Early work and influences
Piotr Uklański is from Warsaw, Poland, where he received his Bachelor of Fine Arts at the"I studied painting, but in the evenings I was doing performances. The performances, at the time, I was interested in for photographs. It was sort of like I was creating an image in the performance, and that in some way led me to my interest in photography. And interestingly, I would dog sit, I had to make money. I lived in New York, I didn't have any support, I was the classic 'got off the plane to go to school.' So I worked in the studios, and I think the two collided. With people, like Guy Bourdin—at the time I did not know who Guy Bourdin was—you realize that you can work in the commercial world of photography and still make art. That's what I was aiming at. That's not exactly how I ended up supporting myself as an artist, but that was the interest that I took when it came to photography."One of his early works, ''The Nazis'' (1999), was shown at
Materials and style
Uklański uses a variety of media, mediums, and materials, including paintings, collage, fiber, art, installation, and photography. Photography can be considered his primary media, but the materials in his art range from resin paintings, collage, linen, plant fiber, and aluminium, to pencil shavings, colored graphite, and ceramics. Uklański has also released a feature film called ''Summer Love: The First Polish Western''. His works have been displayed in galleries and well-known museums around the world; he has also created public works such as billboards and graffiti. Uklański uses unconventional materials by weaving them together or finding other means to adhere them to each other or to canvas. He has attempted work by "painting without a brush" using oil and canvas. ''Untitled (Dance Floor)'' 1996 is a functioning floor composed of sound-activated boxes which light up, reminiscent of a minimalist grid and disco dancefloor. The style of Uklański's work is as wide-ranging as his use of materials. His work has challenged societal views on death and sex, and also often explores political movements as they intersect with society and media. An example is his work, ''The Nazis'' (1998), in which he displays movie stills of well-known actors playing Nazis, with color and contrast changes in the style ofMajor works
''Dance Floor''
Created in 1996, this installation piece is composed of glass, an aluminum-raised floor structure and computer-controlled LED and sound system. It is a fully functioning disco dance floor with synchronized music. It creates an atmosphere for social interaction where the viewers complete the piece. Uklański stated that he wanted to create a work whose goal was to give the viewer pleasure.''The Nazis''
Created in 1998, this was an exhibition of 164 color photographs of Polish and other foreign actors who played Nazis in film. The point of this collection, according to Uklański, is to question how the attractive actors seduce the viewer and blind them to the truth about the evil and ruthlessness of Nazism."The portrait of a Nazi in mass culture is the most prominent example of how the truth about history, about people is distorted. This is all the more important to me in that this is the main source of information about those times, and for many people – the only one." aThe exhibition was eventually closed down, and some of the works were destroyed as a result of scandal that erupted after the exhibition. Uklański has since stated, "I don’t really understand why anyone would see this work as controversial. ... It’s not abusing anybody, it’s just things that are picked out from the world out there."
''The Joy of Photography''
Uklański's long running project takes well known photography subjects such as landscapes, flora, etc, which were included in the project's namesake, Eastman Kodak's 1991 guidebook for photography, and "explores clichés of popular photography using the kitschy subjects and hackneyed effects" to "provide witty commentary—from a European perspective—on how Americans approach even their moments of pleasure as forms of work and self-improvement."Personal life
He is married toExhibition history
Selected solo exhibitions
* 1993 - Pojedynek w pojedynke / Dueling Alone, BWA Gallery, Sandomierz * 1995 - Zycie jakie powinno byc / Life As It Should Be, Grodzka Gallery, Lublin * 1998 - More Joy of Photography, Gavin Brown's Enterprise, New York * 1999 - The Nazis, Photographer's Gallery, London * 1999 - Peace, Museum fur Gegenwartskunst, Zurich * 2000 - A Norwegian Photograph, Fotogalleriet, Oslo * 2004 - Piotr Uklański- Earth, Wind and Fire, Kunsthalle, Basel * 2005 - Polonia, Emmanuel Perrotin Gallery, Paris * 2007 - A Retrospective, Vienna Secession, Vienna * 2008 - White - Red, Gagosian Gallery, New York * 2008 - Expanding the Frame Film Series, Walker Art Center, Minneapolis, USA * 2009 - Brut, Gagosian Gallery, London * 2010 - The Year We Make Contact - Taduesz Kantor and Piotr Uklański, Art Stations Foundation, Poznan * 2011 - Discharge, Gagosian Gallery, New York * 2012 - Forty and Four, Zacheta Galeria Narodowa Sztuki, Warsaw * 2014 - Piotr Uklański: Floored, Gagosian Gallery, New York * 2015 - Fatal Attraction: Piotr Uklański Photographs, Metropolitan Museum of Art, New YorkSelected group exhibitions
* 1996 - Contemporary Art of Central Europe & Japan, Beam Gallery, Tokyo * 1996 - Departure Lounge, P.S.1 Museum, New York * 1997 - Assuming Positions, Institute of Contemporary Art, London * 1998 - Manifesta 2, Casino Museum, Luxembourg * 1998 - I love NY, Museum Ludwig, Cologne * 2000/2001 - Let's Entertain, Walker Art Center, Minneapolis; Portland Art Museum, Portland; Musee National d' Art Moderne, Centre Georges Pompidou, Paris; Museo Rufino Tamayo, Mexico City; Miami Art Museum, Florida * 2002 - Art Biennale in Tirana * 2003 - International Art Biennale in Venice * 2004 - International Art Biennale in São Paulo * 2005 - Art Biennnale in Lyon * 2008 - 5th Biennale in Berlin * 2009 - Remembering Henry's Show. Selected works 1978-200, The Brant Foundation Art Study Center, Greenwich, USA * 2009 - Meet Me Inside, Gagosian Gallery, Beverly Hills, USA * 2010 - Whitney Biennal, The Whitney Museum of American Art, New York * 2010 - Busan Biennale, Busan, KoreaReferences
{{DEFAULTSORT:Uklanski, Piotr Photographers from Warsaw 1968 births Living people Polish emigrants to the United States Polish contemporary artists