An attempt to comfort the viewer tired of abstract painting.

Quite often the reaction of the viewer standing in front of the painting is searching for references to real reality in an abstract form. As if apart from what you can see, there were no emotions, imagination, intuitions and all the complexity of human existence. Realistic imaging depicts a theme from real reality, the one we can see or the one we cannot see (dreams, surrealism, symbolism).

 

Piet Mondrian, Still life with a jar of ginger II

Contrary to appearances, this problem looks similar in relation to the abstract form of imaging. Abstract painting often has its source in the real world that surrounds us, the one we register with our sight. It processes it down to abstract values ​​and signs. It also uses reality existing outside our sense of sight (e.g. feelings, emotions, everything that happens in the human psyche) giving him a real artistic sign. Sometimes it is a sign of exploration within the limits of the painting form itself. However, most works of art originate from the artist's experience of real reality and reality perceived by senses other than the sense of sight.

In my paintings, I try to explore the border between real reality and an abstract artistic sign. How to reduce the difference and the border dividing the real world and the world of abstraction, the material world and the world of other values? Are the world perceived abstractly and the world perceived realistically really antagonistic in art?

Kazimierz Ratajczak, Fever comes at night (oil, canvas, 140 x 195 cm)

After this confession of artistic credo, I would like to return to our viewer of art, who in the painting, in art, is looking for familiar realistic representations or anecdotes and, as he often says, "I do not understand" other painting. Is it really so that the average viewer of art is not able to "understand" abstract painting? I will quote here Picasso's statement from Brassai's Conversations with Piccas: "How can you get into my dreams, know my instincts, penetrate my desires, my thoughts that have cooperated together to appear one day - especially if someone wants to capture what was in the picture may be against my will. ", or a quote from Georges Braque:" The goal is not to be concerned with the reconstitution of an anecdotal fact, but with the constitution of a pictorial fact. However, I know that these quotes give food for thought, but will they convince the viewer tired of the abstract picture?

Wassily Kandinsky, 1913, Composition 6

Maybe one day I will continua this topic. For now, I give only such a tip, let your imagination and emotions run free, do not let yourself be deprived of something unusual. Don't try to understand. You listen to music without words and you also experience something extraordinary and touching. Try to look at the picture and become the creative of your own perception. At the beginning it is enough, and then maybe you will get to know the world and experience unusual emotions.

I don't know if I managed to convince you, but at least I tried. Maybe this entry will not go by the board?


 

 

 




Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Earth

Image
Gaia, Gaia, Gea is presented in Greek mythology ( Tellus, Terra - in Latin) as  the Mother - Earth that emerged from Chaos . She was one of the oldest goddesses (Protogenoi ) of fertility and motherhood. She appeared in various forms giving birth to cyclops, titans, giants .    Finally she got envolved with Tartarus – infernal abyss with whom she had a son Typhon, the most powerful monster of all time, which was defeated by Zeus after fierce battle. Anselm Feuerbach „Gaea” (1875), Academy of Fine Arts Vienna. As in Greek mythology, our planet, although beautiful and magnificent, is not always peaceful and safe. All the natural disasters we are not able to prevent show how dangerous it can be. I found in the history of art paintings and sculptures depicting Mother Earth. Nowhere, however, could I find a work describing the dark part of its "biography". It is often depicted as a mother taking care of her children or as a charming woman. Our Earth, despite floods, fires, tsun
Read more

One afternoon

Image
No one can be a painter unless he cares for painting above all else. It is not enough to know your craft - you have to have feeling. Science is all very well, but focus imagination is worth far more. (Edouard Manet) Edouard Manet (1832-1883) At 15 o'clock I got down to work. Original version: bottom - shining black, turning yellow in the upper parts, until completely white. Against this background represented in form of symbols   thrown up  hands. After sketching and applying the first layer of paint: banality, daub. I laid the canvas on the floor and I started  spilling the  paint on it watching carefully what was going on. It moved like a living being, like a human, it changed from second to second. Once it was dark,  and after a while its surface was a bit of white  again. I have never experienced such intense integration with a picture. At any moment, I could stop the growth of paint that was breathing and it  was  alive. Then I thought that I would like to perpetuate it. It
Read more

Stefan Bech's woodcuts

Image
I was recently browsing   the shelves  in my library. In  search of publications about  exotic art, I found, squeezed between books, a  position  non-exotic at all.  It was portfolio with Stefan Bech's woodcuts  published  in 1960, exactly sixty years ago.  As it  usually happens , not each of the works placed there  represents  a high artistic level. However, their true beauty comes  from the author's passion. The beauty that Stefan Bech was able to see in  no longer existing parts of our city.   Most of the woodcuts are works captivating with the balance of black paint and, unfortunately, a bit yellowed white. However, this does not interfere with  the perception.  Mellowness  makes them  even more interesting. I did not count how many  ectypes of woodcut  there are in  the portfolio - maybe it is incomplete. It certainly does not contain the text of the  author whose  name appears on the cover of the publisher. I was also not looking for any publications on Stefan Bech. I di
Read more