1981
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- 1981
- 1980
- b&w photograph
- 29 × 37,7 cm
The series entitled “1981” documents the political intensification that occurred during what was known as the “Carnival of Solidarity,” the period between the legalization of the NSZZ Solidarność trade union and the interruption of the political liberalization process through the imposition of martial law on 13 December 1981. Here, Zygmunt Rytka depicts nameless people reading newspapers out in the streets. His camera focuses on the newspapers such that their content can be read in the resulting photographs. The artist alludes to this period of political upheaval by showing the citizens’ interest in political events. This series belongs to a larger group of works in which the artist analyses the language of the mass media. In this particular case, he also reveals his own political engagement. D.M.