Mariola Przyjemska

b. 1963, Warsaw

Painter, creator of photographs, objects and video. Graduate of the Faculty of Painting at the Warsaw Academy of Fine Arts. From the start her work has been strongly rooted in the realities of the Polish post-communist transformation, and observation and frequently criticism of the capitalist system. She was one of the first artists to address themes of contemporary models of consumption, image creation, and building of demand for luxury goods and brands. In creating series of photographs and objects, she uses such items as labels removed from clothing, discovering in them a range of symbols, meanings and associations. Although her observations and quests are grounded in the tradition of critical art, they are not moralizing in tone. She lives and works in Warsaw.

Rondo ONZ

2011-2014, c-print, photographic paper, 27 x 20.3 cm

The series Rondo ONZ (United Nations Roundabout) arose after Przyjemska’s return from a long stay in Prague. Construction of the metro, which the artist observed from the window of her studio, symbolized for her the pace of growth of the city, the creation of a new Warsaw. For several years Przyjemska observed the everyday life of the workers, the progress of construction, and the appearance of the machinery used on the site. An interest in engineering had appeared in earlier series of paintings evoking memories from the artist’s childhood. Her parents were engineers. In the enlargements of the photographs, the machines and people resemble toys, and the frames selected by the artist form a spectacle full of intriguing details.

Rondo ONZ

2011-2014, c-print, photographic paper, 27 x 20.3 cm

The series Rondo ONZ (United Nations Roundabout) arose after Przyjemska’s return from a long stay in Prague. Construction of the metro, which the artist observed from the window of her studio, symbolized for her the pace of growth of the city, the creation of a new Warsaw. For several years Przyjemska observed the everyday life of the workers, the progress of construction, and the appearance of the machinery used on the site. An interest in engineering had appeared in earlier series of paintings evoking memories from the artist’s childhood. Her parents were engineers. In the enlargements of the photographs, the machines and people resemble toys, and the frames selected by the artist form a spectacle full of intriguing details.

Rondo ONZ

2011-2014, c-print, photographic paper, 27 x 20.3 cm

The series Rondo ONZ (United Nations Roundabout) arose after Przyjemska’s return from a long stay in Prague. Construction of the metro, which the artist observed from the window of her studio, symbolized for her the pace of growth of the city, the creation of a new Warsaw. For several years Przyjemska observed the everyday life of the workers, the progress of construction, and the appearance of the machinery used on the site. An interest in engineering had appeared in earlier series of paintings evoking memories from the artist’s childhood. Her parents were engineers. In the enlargements of the photographs, the machines and people resemble toys, and the frames selected by the artist form a spectacle full of intriguing details.

Rondo ONZ

2011-2014, c-print, photographic paper, 27 x 20.3 cm

The series Rondo ONZ (United Nations Roundabout) arose after Przyjemska’s return from a long stay in Prague. Construction of the metro, which the artist observed from the window of her studio, symbolized for her the pace of growth of the city, the creation of a new Warsaw. For several years Przyjemska observed the everyday life of the workers, the progress of construction, and the appearance of the machinery used on the site. An interest in engineering had appeared in earlier series of paintings evoking memories from the artist’s childhood. Her parents were engineers. In the enlargements of the photographs, the machines and people resemble toys, and the frames selected by the artist form a spectacle full of intriguing details.

untitled (Museum of Modern Art In Warsaw)

2004, c-print, dibond, plexiglass, 44.5 × 59 cm

The motif of cosmetics appeared regularly in the artist’s work from 1997 to 2005 in painting and photography. For Przyjemska, perfume and makeup bottles symbolize the creation of female identity and the work on a woman’s own image. The series Museum of Modern Art in Warsaw arose at the time of the debate over the form of the new museum building and uncertainty surrounding the launch of construction. The artist photographed the view from her apartment window, arranging cosmetics bottles, lipsticks and glosses in the foreground. These items, superimposed on the urban landscape of Warsaw, became a futuristic design for the museum building, blending perfectly with the slender profiles of glass skyscrapers. This homage to the design of everyday items also conveys a critical commentary on the functioning of market mechanisms and capitalism. Both the towers rising along the horizon and the cosmetics packaging are symbols of contemporary consumption.

untitled (Museum of Modern Art In Warsaw)

2004, c-print, dibond, plexiglass, 44.5 × 59 cm

The motif of cosmetics appeared regularly in the artist’s work from 1997 to 2005 in painting and photography. For Przyjemska, perfume and makeup bottles symbolize the creation of female identity and the work on a woman’s own image. The series Museum of Modern Art in Warsaw arose at the time of the debate over the form of the new museum building and uncertainty surrounding the launch of construction. The artist photographed the view from her apartment window, arranging cosmetics bottles, lipsticks and glosses in the foreground. These items, superimposed on the urban landscape of Warsaw, became a futuristic design for the museum building, blending perfectly with the slender profiles of glass skyscrapers. This homage to the design of everyday items also conveys a critical commentary on the functioning of market mechanisms and capitalism. Both the towers rising along the horizon and the cosmetics packaging are symbols of contemporary consumption.

untitled (Museum of Modern Art In Warsaw)

2004, c-print, dibond, plexiglass, 44.5 × 59 cm

The motif of cosmetics appeared regularly in the artist’s work from 1997 to 2005 in painting and photography. For Przyjemska, perfume and makeup bottles symbolize the creation of female identity and the work on a woman’s own image. The series Museum of Modern Art in Warsaw arose at the time of the debate over the form of the new museum building and uncertainty surrounding the launch of construction. The artist photographed the view from her apartment window, arranging cosmetics bottles, lipsticks and glosses in the foreground. These items, superimposed on the urban landscape of Warsaw, became a futuristic design for the museum building, blending perfectly with the slender profiles of glass skyscrapers. This homage to the design of everyday items also conveys a critical commentary on the functioning of market mechanisms and capitalism. Both the towers rising along the horizon and the cosmetics packaging are symbols of contemporary consumption.

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