Jill HartleyPoland

For about ten years, from 1977 to 1986, during regular visits, American photographer Jill Hartley forged an intimate connection with Poland, which was then undergoing a historic transformation. For her, however, it was not a matter of capturing journalistic events or historical developments. She also dreamed of an inner journey: to trace the roots of the Polish people’s fervor and uncover the signs of their deep attachment to faith and national identity.

A discreet photographer, Jill Hartley reveals a “found theater”—the tragicomic nature of everyday life, where the protagonists find themselves caught up in their own roles. Through the delicacy, precision, and fluidity of her images, she captures the extreme tension of a people always ready to rise to the challenge to win their dignity. She sought to distill the essence of a unique atmosphere and convey a bit of that Polish spirit that lay at the heart of the revolutionary events of those years. Through this Polish series, Jill Hartley leaves us with the vision of a great photographer.