The work is dedicated to Ottomar Anschütz, photographer & inventor from Leszno, Poland, whose works, along with Edward Muybridge’s and Étienne-Jules Marey’s experiences, leaded to the invention of cinematography. Anschütz, after his invention of focal-plane shutter, allowing to photograph within 1/1000 of a second, become pioneer of instantaneous photography - among others he took pictures of animals in nature, catching moments not visible for the humans’ eye. His photographs of storks (1884) helped Otto Lilienthal to design first gliders. Anschütz was also the first who projected large-scale images in motion, made of high quality photographs.

Thanks to Anschütz’s shutter, citizens of Leszno already in 1886 was able to see animated images of great perfection in details and tonality. In that period many did similar animations, but most of them were re-drawn onto paper. Anschütz was then the master of detail and the first, who took pictures in natural environment, catching images of real behaviours of people and animals.

As far as, comparing to contemporary filming methods and high-speed images, Anschütz’s efforts may seem primitive, but it’s not the image in motion that becomes fascinating - it’s the method of its creation, in this case mechanism, machinery. With whole it’s simplicity and comprehension, focal-plane shutter and image pulsating through it, may both lead us to the field of fascinating, hypnotic images.



Discs of 120cm, metal construction, electrical engine,120x170cm, 2012.