Bolesław Augustis. Every Day is a second instalment in a series of presentations of interesting out-of-Warsaw collections organised by the FAF as part of the Fototeka project.
A very large collection of 35 mm films and several dozen glass negatives left by Białystok-based photographer Bolesław Augustis (1912-1995) was discovered in 2004; through the efforts of Grzegorz Dąbrowski, a photojournalist working for Gazeta Wyborcza’s Białystok edition, the collection was archived and safely stored.
The publication of selected pictures in the newspaper’s local mutation helped to recognise many of the persons and places featured. The photographs, which have been shown in several exhibitions, date from the years 1935-1938 when Augustis ran his own photo studio.
In 2010, the ‘Widok’ Association for Cultural Education published an art book with a selection of 96 photographs by Augustis, which demonstrated that the collection was unique not only for its historical and sociological value. With his aesthetic sensitivity and keen sense of observation, Augustis’ work stands out above the average output of photo-studio owners. Unconventional and modern, able to capture movement as well as convey the context, his photographs haven’t aged and appear very attractive to the contemporary viewer.
The first ever presentation of a fragment of this archive in Warsaw, the small exhibition of Bolesław Augustis’ photographs at the FAF gallery focuses on images of daily life: outdoor activities, games and leisures, genre scenes, street trade, as well as a selection of unique portraits.
In connection with the show, a meeting devoted to photographic archives, featuring Grzegorz Dąbrowski as one of the speakers, will take place at a later date.
You are also welcome to visit our neighbours: on the same day (12 June, 7 p.m.) an exhibition of Michał Sosiński opens as part of the Forms and Feelings series at Starter Gallery next door.
Exhibition on view through 31 July 2013
Opening reception: 13 June, 7 p.m.
