VIS-A-VIS EN FACE by Honza Zamojski
220 x 254 mm, 72 pages, two colour printing, saddle stitched, embossed cover, edition of 350.
“Vis-à-vis en face (J’ai quinze ans)” is the 12th publication of Morava publishing house. The portraits collected in the book (earlier outlined with his finger on the screen of a smartphone) are a free interpretation of the works in the collection of the ING Polish Art Foundation. In 2010, Zamojski’s drawing was added to the Foundation collection and catalogued as piece 0108. The monotype on the cover of a detective fiction story (Patricia Highsmith “Strangers on a train”) is a mask applied with printing ink to woman’s face. Two years later, while working on “Vis-à-vis en face”, Zamojski created more than 60 portraits defined by page number, drawing number and the collection’s catalogue number. He developed a closed and newly structured catalogue of the Foundation collection. At first glance the book may look like a travesty of other artists’ accomplishments. It can also be associated with a child’s play, which persistently, with surprising consequence, keeps scribbling on a smartphone screen. By applying simple esthetics, Zamojski refers to the idea of a direct and raw view. Vis-à-vis. However, on the cover of the book we see a grid, a steady structure. A number of clues lead the reader’s gaze to perceive portraits scribbled en face.
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