Jolanta Marcolla, Halfline 1 & 2, 1976, analogue photography, gelatin-silver prints, edition A 1/1 black & A 1/1 white

Born in 1950, Jolanta Marcolla moved away from traditional media such as painting already during her studies, shifting towards conceptual art and experiments using photography and film. She often used herself and her own image in her works.

In the diptych Halfline 1 & 2, the artist uses a self-portrait. In the two photographs we see the same image of Marcolla placed on different backgrounds—one white, one black. The artist holds a ruler in front of her so that it runs through the middle of her face. Depending on the work’s background, the ruler is either white (on a white background) or black (on a black background). At a certain point, the ruler transforms from an element depicted in the photograph to a cutout space in the photograph itself. This deliberate action is not just a visual and conceptual game, but investigates the possibility of introducing another physical dimension into the medium of photography.

While addressing issues of conceptual art, Marcolla also brought elements of feminist and women’s art into her work. These aspects of her work were recognized and fully appreciated only a few decades later.

Paulina Olszewska