For the Celebration and for Everyday: A Visit to the To Sang Fotostudio

Andrzej Pitrus

Abstract

The 100th edition of the “Kwartalnik Filmowy” becomes an opportunity for the author to undertake a reflection that is both personal and scientific. Starting from family reminiscences, Pitrus presents reflections on Johan van der Keuken’s film To Sang Fotostudio (1997) and his own visit to Amsterdam connected with the film. This impressionistic text, drawing attention to the various contexts of van der Keuken’s film, and the question of the credibility of representation in relation to photographs and references to the Biblical, iconography, is concluded with the author’s conviction that not all performances - although they still show a deceptive non-reality - are founded on “bad intention” hunted with enthusiasm by ideological criticism. The creator of “Jesus in a boat”, like other painters dealing with biblical topics, moves in the area of persuasive messages. His picture is supposed to instruct the followers and it does so most probably in good faith. Portraits of Li To Sang also have little to do with the neutral imprint of reality. However, their “message” is blurred, unclear. If we can look for any “meaning” here, it will be related to the very celebration of the presentation process. The photographer not only shows the festive poses of the models, but also celebrates with them.