translating and transforming what they see to their personal, specific point of view. Indeed, it is the moment when the artwork is being reborn.
I believe that the process takes place when I see, for example of Salvador Dali’s paintings. Or when I read Stanislaw Lem’s book or listen to David Bowie’s music.
I transform their masterpieces into my secret language. This process takes place in my mind and imagination. I am sure that all the geniuses mentioned above also knew that their artistic activity would be nothing without the audience, readers, listeners, fans, or viewers.
In the end, I would like to thank all the people who had helped me in organizing my exhibitions (both in the Przystawki restaurant and in the office of my employer), all the people who had helped me in preparing my thesis, and lastly, to all the audience who came to see my photographs.
Thank you!
