Building maritime giants. Photographs by Tercjan Multaniak

Industrial landscapes, sometimes reminiscent of frames from old sci-fi cinema. Monumental shots alongside almost generic, humorously coloured scenes of everyday life at the shipyard. Capturing the authenticity of portraits and evocative compositions in the landscape of a large industrial plant – the exhibition ‘Building maritime giants. Photographs by Tercjan Multaniak’ is a unique presentation of nearly 60 works by one of Gdańsk’s most intriguing photographers who took up the theme of shipyards in his work. The exhibition can be viewed in hold no. 2 of the museum ship ‘Sołdek’.

The shipyard in a multidimensional perspective

‘His photographs of the shipyard, although sometimes seemingly snapshot-like, are thoughtful compositions. He looked for sights in the industrial landscape that were often not so obvious – from wide plans to tight frames, from easily recognisable motifs to objects abstracted from their surroundings, even losing their purpose.’ – this is how Dr Anna Polańska of the Academy of Fine Arts in Gdańsk writes about Tercjan Multaniak’s photographs. It was the diversity of gaze, the precision in the composition of the frame and the symbolism allowing for interpretation far beyond the frame of the photograph that became the key to the exhibition prepared by the National Maritime Museum in Gdańsk. The several dozen works from the 1950s and 1960s shown here are the result of a selection from over 4,000 photographs made available to the museum by the artist’s son, Maciej Multaniak. – ‘Museum specialists in photography, graphics, painting and shipbuilding worked on the final selection and juxtaposition of the frames.’ – says Jakub Adamczak, chief curator of the exhibition. – ‘This resulted in a multidimensional, unique perspective that allows our visitors to perceive Tercjan Multaniak’s work on many different levels.’

Legendary photographs in an original edition

By rejecting a specific chronology and thematic narrative, the exhibition opens up the possibility for individual perception and interpretation of individual works. ‘We should keep in mind that the photographer with his shipyard images participated in many competitions and exhibitions, presenting them to the general public, i.e. to a viewer who is not necessarily familiar with the secrets of shipbuilding.’ – writes Dr Polańska. – ‘The viewer was enthralled by unknown, understated, unobvious forms and shapes, the perception of which was heightened by the manner of framing, the use of perspective abbreviations, repetition rhythms, the play of highlights and shadows, or finally the use of techniques such as various types of lenses, filters…’. The photographs on display in the exhibition ‘Building maritime giants…’, unlike those published in previous decades, preserve the original framing and light. This allows viewers to explore the artist’s system of working with the medium and see what originally caught the artist’s eye. What constitutes the uniqueness of Tercjan Multaniak’s works is the combination of the documentary and reportage aspect in them with an insightful aesthetic view, transferring the shipyard frames into the realm of art. As a result, the exhibition is of particular value to specialists and enthusiasts of industrial photography, as well as to researchers of the history of the shipyard and the creators of the ‘maritime giants’ themselves.

Tercjan Multaniak was born on 7 May 1921 in Bydgoszcz. From his early youth, he nurtured two great passions: photography and flying; in 1938, he received basic flight training in Tęgoborze. He spent the first years of the World War II in Poznań, working as a labourer. Expecting to be deported to forced labour in the Third Reich, he soon escaped to Starachowice, where he took up a job at the local ironworks. At the same time, he continued his education and passed his Matura exam. In 1945, he settled in Gdańsk, where that same year he participated in the founding of the Academic Aviation Association at the Gdańsk University of Technology. Two years later, he graduated from the Higher School of Maritime Trade in Sopot, and in 1948 he received a master’s degree in economics from the Poznań Academy of Commerce. In the 1950s, photography became Tercjan Multaniak’s main passion. At that time, he almost never parted with his camera, a small Leica, with which he immortalised the beauty of nature, unique landscapes, and also took portrait photos. The influence of the ‘Vilnius school’ can be seen in his work of this period, although he was essentially self-taught and experimental, who, thanks to his diligence and regularity, perfected his craft. In 1953, he was accepted as a member of the Gdańsk Photographic Society. The following years brought an interest in photographing insects, during which time he also documented the cultural life of Gdansk, especially stage events. He took pictures with his Exakta Varex and Pentacon Six cameras, and constructed much of the other photographic equipment himself. During this period, his photographs became recognisable and appreciated in the art world.

In 1960, he began working at the Gdańsk Shipyard, which initiated a new phase in his work. Photographs depicting shipbuilding and shipyard landscapes were created then. The public had the chance to see them for the first time at the exhibition ‘Gdańsk Shipyard in Impressions’, opened in the Artus Court in 1963. Two years later, Tercjan Multaniak was accepted as a member of the Association of Polish Art Photographers. The photographer’s sphere of interest also included sport. In 1972, in Artus Court, he realised his vision of a ‘live’ exhibition entitled ‘Games’, in which the photographic images were not static forms, but created reality and interacted with their surroundings.

Tercjan Multaniak’s photographs have been presented at many exhibitions at home and abroad, including at the Edinburgh Art Festival and at the 5th Salon of Artistic Photography of Northern Poland in Sopot, where he was awarded the first prize – the Golden Jantar. He also received the prestigious titles of the Artist of the International Federation of Photographic Art (FIAP) and the Outstanding Artist of the International Federation of Photographic Art, and was a member of the Photographic Society of America.
Tercjan Multaniak died on 3 November 1981 in Gdańsk.

Zespół kuratorski: Curatorial team: Jakub Adamczak, Hanna Borkowska, Paweł Jóźwiak, Aleksandra Kucharska, Dr Jan Tymiński, Dr Marcin Westphal, Barbara Wojczuk-Krystek
Supervision: Dr. Marcin Westphal
Consultation: Dr. Robert Domżał, Maciej Multaniak, Dr. Anna Polańska
Patronage: ZPAF, ZPAF Gdańsk District, Gdańsk Photographic Society
Media patronage: TVP 3 Gdańsk, Radio Gdańsk, Trojmiasto.pl


Building maritime giants. Photographs by Tercjan Multaniak
18.05.2024 – 31.10.2025
Museum ship „Sołdek”