Zofia Rydet at Artissima

Zofia Rydet (1911–1997) was one of the most original Polish artists of the 20th cen­tury. She took up photography at age 40. From the mid-1950s she took part in the inter­national fine-​art photography movement. From the mid-1960s she pur­sued distinc­tive series of works, initially inspired by humanist photography and neo­realism. Her lar­gest, never-​finished work is Sociological Record, an intriguing, existen­tial series documen­ting the con­dition of Polish society in the late 1970s and early 80s.

The series of photomon­tages World of Feelings and Imagination, also published in book form in 1979, holds a special place in Rydet’s oeuvre. It is a metaphorical nar­rative of human life, alluding to the tradition of sur­realism but told from an empathetic, feminist perspective. 

As the artist explained, the series “depicts humans in a precarious state from the time they are born—their obses­sions, feelings, loneliness, desires and anxiety, for which there is no salvation but through love. It is a story about the tragedy of pas­sing, fear of annihilation and destruction.”

All of the pic­tures used in the photomon­tages were taken by Rydet. They inc­lude images of the Roman ruins at Sabratha and Leptis Magna, which she toured and photographed during a visit to Libya in 1976.

The images of ruins are an echo of war­time reminiscen­ces and fears associated with new global catastrophes, but also a depic­tion of destroyed social relations. In her works, in line with the title of the overall series, Rydet is guided by feelings and imagination, and the emotional charac­ter of the works she created main­tains their relevance.

The presen­tation con­sists exc­lusively of vin­tage prints selec­ted direc­tly from the artist’s archive.

In recent years, Zofia Rydet’s works have been shown at such venues as the 13th Gwan­gju Bien­nale in Korea (2021), the Wende Museum in Culver City, Califor­nia (2019), the Jeu de Paume at Château de Tours, France (2017), the Museum of Modern Art in Warsaw (2016), and XII Baltic Trien­nial at CAC Vil­nius (2015). Her works are found in numerous museum col­lec­tions, inc­luding MoMA in New York, the National Museum of Modern Art in Kyoto, and the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston.



 

 

World of Feelings and Imagination. Obsessions, 1975-1979, gelatin silver print, 59,5 × 49 cm

 

 


 

 

World of Feelings and Imagination. Birth, 1975–1979, gelatin silver print, 30 × 40 cm

 

 


 

 

World of Feelings and Imagination. Birth, 1975–1979, gelatin silver print, 23,8 × 18,2 cm

 

 


 

 

World of Feelings and Imagination. Birth, 1975–1979, gelatin silver print, 27,8 × 26,1 cm

 

 


 

 

World of Feelings and Imagination. Motherhood, 1975–1979, gelatin silver print, 40 × 30 cm

 

 


 

 

World of Feelings and Imagination. Motherhood, 1975–1979, gelatin silver print, 18,3 × 24 cm

 

 


 

 

World of Feelings and Imagination cycle. Motherhood, 1975–1979, gelatin silver print, 17,8 × 24,2 cm

 

 


 

 

World of Feelings and Imagination. Motherhood, 1975–1979, gelatin silver print, 27 × 20,3 cm

 

 


 

 

World of Feelings and Imagination. Threat, 1975-1979, gelatin silver print, 49,5 × 39,6 cm

 

 


 

 

World of Feelings and Imagination. Threat, 1975-1979, gelatin silver print, 81 × 58 cm

 

 


 

 

World of Feelings and Imagination. Threat, 1975-1979, gelatin silver print, 81 × 63,5 cm

 

 


 

 

World of Feelings and Imagination. Threat, 1975-1979, gelatin silver print, 81,5 × 62 cm

 

 


 

 

World of Feelings and Imagination. Manequins, 1975-1979, gelatin silver print, 40 × 29,5 cm

 

 


 

 

World of Feelings and Imagination. Phantoms, 1975-1979, gelatin silver print, 35,6 × 29,9 cm

 

 


 

 

World of Feelings and Imagination. Phantoms, 1975-1979, gelatin silver print, 28,2 × 23,9 [28,2 × 21,8] cm

 

 


 

 

World of Feelings and Imagination. Phantoms, 1975-1979, gelatin silver print, 23,8 × 17,4 cm

 

 


 

 

World of Feelings and Imagination. Phantoms, 1975-1979, gelatin silver print, 23,9 × 16,6 cm

 

 


 

 

World of Feelings and Imagination. Phantoms, 1975-1979, gelatin silver print, 24 × 18,1 cm

 

 


 

 

World of Feelings and Imagination. Leavings, 1975–1979, gelatin silver print, 36,5 × 29,7 cm

 

 


 

 

World of Feelings and Imagination cycle. Leavings, 1975–1979, gelatin silver print, 24 × 18,5 cm

 

 


 

 

World of Feelings and Imagination. Leavings, 1975–1979, gelatin silver print, 24 × 18,2 cm

 

 


 

 

World of Feelings and Imagination. Leavings, 1975–1979, gelatin silver print, 27,1 × 19 cm

 

 


 

 

World of Feelings and Imagination. Leavings, 1975–1979, gelatin silver print, 23,8 × 18 cm

 

 


 

 

World of Feelings and Imagination. Landscapes, 1975–1979, gelatin silver print, 23 × 18 cm

 

 


 

 

World of Feelings and Imagination. Landscapes, 1975–1979, gelatin silver print, 18 × 23,7 cm

 

 


 

 

World of Feelings and Imagination. Landscapes, 1975–1979, gelatin silver print, 24 × 18,1 cm

 

 


 

 

World of Feelings and Imagination. Landscapes, 1975–1979, gelatin silver print, 29,8 × 23,8 cm

 

 

ART FAIRS 2023

Zofia Rydet at Artissima

World of Feelings and Imagination

1975–1979



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