Michał Konrad is a Polish visual artist class 1983 living and working in Wodzisław Śląski. In 2006 he earned a master's degree at the Academy of Physical Education in Katowice. He wrote a research paper on human memory..
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We live in a world of manipulation, the ubiquitous falsehood in which a person as an individual disappears.. The artist as an highly individualized individual should give a testimony of truth through art. No matter whether this truth is good or bad, the artist must try to show it. – M. Konrad
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Michał Konrad is a Polish visual artist class 1983 living and working in Wodzisław Śląski. In 2006 he earned a master's degree at the Academy of Physical Education in Katowice. He wrote a research paper on human memory, a research that Michal links to his conceptual series about memory and photography.
His photographs were featured in solo and group exhibitions and they have been published in several international magazines. In 2016 Michal won a bronze medal in the prestigious Neutral Density Photography Awards in the fine art conceptual category, and in 2017 he was selected as one of the twenty most talented emerging Polish photographers.
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The main subject of his works is man with his experiences, dreams, fear and emotions. Most of Michal's photographs are self-portraits, all his work is concentrated primarily on the psychological sphere. As the artist says, his pictures shows how a person perceives the environment in the modern world and how the environment affects him. His photographs seem to show an individual immersed in his introspective world, almost creating a surreal character balancing between the border of sleep and imagination.
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L.A.: Michal how and when did you become interested in photography?
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Michal Konrad: Photography has been interested for 10 years. My first camera was a digital SLR camera. I'm self-taught, so my learning was based on trial and error. Later came the time for traditional photography. For a long time I used the Holga 120N camera. I must admit that photographing this small plastic Holga camera has had a profound effect on my current work. With Holga's camera I started to create my first cycles and self-portraits, my photography became more and more planned. The period from 2016 would be appropriate in my photographer's biography. Since that time, my creative process is most aware and planned. Year 2016 is the period in which I made my first cycle debut.
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L.A.: Who were the first artists that you found inspiring?
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Michal Konrad: I have to admit that I never had any artist to inspire me. At the beginning when I began to photograph I was interested in everything that surrounded me. Later, my interests began to focus around man. Now I am inspired by the human perception of the world from a psychological, emotional point of view. I try to find the truth in this perception and show it.
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Promised Land #2
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L.A.: What does photography mean to you or what is your statement as a photographer?
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Michal Konrad: Photography is an opportunity for me to discuss many topics. It is my language which transmits its own feelings to the surrounding world. My photography is carefully planned. I do not make single photos but photography cycles. I have a concept in my head that implements in the form of a photograph. Everything is carefully thought out, I have to have complete control over what I do. The photos that I create are my self portraits. I use them to make a tripod and a 20 second self-timer.
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L.A.: How does these imagese relate to other work or project you have done?
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Michal Konrad: Since 2016 I have created 4 photo cycles "Transition", "Promised Land", "Amnesia", "Butterfly". All cycles are my self-portraits. The topics I am discussing are the psychological sphere of man. This is a very emotional look at a given topic. Photographs that create often have a surreal character, balancing on the border of dream and imagination.
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Promised Land #3
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Promised Land #5
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L.A.: What is the role of the artist in contemporary society?
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Michal Konrad: We live in a world of manipulation, the ubiquitous falsehood in which a person as an individual disappears. All systems, the media impose our style of being, show us the trends that people must live. It is hard to tell what is true and what is fiction. The artist as a highly individualized individual should give a testimony of truth through art. No matter whether this truth is good or bad, the artist must try to show it. The world will then be better when we start telling the truth. This is the role I should play as an artist.
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L.A.: What are you busy doing in this period? Have you any future project?
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Michal Konrad: I'm working on my next cycle of "Insomnia". In June plans to finish it. Soon you will be able to see it on my website: www.michalkonrad.allyou.net. I invite you to visit.
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Promised Land #4
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Promised Land
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Michal Konrad www.michalkonrad.allyou.net
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