The above photographic dates mark an important stage in my work. 1973: I came to Poland that year for a few months, but as it happens, I've been here for over 40 years...

1989: the year of the political transformation in Poland and most of Eastern Europe. At the same time, it was a significant turning point. The end of an era, which, until that transformation, I tried to capture in the photographs I present.

These are photographs not only from the then Polish People's Republic, but also from Romania, the Soviet Union, the Hungarian People's Republic, and the GDR. During this time, I worked as a photojournalist throughout the region. It was, as you can imagine, incredibly interesting work. Because the work of a photojournalist is inherently interesting—especially when extraordinary things are happening around you. For most people living under communism, these weren't particularly interesting times, of course. But for a young arrival from London, who was never without his camera, they were!

The photographs presented at Ney Gallery&Prints were published in my book "1973-1989 Selected Photographs" (BOSZ, 2014). In selecting them for the exhibition, I deliberately omitted political events and politicians, limiting myself to scenes of everyday life and, occasionally, portraits of so-called normal, anonymous individuals. And one dog...