According to a study conducted by researchers in Bologna, looking at works of art has a positive effect on our health, m.in. Due to the fact that it lowers the level of cortisol in the body, i.e. the so-called stress hormone. Its excess leads to many diseases, e.g. cardiovascular complications, immune disorders, depression and chronic fatigue. The concentration of cortisol in the saliva of people who looked at the Piedmontese frescoes for several dozen minutes dropped by an average of as much as 60%.*
With the above in mind, we cordially invite you to the lobby of Olivia Star for the fifth exhibition of our “Olivia Art” series, in which we present the works of Pomeranian Artists. This time these are extraordinary photographs-paintings by Agnieszka Matras.
Agnieszka Matras is a graduate of the Faculty of Humanities at the University of Gdańsk and a two-year Tri-City School of Photography. She is also a member of the Sopot Photography Club. On a daily basis, he works at Energa Obrót and lives in his beloved Gdynia. The artist is very passionate about travelling: both near and far. So far, she has visited nearly 50 countries, including the USA, Japan, Australia and New Zealand. This is where her second passion comes from – photography. She loves to photograph people, because “a person’s face and eyes are able to express more than the most beautiful landscape”. She fell in love with pastiches of paintings so that she could play with art. Her photographs can be seen at international exhibitions. Agnieszka has taken part in numerous competitions, including:
- international competition “All the Children of the World” (2020) – work “This Moment”
- international photo competition “Definition of Space” (2020) – “At Sea”
- international photo contest “Mathematics in the lens” (2020) – “Life in a triangle”
- photo contest “Paradise Podlasie” (2020) – two awarded works “Time stood still here” and “The beauty of the herbal corner”.
The artist was nominated for the Grand Prix at Fotoglob 2020 as part of the Kolosy travel festival in Gdynia – the work “I stand out in the crowd”
A few words about pastiche…
A pastiche is a compilation work of art that consciously imitates the style of a certain artist, epoch, or school. It is similar to parody, but it does not aim to caricature or exaggerate the features of the original, but to highlight its characteristic features. It is created more often for praise than criticism.
Authors of photographs – pastiches of paintings of works of art are able to intelligently refer to well-known works, motifs or conventions and play with associations. The photographer winks at the viewer, showing them a familiar figure or situation, but not literally in the same way – he does not make a copy. It emphasizes some characteristic elements, replaces some, but in such a way that the whole is easily recognizable. It requires a lot of imagination and a lot of skill, often intuition and taste. Such work is often art in itself.
We invite you from December 16th. Admission.
Contact with the Artist:
- Tel. 696 022 011
- Facebook Artists
- Instagram: aggie_matras_photography
