I would think he's been also doing a few other things for the last 5 years...
Given that he's some kid who's just started exhibiting in galleries as a professional would suggest that those 'few other things' are irrelevant. I'd even go so far as to say that photography is quite important to him...
He is capturing real life. Britain has a binge drinking culture and many revel in debauchery. Why not show it? I see your point, Harry, but he is hopefully not doing it to belittle them.
The people of Briton have been known as wild drunken revellers since pre Roman invasion times, its hardly news and hardly likely to change because a few self righteous tits run a few TV campaigns or some bored troll in Poland or Paris wants a giggle ....
Merged: Moral degradation of Western Europe - can Poland avoid the same fate?
In another thread Fuzzywickets said:
=FUZZYWICKETS]the majority of Poland's population right now grew up during communist times, and everyone over the age of about 44 has spent more years in communism than in a democratic society. how can you compare a country full of people like that to people in western europe?
I said this:
=pawian]I prefer to live in Poland than in the West. Poles, though poorer and with communist mental burden, are still better people than Westerners. Less morally corrupt, more traditional, keeping good old values. Although I am pissed off many times by my compatriots, I can`t imagine my life out of Poland.
They look like images you might find in some depressing police dossier. Here, in vivid detail, is a squalid portrait of binge-drinking Britain. Some of the more incapacitated specimens are in mid-vomit. A few have simply passed out.
For, in the eyes of the experts and professionals gathered at the International Festival of Photojournalism in the French city of Perpignan, this portfolio of work -entitled Cardiff After Dark -was a beautifully crafted and realistic portrait of life in modern Britain.
The next time we scoff at, say, the chauvinism of the French or the hysterics of the Italians, it is worth remembering the sort of stereotypes which are applied to Britain.
Polish photographer Maciej Dakowicz, 34, has been capturing nocturnal scenes in Cardiff - where he was previously a student - for the past five years.The results speak for themselves.
Dakowicz admits that he would be unable to produce images like this in his home town of Bialystok in Poland. People there just don't demean themselves like that. But, in Cardiff, he was spoiled for choice. For all that, he remains fond of the Welsh capital. 'Welsh people are very friendly and open,' he says. 'The atmosphere is very cheerful and everyone is having a good time.' And so they are - if your idea of having a good time is passing out in a pool of vomit.
'The pictures tell stories of drinking, of love, of violence, of lots of things,' he insists. Around 50 of these images were presented at the prestigious festival on a giant screen. The critics lapped them up.
The nation which was once regarded as a buttoned-up bunch of repressives in bowler hats is now a land of incontinent alcoholics. Spiffing, eh?
Right, Its not pretty,but it sure can be fun. I laughed at the photos tbh, some very familiar scenes there. Liked this one, couldnt decide whether it should be called ; " We are deffo not in Kansas anymore look you" or just simply " Nice Toto's"
Pawian, be careful about using the word better when the word different will do. Poles walk around with kebabs and pizzas, Brits with fish&chips or some Chinese dish. People need to eat after drinking, you know? ;)
Less morally corrupt? Um, to a point perhaps but again it's just a generalisation. Plenty of bribes, backhanders and corruption here. And I was told that good Catholics don't do that kind of thing ;)
I don't know about you but I like looking at womens' flesh :) Showing some leg is normal and I like it :)
More traditional? Yes but maybe too much so. Scotland, for example, is a family-oriented culture but we don't go overboard.
Some may see Poles as boring but I like the order and general good conduct here :)
Oh get a life you boring Git :) Stop being so repressed,you'll give yourself a heartattack.
Ok, gloves off You throw round Morally corrupt,well, sorry matey, easy counter; "We" are up front,open people,if we like you,you know it,if we dont like you,you know it. We get ****ed and make fools of ourselves in public,so what?
"You" however are the opposite of the above, so called "morals" are a front for doing everything anyway,going to confesion later but woe begod anyone ever fund out.
Ive been to **** ups where Ive been the only non Pole and all the same behaviour goes on, puking,fighting,women getting over emotional etc, difference is,its been in someones house or large garden,so leave off with some high horse judgements yeah.
Its got a bit do with "Communism" but only because its mixed with its Catholic guilt complexes ,pure and simple.
If Poles are more classy, sane, moral, responsible etc. than the westerners (which I am not sure about) then it's certainly not because of communism. Communists killed and destroyed the best Poles and it had to have consequences.
LOL.... Just get your camera to Poland and shoot.... would it take you more than a few days to take similar pics? Not even. You just have to know where and when to go, but you probably will never learn that. Luckily we are the same here as the Welsh are in their country.. :-)
Yes, sometimes incidents like that take place, but not so many on a single night.
Pawain, you should note that the photos you've posted were not all taken in a single night, but over a five year period. And thanks for posting the thigh signing one twice- it is the most pleasing of the bunch.
Like you, I prefer to live in Poland, but to say that, "Poles...are still better people than Westerners." ? Blanket statements like that make you sound more unreasonable than I know you are.
The degradation largely comes through decadence, IMHO. However, Poles are moving in that direction too, pawian. For example, I am far less materialistic than the youngsters I see around me.
And thanks for posting the thigh signing one twice- it is the most pleasing of the bunch.
I like the friend of Dorethy......erm, by that I mean not the bloke in a frock,ahem, erm, but the one with a girl dressed as Dorethy, her friend, uuummmm,wenchtastic :)
Communists killed and destroyed the best Poles and it had to have consequences.
I can't agree with this sentence. Communismus force people to forget about the religion, to hate Germans, to love Russian, to consider their neighbours as a police informant etc... Poles had a mental fight with communismus attitude and the solidarity born. In fact the comminismus time joined Poles. Unfortunately bad habits still exist...
Isthatu2 made a fair point about the Catholic guilt complex. I saw it amongst Scottish Catholics and it can lead you down a path of ruin. Hiding behind the cloak of religion is quite lame in modern times.
the majority of Poland's population right now grew up during communist times, and everyone over the age of about 44 has spent more years in communism than in a democratic society. how can you compare a country full of people like that to people in western europe?
The piece of quote actually speaks for itself. It clearly shows the real value of the word "democratic" and the intellectual inferiority of a certain groups of "democratically-raised" people compared to those grew up under Communism. Democracy isn't about adopting lies, is it?
As for moral degradation... I believe it's a worldwide tendency. Perhaps Poland still falls behind in the competition of ******** compared to some other European nations but it breathes down their necks...
But its not actually a Catholic guilt complex= universal thing......oh, minefield here, right, lets say Italy,erm pretty Catholic, do I need to say more than one word, Silvio?
And the Irish are not known for their reserve either,or the Spanish,so maybe its a Northern European/post Communist/Catholic thing? :)
To me it looks like they could do with some extra refuse bins at night. People went to the bins but they were full.
I don't think that the solution to the problem is as easy as not telling people to drink. Some people are under a lot of stress and need to let off steam.
