Impressionist photographer set for K Rd exhibition

Leading NZ impressionist photographer set for K Road exhibition next month – Auckland Uni course changed her life

Polish-born impressionist photographer Eva Polack is one of 10 emerging New Zealand artists who will feature in Auckland’s K Road art exhibition opening on December 2, thanks to an Auckland University course which changed her life three years ago.

Polak will exhibit her ballerina works at the Te Karanga Gallery on Auckland’s Karangahape Rd. Proceeds from sales will go to Children on the Edge, a charity assisting refugee and migrant children on the border of Thailand and Burma.

She has written and published two books on impressionist photography and she will write a third book and hold a workshop on the subject next year. Her photos have been selected and appeared in the British Practical Photography magazine, also other magazines and in the New Zealand Camera Book for the last three years.

Polak is now regarded as one of New Zealand’s leading fine art photographers. Her images are represented in private collections in New Zealand, Australia and as far afield as Europe.

``I have an exhibition confirmed for next year for the Depot Artspace in Devonport in June and I will enter the annual Wallace Awards. I will also publish my third book. I only shoot digital with my Nikon D300 and I plan to create a new body of work and activity around next year’s Rugby World Cup could come under consideration. I want to be known nationwide for my impressionist work.

``As far as I know I’m the only person who does impressionist photography exclusively. I’m quite involved with Photographic Society of New Zealand, being a panel judge for them and an editor for Camera Talk magazine.’’

Breaking the rules (taking photos out of focus) helped Polak discovery her passion for impressionist photography. Her husband gave her a camera for Christmas three years ago and soon after she saw an advert for an impressionist photo workshop at Auckland University. It was love at first site. She was overwhelmed by the free style of photography and knew it would be her artistic and career passion forever.

``That workshop really changed my life and my way of looking at photography. Almost from the first photo shoot I knew instinctively this was what I wanted to be doing. Somehow everything made sense, as if I was born to become an impressionist photographer. As for inspiration, I find it all around me. I’m very lucky living in New Zealand. This is such a beautiful land full of contrasts and extraordinary light.

``Since that day, I’ve been thrilled to show my impressionist work at various exhibitions, festivals, in magazines and books.When I started out, taking photos I was merely pointing and shooting what I saw. I wasn’t thinking about composition, light, shade, or any other aspect of the creative process.

`I learned how to use the camera properly, read up the subject, subscribed to various photography magazines, attended workshops and generally absorbed myself in the art of creating images.
To my delight, my photography started to change. ‘’

Formerly a graphic designer in her homeland of Poland, Polak fell in love with the landscape when she arrived in New Zealand towards the end of the 1990s. Her impressionist photo works are now a reflection of that.

ENDS

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