Conversations

Dorota Zyguła-Siemieńska, 2011 | Association of Creative Iniciatives ę (Poland)

In the spring of 2011 athor visited Erwin Sówka* in his house in Zawodzie neighborhood in Katowice and she kind of stayed. She comes every now and then to have a conversation. She admits, each of this times has been special, away from reality, time stopping for a few moments. Their meetings and conversations resulted in photographs. At each meeting Mr. Erwin was presented with a disposable camera and later photographed his world. Author was trying to capture the things he has been giving her: strength, peace, magic of the forest, stability, duality, delusions and illusions. She photographed places, which give her energy, which are special to her, which remind her of the special atmosphere of meetings in the apartment of Mr and Mrs Sówka’s. *Erwin Sówka was born on the 18th of June 1936 in Giszowiec (neighborhood in Katowice) in a miner’s family. When he was 16, he started working in Wieczorek mine, initially on the surface, then, for a long time, underneath. In 1955 he joined an amateur art group, but lack of time didn’t allow him to fulfill his dream of being a painter. He says that he found true freedom, when he retired. He’s been painting fervently for the last quarter of century – he has completed over 700 paintings. Produced in 2011 by Association of Creative Initiatives "ę" as part of "Poland.doc" project within Doc Next Network. This work is part of Doc Next Network media collection. For more information visit: www.docnextnetwork.org.