Cardiff After Dark

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Maciej Dakowicz – Polish-born photographer, living and working in the UK, has been working on a photo series “Cardiff after dark” for seven years, while recording the night life of the city Cardiff.

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St. Mary Street – one of the main city spaces full of night clubs and bars, thus, no surprise that sooner or later it becomes the main scene of the nightlife. Everything is public here – from drinking, contact making and building, to kisses, tears, sleep. During one night the city witnesses a number of incredible mise-en-scenes and becomes a meeting point of supermen and Playboy bunnies, someone having a rest against the trash box, a lady with rollers chatting with a costumed guy surrounded by debris and trash, young people just sitting (some in a deep and sound sleep) on the sidewalks, someone is hugging, fighting or is kneeling next to a police car.

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The city is full of superheroes and losers, most diverse emotions, which often happen to fit into one frame by Maciej Dakowicz. The photographer captures the fun moments from the outset, when everyone feels fine, is full of energy until the late night when forces abandon, and only pale faces, spoiled make-up and dissipated clothing remain. Fun and joy has been replaced by confrontation with police, and the heaps of garbage on the way home.

The first time experience of seeing works by Maciej Dakowicz includes wonder and questions about photographer’s work. From the technical perspective, the Cardiff night action is captured with particular easy and accuracy despite difficult lighting conditions. However, the true mastership of the photographer is his ability to communicate with the participants of the night streets’ reality show – it is always in the midst of action. Possibly, the photographer remains unnoticed, however, it is more likely that the author takes a diplomatic posture, while making jokes with the party participants and sympathizing those who find it difficult to lift the overnight charge.

Maciej Dakowicz

Born in Bialystok, Poland – 1976. After studies he lived in Honkong, and in 2004 arrived to Cardiff for PhD studies in computer science. Together with Joni Karanka he opened the photographic gallery “Third Floor Gallery” in 2010. Currently the artist lives and works in London. The works by Dakowicz have been exhibited world-wide, the artist has received numerous awards, in 2012 his first book “Cardiff after dark” was published by Thames & Hudson.

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