As a kid growing up in Poland in the 80's with the Iron Curtain firmly in place, I vividly remember my small town’s visual palette. Restricted by guidelines, heavy with history and grounded in tradition. My environment was full of dark shades and gray tones, solid and absolutely still - as if “in hiding”. The tension was palpable. As I run through the streets I always thought the scene desperately needed a release. At the time Polish School of Poster Art which was introduced in 1950’s was still a prominent creative outlet for graphic designers and painters across Central and Eastern Europe. These government commissioned posters were blurring the lines between design and art. To me they were strange, weird and beautiful. They delivered the intended official message with sharp precision, and at the same time were seemingly “exploding” into my focus and visually disrupting the surrounding stillness. Unapologetically graphic in style with clear linear quality, bold colors and strong forms. They always got my attention and asked to decode their subtext, and I always took the challenge.
Today, every time i pick up my camera I play my childhood decoding game again. I accept the challenge again. I focus my perception, eliminate peripheral distraction and reduce what I see to it's most basic visual elements. I continually search for places and moments when everything I see in my viewfinder suddenly comes into sharp focus obliterating everything outside the frame and forcing me to pay attention.