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| Installation Preview of Once Upon A Time in Kazimierz at photo-eye Gallery - © Richard Tuschman |
In anticipation for photo-eye's upcoming exhibition Once Upon A Time in Kazimierz, here is a preview of the cast and story behind Richard Tuschman's latest photographic achievement, as detailed by the artist. Once Upon A Time in Kazimierz is a photo novella of a fictional Jewish family living in 1930's Poland. For Tuschman, "The project is my attempt to visually weave together narrative fiction with strands of both cultural and family history, … It is my hope that in this way, the pictures in Once Upon a Time in Kazimierz reflect the fleeting, fluid nature of both memory, and of dreams." Please join us this Friday the 16th from 5 - 7PM for the opening Artist Reception, or on Saturday the 17th at 2PM for a Gallery Talk as the artist discusses his inspiration and meticulous cinematic-like process. This is Tuschman's second solo exhibition with photo-eye Gallery and runs through October 29th, 2016.
The Tailor’s Wife
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| The Tailor's Wife, 2014 – Richard Tuschman21x14 inches, Edition of 5, $1800 |
"Inspired by both Balthus and Vermeer, the first image shows the protagonist, a Jewish tailor’s wife, standing before a window in the main room of their Krakow apartment. She is holding a picture frame to her chest, gazing out of the window as the day begins. It is the same picture of her son which appears later. The characters remain unnamed throughout the series, hoping to enhance the dreamlike and surreal mood of the story."
The Tailor
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| The Tailor, 2014 – © Richard Tuschman, 14x21 inches, Edition of 5, $1800 |
"The second image is the corollary to the first, this time showing the Tailor also alone, gazing out the same window as the morning begins. (There is no sewing machine in this one, somewhat mysteriously.)"
Working Morning
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| Working Morning, 2014 – © Richard Tuschman, 14x21 inches, Edition of 5, $1800 |
"Fairly self-explanatory, this image shows the current family configuration, husband, wife and the husband’s mother, all working together in the family business. One can tell by the husband’s head covering and beard that he is a religious Jew. Unexpectedly, it is also clear that the women are much less observant. This is shown by the fact that they both wear makeup, and their dresses do not cover their elbows. This suggests something of a schism in the family, or at least a likely tension. Even though the women are mother-in-law and daughter-in-law, the fact they both are less observant at this time suggests an emotional bond between them, isolating the husband. The picture on the wall is of an important Chasidic rabbi, underscoring the husband’s religious devotion, as well as the books on the cabinet shelf. Formally, this image is inspired by Dutch genre paintings of the seventeenth century, especially Vermeer."
The Potato Eaters
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| The Potato Eaters, 2014 – © Richard Tuschman, 14x21 inches, Edition of 5, $2300 |
"Inspired by and borrowing the title from Van Gogh’s painting of the same name. The family eats their simple meal of potatoes, carrots, and cabbage. Europe is in the midst of an economic depression, so as was common, there is no meat. The size of the apartment, however, suggests that things were previously economically better for the family."
—Richard Tuschman
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| Richard Tuschman |
For more information about Once Upon a Time in Kazimierz, and to purchase prints, please contact the Gallery Staff at 505-988-5152 x 202 or gallery@photoeye.com.
View Once Upon a Time in Kazimierz
Read the official portfolio introduction
View the exhibition announcement