Tomasz Kowalski
09 Sep - 16 Oct 2010
TOMASZ KOWALSKI
September 9 - October 16, 2010
The entangled complexity in the successfully layered semi-figuration which in the works by Kowalski invariably remains “open” where interpretation is concerned, is perfectly complemented by the various painting styles effortlessly fused together by the young artist not unlike a skilled dj at work.
Within a single base he smoothly switches from fairly expressive sections to a style reminiscent of the naive figurative Kasimir Malevitch, the soft degrading in the works of Fernand Léger or the suggestive unfathomable space in the wide monochrome works of the American Barnett Newman, to name but a few.
It is indisputably a sight for sore eyes to behold the agility with which Kowalski claims the times of the painting art. As a mosaic of styles his works brush the edges of our memory and the broad horizon of the art of painting as a medium with a century old tradition.
In this fashion the young artist presents a spider’s web of thought and (material) paint merged into a synthesis where the underlying but never unambiguous stories/fairytales are not to be “taken” as truths and touch the canvas as a tempting insinuation and alibi turning it into a field of projection of and for the aesthetically unbound.
The recent paintings pass by as a marching band; as a burlesque ballet of figures limited exclusively and at best to a bad dream. In this respect it is beautiful to see Tomasz Kowalski interpret the “black square” by Malevitch as a “black hole”. As soon as man closes his eyes everything before him turns black after which everything becomes possible again starting from a mental “ground zero”/depth through “imagination”.
Using a prior study on paper Tomasz Kowalski works on an image language where a formal reduction of the narration has its place through conjuring up emptiness and implicitly visualising/defining power relations between people.
Through it all, the young artist further considers making an exhibition to be the same as patiently conceptualising a painting. The expo room (gallery or museum hall) becomes a stage where paintings as well as sculptures attempt to grab the visitor by the throat through design-references. During his visit, the viewer can act like an extra walking around freely, mirroring himself to a stimulating plastic universe to be experienced through example and left up to the imagination where content is concerned and which lines up with our existential questions on the “conditon de vie”...
Luk Lambrecht
September 2010
September 9 - October 16, 2010
The entangled complexity in the successfully layered semi-figuration which in the works by Kowalski invariably remains “open” where interpretation is concerned, is perfectly complemented by the various painting styles effortlessly fused together by the young artist not unlike a skilled dj at work.
Within a single base he smoothly switches from fairly expressive sections to a style reminiscent of the naive figurative Kasimir Malevitch, the soft degrading in the works of Fernand Léger or the suggestive unfathomable space in the wide monochrome works of the American Barnett Newman, to name but a few.
It is indisputably a sight for sore eyes to behold the agility with which Kowalski claims the times of the painting art. As a mosaic of styles his works brush the edges of our memory and the broad horizon of the art of painting as a medium with a century old tradition.
In this fashion the young artist presents a spider’s web of thought and (material) paint merged into a synthesis where the underlying but never unambiguous stories/fairytales are not to be “taken” as truths and touch the canvas as a tempting insinuation and alibi turning it into a field of projection of and for the aesthetically unbound.
The recent paintings pass by as a marching band; as a burlesque ballet of figures limited exclusively and at best to a bad dream. In this respect it is beautiful to see Tomasz Kowalski interpret the “black square” by Malevitch as a “black hole”. As soon as man closes his eyes everything before him turns black after which everything becomes possible again starting from a mental “ground zero”/depth through “imagination”.
Using a prior study on paper Tomasz Kowalski works on an image language where a formal reduction of the narration has its place through conjuring up emptiness and implicitly visualising/defining power relations between people.
Through it all, the young artist further considers making an exhibition to be the same as patiently conceptualising a painting. The expo room (gallery or museum hall) becomes a stage where paintings as well as sculptures attempt to grab the visitor by the throat through design-references. During his visit, the viewer can act like an extra walking around freely, mirroring himself to a stimulating plastic universe to be experienced through example and left up to the imagination where content is concerned and which lines up with our existential questions on the “conditon de vie”...
Luk Lambrecht
September 2010