Winter in Poland During the Covid Pandemic: Street Photography and Graffiti in Lodz

By Adolfo Escat

Welcome to Poland and the city of Lodz, in the centre of the country. In this collection of 162 pictures taken during the winter of 2020-21, you will find interesting images of people, animals, monuments, parks, graffiti, and cemeteries. You will see lots of happy kids here, playing around or enjoying the company of their parents. On the other side, the cemetery images are among the most touching and beautiful I have ever taken. One senses the lust for life of the citizens of Lodz and their deep grief. Yet, they are able to leave behind remarkable funerary monuments. I ask for forgiveness if somebody feels hurt when I depict their loved ones. On the other side, taking a good picture for this collection is also a way of maintaining the memory of the departed alive.The intention of this collection is then both artistic and documentary. How was life during the covid-19 virus pandemic of 2020-2021 in Poland and how can the city and its people be presented under an artistic view?.The photographs are in colour and in black and white. Sometimes, I eliminate most colours but one or two. This is so because I try to obtain the best of each image by artificial ways. Reality is not so exciting to me as the thought and dexterity of the artist applied on reality, with the aim to create an intended effect or to underline an aspect of the image.Also, the presentation of the pictures is an aspect to take into consideration. When two pictures are presented next to each other or in a sequence, this has an intention as well. For example, you will see two Christ figures showing their wounded hands in much the same way. However, there is a subtle difference, one is serious and the other smiles. The smiling representation is a subversive graffiti. There is nothing more subversive than a smile or a laugh applied on serious matters and directed at power. It is this contrast that I aim to present.The images also show the social struggles of the moment. However, I abstain from commenting them (except on one street poster from an artist showing an interesting imagination. I just show what is currently going on in this society and in this time of History. I am sure that the viewer will find them interesting.It has been a difficult year for Humanity. I must confess that life in Poland during this pandemic was not as difficult as in other more affected countries. Still, you will see how people kept on with their lives despite the menace and the restrictions. In the future, people will look back at us to contemplate life under these enduring circumstances. These images will give our distant descendants an idea of how life was and of how artistic attempts such as this one were still being produced. Compiling this collection of images was not easy. It took me many hours and dozens of kilometres walking on the streets of the city, investigating streets.Creating such a book is a matter of patience and determination for, after the image taking, the slow edition process begins, the process where more artisitic decisions are taken until I am satisfied with the result.Nevertheless, I think that the effort has been worth. Here you are a collection of mostly unique images. Here you have the memory of Poland during the pandemic times of 2020-2021.I hope that you will enjoy the viewing of this collection of photographs.The author.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: B08Y3XFW1Z
• ISBN13: 9798717371490
• Release Date: March 2021
• Publisher: Independently Published
• Length: 178 Pages
• Weight: 1.29 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.5" x 8.5" x 11.0"