Maurycy Gomulicki
80 x 120 cm
metallic lambda, dibond/plexi
“The mannequins seduced Maurycy G. with their ambiguous beauty in Mexico City, in a store on Insurgentes Street on March 1, 1998. Their ambiguous beauty, not of youth, but emphasized by the peculiar uniform of a maid, nurse…Mexico is a land of surrealism au naturel” – wrote Piotr Rypson in 1999.
“Sentimental Typologies” comprises a series of photographs showcasing close-up details of mannequin faces seen in shop windows. Each photo follows a similar composition, with a focused, tight frame highlighting distinctively painted lips. Through these close-ups, the imperfections of the mannequins become evident – cracked and peeling paint and inaccurately outlined mouths.
Maurycy Gomulicki explores the fascination with objects imitating the appearance of living women through photography, a medium that can evoke both intimacy and lasciviousness. Despite their artificiality and plastic nature, the lips depicted in the photographs still possess the power to evoke erotic fantasies and associations. Gomulicki highlights how prevalent illusions and false imagery in popular culture, advertisements, and glossy magazines can manipulate our dreams and desires.