Outskirts of the EU

Jerzy Durczak, professor and Chair of the Department of American Literature and Culture at Marie Curie-Sklodowska University (UMCS) in Lublin, Poland, is a Senior Fulbright Fellow who taught at Michigan State University 1995-96 and has been, since the 1980's, the Fulbright point person in his department. For years, he interviewed Fulbright candidates and evaluated their projects, and soon he was in charge of inviting Fulbright Scholars and organizing their stay in Lublin. In this capacity, he and his wife, Joanna Durczak, also a professor of American and Canadian Literature at UMCS, served as shepherds for and became close friends with many Fulbright Scholars from the United States. They travel often in the United States, and he has given guest lectures at universities across the country, from San Diego to Indiana.

He got his first camera at age ten and has been photographing ever since. With an interest in the works of many well-noted painters and photographers, among them Alfred Steiglitz, Ansel Adams, and Sebastiao Salgado, he taught himself the art of photography from film camera and darkroom to digital camera and computer by doing it. When asked about his influences he cited Gary Winogrand's statement, "I photograph to find out what something will look like photographed."

He is more interested in the details of that which surrounds us, the mundane rather than the spectacular. His eye finds the subtle beauty of weathered wood or the stained patina of stone. Repetitious patterns become a familiar element for the artist's focus. The appearance of odd sites or of misplaced objects takes center stage in numerous images. His imagery gives us pause to see the world from his unique perspective.

When asked about his approach to his work he responded, "...I guess it's the compositional potential of what I see when walking with my camera. Suddenly, I see something and instinctively know I can turn it to a good photograph. I take a picture, and then, at home, I make a picture."

The photographs on display are but a sampling of an enormous body of work. To view more of his work and learn more about this creative individual, please visit his Flickr site and red square gallery exhibit.

This exhibit is sponsored by Artik Art & Architecture, the Global Engagement Office, the Library, and the Departments of Art & Art History, English, and Political Science.