English

Andrzej Lachowicz is one of the most important representatives of the Polish neo-avant-garde. Originating from the conceptual reflection, the artist’s works represent rationalist and intellectual tendency which is concentrated on the study of language of art. The artist expresses himself through photography, film, video, painting, graphic art and drawing. It is theoretical texts that constitute a significant area of his activity, e.g. The Energetic levels of art (1978), Doubt and hope (1986). In 1970 the artist was a co-founder of the Permafo group and gallery, which included for example Zbigniew Dłubak, Natalia LL and Antoni Dzieduszycki. At that time that formation made up one of the major centers of conceptual and photo-media art in Poland. Since 1968 he has co-organized the Drawing Triennial in Wrocław, and later on he was its chairman.

Since the 60s Lachowicz concentrated on the study of the visual language of photography. In 1964 he began the series Shadows, which he has been continuing until today. The works from the series Topologies were started in 1966 and continued until the end of the 80s, when the works assumed the form of self-quotation. The end of the 60s brought the best known works from the series Transplantations (since 1968), showing the repeatedly exposed image of clasped hands. Starting in the early 70s, Lachowicz developed the theory of permanent art, which highlighted the aspects of ‘never-ending’ itself. These ideas were visualized in the work titled Visual and Mental Persuasion (1972) which was awarded at the International Graphic Art Biennial in Ljubljana. In 1975 he made Isomorphic Signs, in which the artist closely observes and analyzes his own shadow. In the 80s, the artist deliberated on the notion of decline, inscribing it into a broad philosophical and anthropological context. A decade later the artist introduced black-and-white family pictures into his realizations. In recent years he made a series of still lives undertaking existential motifs.

Andrzej Lachowicz was born in 1939. From 1957 to 1961 he studied at the Mining and Metallurgy Academy in Cracow, and then from 1961 to 1965 in the State College of Fine Arts in Wrocław. At present he lives and works in Wrocław.

Andrzej Lachowicz’s artistic achievements were presented at many exhibitions, e.g. Permart (Wrocław, 1971), Polish Inter-media Photography of the 80s (Poznań, 1988), Around the Decade. Polish Photography of the 90s (Wrocław, 2002).

The artist’s works can be found in many museum collections and private collections, e.g. in the Art Museum in Łódź, National Museum in Wrocław, The Lower Silesia Art Association Zachęta.