SCCC Art Gallery to exhibit Dorota Bakalus photographs

NEWTON — The Art Gallery at Sussex County Community College will present Rybotcze Katalog, an exhibition of recent photographs by Dorota Bakalus.

The artist photographed the residents of a tiny village in eastern Poland over a five-year period to create a collective portrait that reflects a particular moment in time. Through the language of photography, the story of life in the village is shown on the faces of the people. From the expression of indelible memories of war to expectations of a future in the modern world, the photographs resonate with a sense of historical tension.

Dorota Bakalus was born in Poland, studied Architectural Design at Wrocław College and is a graduate of New York Institute of Photography. Bakalus has exhibited her work extensively, concentrating on multiple image constructions based on experimental video pieces she creates. In 2007, she and photographer Douglas Petersen completed a five year project to document the ruins of the Przemyśl Fortress in Poland. Fortress, a book of these photographs, was published in December 2007 by Deerfield Editions.

The show will be on exhibit in the gallery from Jan. 27 to March 7, 2014. The public is invited to meet the artist at the opening reception to be held on Friday, Feb. 7, from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.

The Art Gallery is located in Building “C” at Sussex County Community College, One College Hill Road, Newton, New Jersey. The gallery is open during school hours, Monday through Friday and on Saturday morning. For more information call 973-300-2144 or visit www.sussex.edu/spotlight/artgallery/