Jacek Bakowski - Mala Gallery

HE fact that photography has become a handy means of comunication has been known for years. But it’s expantion into the area of other forms of art was not so
evident some time ago. Nowadays photography is one of the most commonly used media, especially by these artists whose activity refers to a social context.

Among them is Jacek Bakowski who reports to us his relations with other people using the medium. The relations are of two kinds: these private, intimate, and those that allow him to meet people accidentally – at the moment when they take a typical tourist snapshot against a famous viewpoint or city attraction.

The first of these relations refers to somebody close, with whom he shares everyday reality, expressed by the chronology of the passing day. 23 simple activities, halted in the photographs at precisely given hours, make a consize message about the intensity of the relation, which must have been experienced by the artist at the moment of the registration.

The other relation refers to unknown people, ordinary tourists with whom the photographer will not have any direct contact. Nevertheless, when he „designes” himself into their snapshots, he is aware of participating in their lives, at least when they stare at their photos, even if they might not notice that there is somebody in the background, who wanted to be taken to their homes and into their memories.

In both these relations which take the form of a series of photographs Jacek Bakowski wants to mark his presence, and photography suits it in a perfect way– not only when the situation is closed, but also when it is repeated whenever the photographs are brought out again.

ACEK Bakowski is an artist and a teacher. These two areas of his activities are strictly combined. What makes them close is Jacek’s philosophical attitude. He keeps asking about the method, the attitude, the activity which allows us to get to the essence of an object, a human being, and of fate. These are difficult questions, one might say, fundamental for philosophical thinking, which we miss so much in our life and art.

A permanent activity „The Line of My Fate”, in which he boldly and patiently tries to draw his lot;
„Harmonia Homini” in which the fates of his close friends sound together and in full potential , or
an inscription carved with buddhist humbleness on the surface of a stone on a mountain track: „how much rain, how much wind, how many human footsteps are needed to erase these words”.

Professor Tischner wrote: „Who we think with, influences radically what we think about and how we think.” I like to think with Jacek.

Whenever I see somebody taking a photo I try to get discretly into the background to become part of the picture. Since many years this allows me to anonynously appear in many people's homes.

Jacek Bakowski: "All day with you", exhibition in Mala Gallery, Warsaw - October 2003

Education:

1965-68 - B.A. in languages
1970-76 - M.A. in philosophy
1992-94 - post-graduate diploma in pedagogy
also
1974 – diploma of master in beekeeping
1985 - diploma of skilled stained-glass maker

Creative experience:

1974 - wystawa DOWOD OSOBISTY, Galeria Remont, Warszawa
1977 - akcja uliczna POPATRZ, w ramach dzialan Teatru Akademii Ruchu „Teatr Miejski”, Lodz
1987-92 - PRZESTRZEN OSOBNA, seria ekspozycji indywidualnych na terenie szkol warszawskich: Szkola muzyczna im H. Wieniawskiego, Lic. im. Stefana Batorego, Lic. Ogolnoksztalcace Niepubliczne Nr 37:
87 - MISZ-MASZ, 88 – TRZEBA JESC, ZEBY ZYC, 89 - NIE DAJ SIENABRAC 90 - IWONA,
91 - REGENT SPIRIT, 92 - HAIKU
1994 - Warsztat dzialan tworczych „Na Obidzy” wspolnie z art.plast. Aleksandra Kempinska
Obiekty DREWNIANY, SLOMIANY, SMIECIANY
1995 - Warsztat dzialan tworczych „Wawoz” w Piwnicznej. Spektakl WAWOZ
1995 - Poczatek akcji permanentnej LINIA MOJEGO LOSU
1997 - Warsztat dzialan tworczych „Ziemia” w Kazimierzu Dolnym wspolnie z Mariuszem Kujtkowskim
Praca Z PROCHU
1998 - LINIA MOJEGO LOSU, ekspozycja 4.000 odcinkow, Centrum Sztuki Wspolczesnej Zamek Ujazdowski
1999 - ROWNY KAMIENIOWI, wystawa, Galeria Rzezby BWA, Warszawa
2000 - DAJESZ – BIERZESZ, plener miedzynarodowy w Neplach wspolnie z art. plast. Mieczyslawem Skalimowskim z BWA Biala Podlaska
2000 - Miedzynarodowy warsztat dzialan tworczych „Przelom” w Doubicach, Czechy. Spektakl PRZELOM
2000 - KSIAZECA I OKOLICE, wystawa, Biala Podlaska
2000 - HARMONIA HOMINI, performance – pokaz, Centrum Sztuki Wspolczesnej Zamek Ujazdowski
2001 - I TY SIE PRZYWIAZ, projekt realizowany w ramach warsztatow Osrodka Edukacji Tworczej CSW
z okazji Dnia Ziemi
2002 - BARDZO WAZNY SZCZEGOL, plener miedzynarodowy w Neplach organizowany przez BWA
Biala Podlaska

Mala Gallery, Warsaw, September 30th, 2003 r.; opening of Jacek Bakowski's exhibition. Photo by Albert Zawada/GW