„Burlesque"
An intimate journey into the seemingly forgotten world of free expression and love for the female body.
“Burlesque” is the result of an intimate journey into the seemingly forgotten world of free expression and love of the female body. Although the creative process was typical of the reportage field, the author closed her vision in a series of impressions from the borderline of studio photography and painting. The project aroused the involvement of the biggest stars of Polish burlesque.
Agnieszka Kossowska’s work portrays this field of preformance as taboo-breaking and universally accessible. She hopes to be an inspiration, especially for those whose body is an underutilized source of blockages and shame. In their performances, the artists do not strive for perfection, but to show the naturalness and joy that comes from complete contact with each other, as well as with the audience. The greatest ambition of “Burlesque” is to delve into the relationship that has been built between the photographer and the photographed, and to try to change the perspective in looking at the female body. The main characters of the project are Bunny de Lish, Red Juliette and Rose de Noir.
(…) “Classifying people with unequivocal labels I always think is hurtful. I think that every person has very many layers, which sometimes can be labeled somehow in a big way. Metaphorically, it can be compared to a burlesque contestant – it is the person who decides which layers to show and which to hide. This is the case with me as well. These are four layers from which I have created my own label. Photography refers to the layer of professional training, the others relate to my interests, dreams, fascinations and character. Gypsy culture, the Italian lifestyle and not quite living by set rules have been intertwined with me since childhood. From the visual affinity to the projects and small events in which I have participated, such as the experimental project that was the account on Instagram aishaishaisha_, where I impersonated a gypsy woman and documented my gypsy wedding.
I do not share the view that only complete nudity means freedom. People performing in burlesque, as I mentioned earlier, decide for themselves what to show and what not to show. What to cover up, when to reveal it, how to mask those parts whose view they want to keep to themselves. This is true freedom, because freedom for me means being able to choose.”(…)
Excerpt from the author’s conversation with Jacek Wojciechowski from the website
The project was created as part of the PWSFTviT diploma.
Project promoter: Hubert Humka
Venue: Studio Bank
Patron of the Exhibition: Studio Bank