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PORTRAIT
It is the story of a young boy who is a little shy, fashioning singular but nevertheless recognizable images among all, images which would stimulate the imagination. Always in black and white, always devoted to women, images imbued with beauty and mystery. A young Pole creating sensual and enigmatic portraits, scenographies of dazzling elegance, sometimes of simple situations, provoking desire and giving birth to fantasy. With a practice rooted in tradition and facilitated by modern technique, he reshapes the old to breathe new life into it, in an aesthetic and narrative research, like Helmut Newton: a grainy black & white image for transcribe the results of film, frozen and sculptural poses, strong and openly erotic women.
Szymon won the Johnnie Walker Keep Walking Award for his quintessence of dreaminess and passion in revealing a new approach and path to beauty. Since then he has won numerous international awards, both for advertising projects and more personal, more artistic projects, including three gold medals in 2012 at the Prix de la Photographie de Paris. In June 2013, during the Cannes Film Festival, he was voted the best photographer in the world for his blacks and whites, by the television channel Fashion TV. His approach is very recognizable and unusual. Szymon assassinates color to give back to black and white its titles of nobility. By this Manichaeism, the woman is sublimated. The staging also holds a primordial place in his works. Michel Ange asserted, “he who does not master the nude cannot understand the principles of architecture”. At Szymon, women act and interact with the elements of the decor, with the material, always geometric and are naturally naked and we are not surprised to see them evolve in this simple device, in everyday scenes. Man does not define himself, he does what he feels, while expressing himself.
Nakedness and beauty are only the beginning. The basic element to tell a story. The models do not impress him. For him, it is the power of emotions and expressions that achieves this magic.
EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW
What is bad taste for you?
Bad taste in photography is met with boring images, of an obvious banality. Bad taste leaves no room for imagination.
Why did you choose to stay in Poland, its probably not the best place to succeed in photography and exhibit?That;s exactly what June Newton told me when I showed her my book at an exhibition in Monte Carlo. She said to me, “Szymon, you should move to Paris and find an agent”. But, I love Poland and my hometown of Poznan, I have my family here, the wi-fi works great, I can travel anywhere and anytime, and… Polish women are the most beautiful women of the world!
What did you give up by becoming an art photographer?
I do not consider myself an art photographer or a commercial photographer. To be honest, I don;t understand this distinction. I just do what I like, whether it;s a personal project or a large advertising campaign. For me, its the only way to remain faithful and to respond to his visions and desires. The more freedom I have, the better the result.
What inspires you in a womans body?
The female body is the epitome of beauty, but I find no inspiration in that yet. Im more inspired by places, places that allow me to come to a story. Only then in this case do I stage women in a specific context. This is how I work!
- Find the continuation of Szymon Brodziak inNormal Magazine n°1 and n°2;-
Create your photography with Szymon Brodziak ?
It is possible with theNormal Academy:
www.normalacademy.com
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