Konrad Maciejewicz
12 Apr - 24 May 2014
KONRAD MACIEJEWICZ
Come to Daddy
12 April - 24 May 2014
Collages by Konrad Maciejewicz run counter the 20th century roots of the technique in question. With his scissors the artist calls into being a reality not far removed from that of Pre-Raphaelite art. Still, the profusion of applied forms compels a more in-depth search for inspirations, while the combination of sepulchral and sexual themes, the ambiguity of the evoked fetishes, and last but not least, the atmosphere of horror complicate attempts at interpreting Maciejewicz’s artistic practice even more.
Even though he stays away from paints and brushes, the artist’s works immediately bring painting to mind – the colour magazines from the 1970s and 1980s which feed the works operate merely as the material, or rather matter, and not a lexicon of forms and visual motifs. Their subversive decorative qualities and the abundance of entangled elements may easily lead interpretation astray, as the point here is not about embellishment but the artist’s gesture of cutting the fading pages of old magazines, which moves along the lines that we’ve already forgotten.
Maciejewicz deliberately rejects the synthetic nature of collage, immersing himself in the abyss of paper-cut motifs. As he explains: The point of departure for my narrations is the violence related to the medium, and on the other hand, the nostalgic load that photography bears. I amplify the sentimental appeal of photography and fantasise about it, associating anonymous female figures with myself or my relatives. This androgynous approach, sharpened even more by ornamentation, is juxtaposed with scenes of sexual violence. Yet, in the artist’s works torment grows ambiguous. Perverse sexuality emanates here from worn-out and lifeless historic themes.
In his latest works, history, myth and pornography blend to form a peculiar photo-story, where elements like medieval architecture or the cult of relics become part of a narration about the very nature of collage. Associated by the artist with culture, the eponymous “daddy” is the narrator, who applies his power to cut and frame to drive the story in his chosen direction.
Konrad Maciejewicz was born in 1980 in Lubartów. Graduate of the Faculty of Arts of the Maria Curie Skłodowska University in Lublin with a diploma in 2004. Prize-winner of the first Polish edition of the Henkel Art. Award 2013, awarded third prize at the 41st Painting Biennial “Bielska Jesień 2013”. His individual shows were held at Zachęta Project Space in Warsaw, Biała Gallery in Lublin, and Arsenał Gallery in Białystok.
Come to Daddy
12 April - 24 May 2014
Collages by Konrad Maciejewicz run counter the 20th century roots of the technique in question. With his scissors the artist calls into being a reality not far removed from that of Pre-Raphaelite art. Still, the profusion of applied forms compels a more in-depth search for inspirations, while the combination of sepulchral and sexual themes, the ambiguity of the evoked fetishes, and last but not least, the atmosphere of horror complicate attempts at interpreting Maciejewicz’s artistic practice even more.
Even though he stays away from paints and brushes, the artist’s works immediately bring painting to mind – the colour magazines from the 1970s and 1980s which feed the works operate merely as the material, or rather matter, and not a lexicon of forms and visual motifs. Their subversive decorative qualities and the abundance of entangled elements may easily lead interpretation astray, as the point here is not about embellishment but the artist’s gesture of cutting the fading pages of old magazines, which moves along the lines that we’ve already forgotten.
Maciejewicz deliberately rejects the synthetic nature of collage, immersing himself in the abyss of paper-cut motifs. As he explains: The point of departure for my narrations is the violence related to the medium, and on the other hand, the nostalgic load that photography bears. I amplify the sentimental appeal of photography and fantasise about it, associating anonymous female figures with myself or my relatives. This androgynous approach, sharpened even more by ornamentation, is juxtaposed with scenes of sexual violence. Yet, in the artist’s works torment grows ambiguous. Perverse sexuality emanates here from worn-out and lifeless historic themes.
In his latest works, history, myth and pornography blend to form a peculiar photo-story, where elements like medieval architecture or the cult of relics become part of a narration about the very nature of collage. Associated by the artist with culture, the eponymous “daddy” is the narrator, who applies his power to cut and frame to drive the story in his chosen direction.
Konrad Maciejewicz was born in 1980 in Lubartów. Graduate of the Faculty of Arts of the Maria Curie Skłodowska University in Lublin with a diploma in 2004. Prize-winner of the first Polish edition of the Henkel Art. Award 2013, awarded third prize at the 41st Painting Biennial “Bielska Jesień 2013”. His individual shows were held at Zachęta Project Space in Warsaw, Biała Gallery in Lublin, and Arsenał Gallery in Białystok.