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Monika Czosnowska

Larissa, from the Novices series, 2004. C-Print, 79 x 66 cm, print run 5 + 2 a.p.
©
© Monika Czosnowska

The photographer, Monika Czosnowska, was born in 1977 in Szczecin/Stettin and went to school in Germany. Following this she studied at the Folkwang University of the Arts in Essen. As a rule she takes her photographic portraits of children in Poland: they include young people and young adults whom she selects in school classes, children's choirs, scout and guide groups and monasteries. These are stringently staged and embody an idealised image of humanity, untouched, innocent, pure and with an inner beauty. The photographer links these features with her childhood experiences in Poland. Monika Czosnowska's work has been shown in exhibitions all over the world.

Mediathek Sorted

Media library
  • Ill. 1: Monika - C-Print, 79 x 68 cm
  • Ill. 2: Klaus - C-Print, 79 x 68 cm
  • Ill. 3: Lisa - C-Print, 79 x 68 cm
  • Ill. 4: Helena - C-Print, 74 x 62 cm
  • Ill. 5: Katrin - C-Print, 79 x 68 cm
  • Ill. 6: Alexander - C-Print, 79 x 68 cm
  • Ill. 7: Kristian - C-Print, 74 x 62 cm
  • Ill. 8: Clara - C-Print, 79 x 66 cm
  • Ill. 9: Larissa - From the Novices series, C-Print, 79 x 66 cm
  • Ill. 10: Rebekka - From the Novices series, C-Print, 79 x 66 cm
  • Ill. 11: Adrian - From the Novices series. C-Print, 79 x 66 cm
  • Ill. 12: Daniel - From the Novices series, C-Print, 79 x 66 cm
  • Ill. 13: Johanna - From the Novices series, C-Print, 79 x 66 cm
  • Ill. 14: Benedikt - From the Novices series, C-Print, 79 x 66 cm
  • Ill. 15: Agnes - From the Novices series, C-Print, 79 x 66 cm
  • Ill. 16: Justus - From the Novices series, C-Print, 79 x 66 cm
  • Ill. 17: Tibor - From the Novices series, C-Print, 79 x 66 cm
  • Ill. 18: August - From the Pupils series, C-Print, 52 x 43 cm
  • Ill. 19: Damian - From the Pupils series, C-Print, 52 x 43 cm
  • Ill. 20: Gabriel - From the Pupils series, C-Print, 52 x 43 cm
  • Ill. 21: Hanna - From the Pupils series, C-Print, 52 x 43 cm
  • Ill. 22: Jan - From the Pupils series, C-Print, 52 x 43 cm
  • Ill. 23: Jonas - From the Pupils series, C-Print, 52 x 43 cm
  • Ill. 24: Marta - From the Pupils series, C-Print, 52 x 43 cm
  • Ill. 25: Maximilian - From the Pupils series, C-Print, 52 x 43 cm
  • Ill. 26: Melanie - From the Pupils series, C-Print, 52 x 43 cm
  • Ill. 27: Oliwia - From the Pupils series, C-Print, 52 x 43 cm
  • Ill. 28: Benjamin - From the Scouts and Guides series, C-Print, 45 x 33 cm
  • Ill. 29: Tabea - From the Scouts and Guides series, C-Print, 45 x 33 cm
  • Ill. 30: Antoni - From the Scouts and Guides series, C-Print, 45 x 33 cm
  • Ill. 31: Fabian - From the Scouts and Guides series, C-Print, 45 x 33 cm
  • Ill. 32: Georg - From the Scouts and Guides series, C-Print, 45 x 33 cm
  • Ill. 33: Sascha - From the Scouts and Guides series, C-Print, 45 x 33 cm
  • Ill. 34: Moritz - From the Scouts and Guides series, C-Print, 45 x 33 cm
  • Ill. 35: Patricia - From the Scouts and Guides series, C-Print, 45 x 33 cm
  • Ill. 36: Miriam - From the Scouts and Guides series, C-Print, 45 x 33 cm
  • Ill. 37: Kamil - From the Scouts and Guides series, C-Print, 45 x 33 cm
  • Ill. 38: Leander - From the Scouts and Guides series, C-Print, 45 x 33 cm
  • Ill. 39: Kim - From the Scouts and Guides series, C-Print, 45x33 cm
  • Ill. 40: Yasmin - From the Elites series, C-Print, 59 x 48 cm
  • Ill. 41: Tom - From the Elites series, C-Print, 59 x 48 cm
  • Ill. 42: Linus - From the Elites series, C-Print, 59 x 48 cm
  • Ill. 43: Sophie - From the Elites series, C-Print, 59 x 48 cm
  • Ill. 44: Paul - From the Elites series, C-Print, 59 x 48 cm
  • Ill. 45: Lea - From the Elites series, C-Print, 59 x 48 cm
  • Ill. 46: Erik - From the Elites series, C-Print, 59 x 48 cm
  • Ill. 47: Maja - From the Elites series, C-Print, 59 x 48 cm
  • Portrait of Monika Czosnowska -
Ill. 1: Monika - C-Print, 79 x 68 cm
Ill. 1: Monika
Ill. 1: Monika - C-Print, 79 x 68 cm © Monika Czosnowska
Ill. 2: Klaus - C-Print, 79 x 68 cm
Ill. 2: Klaus
Ill. 2: Klaus - C-Print, 79 x 68 cm © Monika Czosnowska
Ill. 3: Lisa - C-Print, 79 x 68 cm
Ill. 3: Lisa
Ill. 3: Lisa - C-Print, 79 x 68 cm © Monika Czosnowska
Ill. 4: Helena - C-Print, 74 x 62 cm
Ill. 4: Helena
Ill. 4: Helena - C-Print, 74 x 62 cm © Monika Czosnowska
Ill. 1: Monika
C-Print, 79 x 68 cm
Ill. 2: Klaus
C-Print, 79 x 68 cm
Ill. 3: Lisa
C-Print, 79 x 68 cm
Ill. 4: Helena
C-Print, 74 x 62 cm
Ill. 5: Katrin - C-Print, 79 x 68 cm
Ill. 5: Katrin
Ill. 5: Katrin - C-Print, 79 x 68 cm © Monika Czosnowska
Ill. 6: Alexander - C-Print, 79 x 68 cm
Ill. 6: Alexander
Ill. 6: Alexander - C-Print, 79 x 68 cm © Monika Czosnowska
Ill. 7: Kristian - C-Print, 74 x 62 cm
Ill. 7: Kristian
Ill. 7: Kristian - C-Print, 74 x 62 cm © Monika Czosnowska
Ill. 8: Clara - C-Print, 79 x 66 cm
Ill. 8: Clara
Ill. 8: Clara - C-Print, 79 x 66 cm © Monika Czosnowska
Ill. 5: Katrin
C-Print, 79 x 68 cm
Ill. 6: Alexander
C-Print, 79 x 68 cm
Ill. 7: Kristian
C-Print, 74 x 62 cm
Ill. 8: Clara
C-Print, 79 x 66 cm
Ill. 9: Larissa - From the Novices series, C-Print, 79 x 66 cm
Ill. 9: Larissa
Ill. 9: Larissa - From the Novices series, C-Print, 79 x 66 cm © Monika Czosnowska
Ill. 10: Rebekka - From the Novices series, C-Print, 79 x 66 cm
Ill. 10: Rebekka
Ill. 10: Rebekka - From the Novices series, C-Print, 79 x 66 cm © Monika Czosnowska
Ill. 11: Adrian - From the Novices series. C-Print, 79 x 66 cm
Ill. 11: Adrian
Ill. 11: Adrian - From the Novices series. C-Print, 79 x 66 cm © Monika Czosnowska
Ill. 12: Daniel - From the Novices series, C-Print, 79 x 66 cm
Ill. 12: Daniel
Ill. 12: Daniel - From the Novices series, C-Print, 79 x 66 cm © Monika Czosnowska
Ill. 9: Larissa
From the Novices series, C-Print, 79 x 66 cm
Ill. 10: Rebekka
From the Novices series, C-Print, 79 x 66 cm
Ill. 11: Adrian
From the Novices series. C-Print, 79 x 66 cm
Ill. 12: Daniel
From the Novices series, C-Print, 79 x 66 cm
Ill. 13: Johanna - From the Novices series, C-Print, 79 x 66 cm
Ill. 13: Johanna
Ill. 13: Johanna - From the Novices series, C-Print, 79 x 66 cm © Monika Czosnowska
Ill. 14: Benedikt - From the Novices series, C-Print, 79 x 66 cm
Ill. 14: Benedikt
Ill. 14: Benedikt - From the Novices series, C-Print, 79 x 66 cm © Monika Czosnowska
Ill. 15: Agnes - From the Novices series, C-Print, 79 x 66 cm
Ill. 15: Agnes
Ill. 15: Agnes - From the Novices series, C-Print, 79 x 66 cm © Monika Czosnowska
Ill. 16: Justus - From the Novices series, C-Print, 79 x 66 cm
Ill. 16: Justus
Ill. 16: Justus - From the Novices series, C-Print, 79 x 66 cm © Monika Czosnowska
Ill. 13: Johanna
From the Novices series, C-Print, 79 x 66 cm
Ill. 14: Benedikt
From the Novices series, C-Print, 79 x 66 cm
Ill. 15: Agnes
From the Novices series, C-Print, 79 x 66 cm
Ill. 16: Justus
From the Novices series, C-Print, 79 x 66 cm
Ill. 17: Tibor - From the Novices series, C-Print, 79 x 66 cm
Ill. 17: Tibor
Ill. 17: Tibor - From the Novices series, C-Print, 79 x 66 cm © Monika Czosnowska
Ill. 18: August - From the Pupils series, C-Print, 52 x 43 cm
Ill. 18: August
Ill. 18: August - From the Pupils series, C-Print, 52 x 43 cm © Monika Czosnowska
Ill. 19: Damian - From the Pupils series, C-Print, 52 x 43 cm
Ill. 19: Damian
Ill. 19: Damian - From the Pupils series, C-Print, 52 x 43 cm © Monika Czosnowska
Ill. 20: Gabriel - From the Pupils series, C-Print, 52 x 43 cm
Ill. 20: Gabriel
Ill. 20: Gabriel - From the Pupils series, C-Print, 52 x 43 cm © Monika Czosnowska
Ill. 17: Tibor
From the Novices series, C-Print, 79 x 66 cm
Ill. 18: August
From the Pupils series, C-Print, 52 x 43 cm
Ill. 19: Damian
From the Pupils series, C-Print, 52 x 43 cm
Ill. 20: Gabriel
From the Pupils series, C-Print, 52 x 43 cm
Ill. 21: Hanna - From the Pupils series, C-Print, 52 x 43 cm
Ill. 21: Hanna
Ill. 21: Hanna - From the Pupils series, C-Print, 52 x 43 cm © Monika Czosnowska
Ill. 22: Jan - From the Pupils series, C-Print, 52 x 43 cm
Ill. 22: Jan
Ill. 22: Jan - From the Pupils series, C-Print, 52 x 43 cm © Monika Czosnowska
Ill. 23: Jonas - From the Pupils series, C-Print, 52 x 43 cm
Ill. 23: Jonas
Ill. 23: Jonas - From the Pupils series, C-Print, 52 x 43 cm © Monika Czosnowska
Ill. 24: Marta - From the Pupils series, C-Print, 52 x 43 cm
Ill. 24: Marta
Ill. 24: Marta - From the Pupils series, C-Print, 52 x 43 cm © Monika Czosnowska
Ill. 21: Hanna
From the Pupils series, C-Print, 52 x 43 cm
Ill. 22: Jan
From the Pupils series, C-Print, 52 x 43 cm
Ill. 23: Jonas
From the Pupils series, C-Print, 52 x 43 cm
Ill. 24: Marta
From the Pupils series, C-Print, 52 x 43 cm
Ill. 25: Maximilian - From the Pupils series, C-Print, 52 x 43 cm
Ill. 25: Maximilian
Ill. 25: Maximilian - From the Pupils series, C-Print, 52 x 43 cm © Monika Czosnowska
Ill. 26: Melanie - From the Pupils series, C-Print, 52 x 43 cm
Ill. 26: Melanie
Ill. 26: Melanie - From the Pupils series, C-Print, 52 x 43 cm © Monika Czosnowska
Ill. 27: Oliwia - From the Pupils series, C-Print, 52 x 43 cm
Ill. 27: Oliwia
Ill. 27: Oliwia - From the Pupils series, C-Print, 52 x 43 cm © Monika Czosnowska
Ill. 28: Benjamin - From the Scouts and Guides series, C-Print, 45 x 33 cm
Ill. 28: Benjamin
Ill. 28: Benjamin - From the Scouts and Guides series, C-Print, 45 x 33 cm © Monika Czosnowska
Ill. 25: Maximilian
From the Pupils series, C-Print, 52 x 43 cm
Ill. 26: Melanie
From the Pupils series, C-Print, 52 x 43 cm
Ill. 27: Oliwia
From the Pupils series, C-Print, 52 x 43 cm
Ill. 28: Benjamin
From the Scouts and Guides series, C-Print, 45 x 33 cm
Ill. 29: Tabea - From the Scouts and Guides series, C-Print, 45 x 33 cm
Ill. 29: Tabea
Ill. 29: Tabea - From the Scouts and Guides series, C-Print, 45 x 33 cm © Monika Czosnowska
Ill. 30: Antoni - From the Scouts and Guides series, C-Print, 45 x 33 cm
Ill. 30: Antoni
Ill. 30: Antoni - From the Scouts and Guides series, C-Print, 45 x 33 cm © Monika Czosnowska
Ill. 31: Fabian - From the Scouts and Guides series, C-Print, 45 x 33 cm
Ill. 31: Fabian
Ill. 31: Fabian - From the Scouts and Guides series, C-Print, 45 x 33 cm © Monika Czosnowska
Ill. 32: Georg - From the Scouts and Guides series, C-Print, 45 x 33 cm
Ill. 32: Georg
Ill. 32: Georg - From the Scouts and Guides series, C-Print, 45 x 33 cm © Monika Czosnowska
Ill. 29: Tabea
From the Scouts and Guides series, C-Print, 45 x 33 cm
Ill. 30: Antoni
From the Scouts and Guides series, C-Print, 45 x 33 cm
Ill. 31: Fabian
From the Scouts and Guides series, C-Print, 45 x 33 cm
Ill. 32: Georg
From the Scouts and Guides series, C-Print, 45 x 33 cm
Ill. 33: Sascha - From the Scouts and Guides series, C-Print, 45 x 33 cm
Ill. 33: Sascha
Ill. 33: Sascha - From the Scouts and Guides series, C-Print, 45 x 33 cm © Monika Czosnowska
Ill. 34: Moritz - From the Scouts and Guides series, C-Print, 45 x 33 cm
Ill. 34: Moritz
Ill. 34: Moritz - From the Scouts and Guides series, C-Print, 45 x 33 cm © Monika Czosnowska
Ill. 35: Patricia - From the Scouts and Guides series, C-Print, 45 x 33 cm
Ill. 35: Patricia
Ill. 35: Patricia - From the Scouts and Guides series, C-Print, 45 x 33 cm © Monika Czosnowska
Ill. 36: Miriam - From the Scouts and Guides series, C-Print, 45 x 33 cm
Ill. 36: Miriam
Ill. 36: Miriam - From the Scouts and Guides series, C-Print, 45 x 33 cm © Monika Czosnowska
Ill. 33: Sascha
From the Scouts and Guides series, C-Print, 45 x 33 cm
Ill. 34: Moritz
From the Scouts and Guides series, C-Print, 45 x 33 cm
Ill. 35: Patricia
From the Scouts and Guides series, C-Print, 45 x 33 cm
Ill. 36: Miriam
From the Scouts and Guides series, C-Print, 45 x 33 cm
Ill. 37: Kamil - From the Scouts and Guides series, C-Print, 45 x 33 cm
Ill. 37: Kamil
Ill. 37: Kamil - From the Scouts and Guides series, C-Print, 45 x 33 cm © Monika Czosnowska
Ill. 38: Leander - From the Scouts and Guides series, C-Print, 45 x 33 cm
Ill. 38: Leander
Ill. 38: Leander - From the Scouts and Guides series, C-Print, 45 x 33 cm © Monika Czosnowska
Ill. 39: Kim - From the Scouts and Guides series, C-Print, 45x33 cm
Ill. 39: Kim
Ill. 39: Kim - From the Scouts and Guides series, C-Print, 45x33 cm © Monika Czosnowska
Ill. 40: Yasmin - From the Elites series, C-Print, 59 x 48 cm
Ill. 40: Yasmin
Ill. 40: Yasmin - From the Elites series, C-Print, 59 x 48 cm © Monika Czosnowska
Ill. 37: Kamil
From the Scouts and Guides series, C-Print, 45 x 33 cm
Ill. 38: Leander
From the Scouts and Guides series, C-Print, 45 x 33 cm
Ill. 39: Kim
From the Scouts and Guides series, C-Print, 45x33 cm
Ill. 40: Yasmin
From the Elites series, C-Print, 59 x 48 cm
Ill. 41: Tom - From the Elites series, C-Print, 59 x 48 cm
Ill. 41: Tom
Ill. 41: Tom - From the Elites series, C-Print, 59 x 48 cm © Monika Czosnowska
Ill. 42: Linus - From the Elites series, C-Print, 59 x 48 cm
Ill. 42: Linus
Ill. 42: Linus - From the Elites series, C-Print, 59 x 48 cm © Monika Czosnowska
Ill. 43: Sophie - From the Elites series, C-Print, 59 x 48 cm
Ill. 43: Sophie
Ill. 43: Sophie - From the Elites series, C-Print, 59 x 48 cm © Monika Czosnowska
Ill. 44: Paul - From the Elites series, C-Print, 59 x 48 cm
Ill. 44: Paul
Ill. 44: Paul - From the Elites series, C-Print, 59 x 48 cm © Monika Czosnowska
Ill. 41: Tom
From the Elites series, C-Print, 59 x 48 cm
Ill. 42: Linus
From the Elites series, C-Print, 59 x 48 cm
Ill. 43: Sophie
From the Elites series, C-Print, 59 x 48 cm
Ill. 44: Paul
From the Elites series, C-Print, 59 x 48 cm
Ill. 45: Lea - From the Elites series, C-Print, 59 x 48 cm
Ill. 45: Lea
Ill. 45: Lea - From the Elites series, C-Print, 59 x 48 cm © Monika Czosnowska
Ill. 46: Erik - From the Elites series, C-Print, 59 x 48 cm
Ill. 46: Erik
Ill. 46: Erik - From the Elites series, C-Print, 59 x 48 cm © Monika Czosnowska
Ill. 47: Maja - From the Elites series, C-Print, 59 x 48 cm
Ill. 47: Maja
Ill. 47: Maja - From the Elites series, C-Print, 59 x 48 cm © Monika Czosnowska
Portrait of Monika Czosnowska - null
Portrait of Monika Czosnowska
Portrait of Monika Czosnowska - null © Klara Münchow
Ill. 45: Lea
From the Elites series, C-Print, 59 x 48 cm
Ill. 46: Erik
From the Elites series, C-Print, 59 x 48 cm
Ill. 47: Maja
From the Elites series, C-Print, 59 x 48 cm
Portrait of Monika Czosnowska
Portrait of Monika Czosnowska
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Monika Czosnowska
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Larissa, from the Novices series, 2004.
Larissa, from the Novices series, 2004. C-Print, 79 x 66 cm, print run 5 + 2 a.p.
©
© Monika Czosnowska

Czosnowska's works claim a special position in contemporary photography. If we browse through the relevant literature,[20] we rarely come upon picture series of children and young people. Since the end of the 1980s a Dutch woman by the name of Rineke Dijkstra (*1959) has been looking for models with no artificial poses and possessing a natural aura. She found them in the form of children in bathing costumes on the beach and photographed them for a decade. The U.S. artist, Sally Mann (*1951) made a name for herself with pictures of children in idyllic staged dreamlike family settings. During the transition years between Socialism and capitalism the Russian/Ukrainian photographer, Sergey Bratkov (*1960), documented homeless young people engaged in petty crime alongside other people at the edge of society. In contemporary artistic photography it is almost impossible to find any images of people (over and above documentary images), like those taken by Czosnowska, which as she herself admits “have gone a little out of fashion”. Even when we seek advice on “beauty” in contemporary art,[21] we find many different categories, primarily on the absence of beauty and the resistance to what is deemed beautiful. Nonetheless there are scarcely any attempts like those made by Czosnowska, to stage inner beauty as the essential feature of humanity in general.

 

Axel Feuß. October 2017

 

 

Further reading:

Eleven. Monika Czosnowska, published by the Kunststiftung der ZF Friedrichshafen AG, Exhibition catalogue Zeppelin Museum Friedrichshafen, 2008

Die beste aller Welten, published by Thomas Niemeyer, exhibition catalogue Städtische Galerie Nordhorn, 2014

The artist's homepage: www.monika-czosnowska.de containing lists of her solo and group exhibitions.

 

[20] A forum featuring examples of pictures, brief biographies, texts and lists of exhibitions is offered on the homepage of the periodical photography now, that documents 23,020 contemporary photographers in the menu “Contemporary Photography”: http://www.photography-now.com/artist/?nationality=

[21] Schönheit I / II, herausgegeben von Martin Seidel und Jürgen Raap, in: Kunstforum international, volume 191, May-July 2008, and volume 192, July-August 2008

Larissa, from the Novices series, 2004. C-Print, 79 x 66 cm, print run 5 + 2 a.p.
©
© Monika Czosnowska
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