METAPHYSIC STRANGENESS OF EXISTENCE IN THE PHOTOGRAPHS BY STANISLAW IGNACY WITKIEWICZ

Stanislaw Ignacy Witkiewicz (1885-1939), a painter, art theoretician, playwright, writer, art critic and philosopher, one of the most outstanding artists of the Polish art of the 20th century, was also a photographer. From the present-day perspective, the creativity of Witkiewicz, like the works of many great artists, is seen as a comprehensive conception, containing both all the achievements, more or less important, of the artist and the personality of the artist as well. The photographs taken by Witkiewicz were discovered relatively late, and the first exhibitions presenting a major part of his photographic art were held in 1979 and 1980. The Witkiewicz's photographs have quickly gained recognition not only in Poland, but also in other parts of the globe. Their striking feature is a characteristic, recognizable style and innovation - for that time. We are willing to treat them as one more field of Witkiewicz's activity, because of both their importance for the history of Polish photography and their popularity. The main purpose of the present article is to explain the significance for Witkiewicz of photography as document of the reality. And also, what was its relationship with both his major creativity and the specific theory of art which he called the Theory of Pure Form. According to this theory photography did not meet the criteria of a work of art; it was a synonym of realism which made it impossible to create a work of art in its Pure Form. For this reason the beginning of the article presents the vital characteristic of Witkiewicz himself as photographer and of the photographs taken by him. Their acceptance aids the reader to understand what photography meant for Witkiewicz.