Black Sea Blues

Andrzej Kramarz's 'Czarne Morze': An exhibition of photographs from the Black Sea coast, Camelot Gallery, Cracow (23rd April-16th May).

In the opening scene of Nicholas Roeg's 'The Man Who Fell to Earth', a kindly alien (aka David Bowie) is exposed to a sequence of bizarre sights, fresh from landing in the American countryside.

Andrzej Kramarz's marvellous exhibition at the Camelot gallery has very much this otherworldly feel. His haunted landscapes are peopled with peculiar characters and unlikely objects, and there is a strangeness and mystery in situations that elsewhere might seem commonplace.

Of course Kramarz has a tremendous subject to get his teeth into with this 'Black Sea' exhibition, which presents the fruits of a summer spent in the faded pre-war resorts on the coast of the Black Sea. Horses roam wastelands that are studded with crumbling fin-de-siecle edifices, and middle-aged women sun themselves on distinctly uninviting promontories. In one rather extraordinary image three cows charge in a circle around a packed beach (how the goodly cows got there is something of a mystery) - one certainly feels that this is the kind of beach holiday that David Lynch would relish.

Other images alternate between the ethereal and the downright sinister, and there are more than enough gems here to merit several visits. The carefully composed picture of a stray dog suckling two puppies, with the sea unfurling beyond, has a striking air of majesty about it.

All in all this is a wonderful little exhibition that's well worth a look - tread carefully as you go up the stairs, as some parts of the upper floors (which are mid-renovation) look as hazardous as the crumbling ruins that Kramarz himself has so memorably captured. However, if you enjoy a little adventure, a splendid view of the Mariacki church spire can be enjoyed from the corner of the uppermost floor. The Camelot gallery is certainly shaping up into being one of the most delightful exhibition spaces in Cracow. And of course, afterwards you can slip downstairs (hopefully not slip down the stairs) and enjoy a coffee or some bracing Polish beers in the cafe below.



Cafe Camelot: ul. Sw.Tomasza 17