Paweł Pierściński urodził się w Kielcach dnia 25 maja 1938 roku. Fotografuje od 1952 roku. Debiut artystyczny w 1955 r. na Ogólnopolskiej Wystawie Fotografii w Częstochowie. Jest członkiem Związku Polskich Artystów Fotografików od 1964 roku. Prezes ZPAF w latach 1988-1989. Jest fotografem, publicystą, krytykiem i teoretykiem fotografii, działaczem społecznym, organizatorem ruchu fotograficznego pejzażystów polskich, komisarzem ogólnopolskich wystaw fotografii krajobrazowej, redaktorem i współautorem między innymi almanachu "Mistrzowie Polskiego Pejzażu" (2000) oraz "Kieleckiej Szkoły Krajobrazu" (2002). Twórca i animator kierunku artystycznego pod nazwą "Kielecka Szkoła Krajobrazu".

Od początku swojej działalności fotograficznej Paweł Pierściński specjalizuje się w temacie krajobrazu. Swoją twórczość prezentował na ponad 200 wystawach indywidualnych oraz licznych wystawach zbiorowych w kraju i zagranicą, uzyskując liczne nagrody i wyróżnienia.

Wystawa zorganizowana w 50. lecie debiutu artystycznego i wystawienniczego Pawła Pierścińskiego.

kurator: Marek Janczyk

The exhibition of Paweł Pierściński in the Museum of History of Photography shows photos created in different period of time, concerning different topics. But they all have the same specific climate. Here you can find harmonious mosaic of content and meaning which leads us to the sense that is hidden in the reality that surrounds us.

Here we have static, stable, seemingly not emotional at all, photos from "Puszcza Jodłowa" cycle. But they have special, not only documental, but first of all metaphoric meaning. Here we have a story built from the pictures of primeval forest, its mysterious space, where the rapid growth interweaves with vanishing, where the loneliness leads to calmness. In this apparently chaotic world of plants severe rules of dying and living take control. The artist underlined those ambiguities thanks to concentrating on details. His way of photographing forces the spectator to see new problems and solve new puzzles. The artist seems to say that maybe instead of the knowledge we need some reflection on remains of the day, so that we can understand ourselves.

Paweł Pierściński in his another cycle "Portrait of Ziemia Kielecka" convinces us that you can use temporary values like changing of light, spreading clouds to make universal statement. Emotions, sensitivity, that are so individual can affect all of us. To achieve that goal the artist joins his feeling, his emotions with proficient skills -easiness in operating light-and- shade effects, softening, contrast, etc. In black and white landscapes of Paweł Pierściński you can see not only thickness and facture but his own feeling of the color of the ground, the forest, of temperature of the soil and the air, and intensity of light.

Man is present in Pierściński's art through his activity, the way he shapes the land in rectangles, diamonds, so that it is ready for cultivation. This kind of activity is harmonic integration with nature order. But on the other hand, we have devastating industrial development that causes degradation of natural environment. And this is the subject of another cycle of photos entitled: "Remorse". Do not mislead yourself by the beauty of picturesque hills; those photos are the witnesses of drama and disaster of that land. The landscape in Paweł Pierściński photography is not only a reflection of idyllic Arcadia. The photos also show a space where time relentlessly goes by, where loneliness and longing for lost beauty take part.

The process of tracing lost beauty is shown in "Multiplication"- dynamic pictures built of pieces of views of nature put in movement. Great experience and awareness of danger coming from using the same artistic tools made the artist use photo montage as a method of creating a picture from parts of views of nature. Those pieces are used as a material to appeal to viewer's imagination. It seems that Pierściński points down that sometimes the artist has to destroy colloquial thinking about the reality. just to put its pieces together in a new whole, new order. Thanks do that we can get closer to the truth.

For Paweł Pierściński a photo camera is a tool for creating romantic vision of the world. Part of this vision is nature affirmation and belief in continuity of tradition. At the same time the artist speaks universal art language to talk about changing moods, passage of time. It is very important, especially today, when the reality seems to be created from only contours of shapes and shadows of pictures that it can not be recognized.  That is where the uncertainty and despondency comes from. As it were in an answer, Paweł Pierściński draws a horizon, a line between the Sky and the Earth, which puts reality in order and makes its recognition easer. He can do that thanks to his artistic passion and consequence.

Paweł Pieściński was born in Kielce in 25th of May 1938. He has been photographing since 1952. His artistic début took place at Polish-wide Photography Exhibition in Częstochowa, in 1955. He has been a member of Union of Polish Art Photographers (ZPAF) since 1964. In years 1988-1989 he was ZPAF's chairmen.

He is not only photographer, but also: journalist, critic, theorist of photography, social worker, organizer of Polish landscape photographers' movement, curator of Polish-wide exhibitions of landscape photography, editor and co-author of, among other things, almanac "Masters Of Polish Landscape"(2000) and "Kielce Landscape School" (2002). Founder and animator of artistic trend, called "Kielecka Szkoła Krajobrazu" (Kielce Landscape School)

From the beginning of his art activity, Paweł Pierściński has been specializing in landscapes. He presented his work at more than 200 individual and collective exhibitions in Poland and abroad. He is a winner of numerous prizes and awards.