Observing the Paintings | 90. Auction of New Art

Julia Maciejewska, 24 July 2024

As we look at the works featured in the catalog of the 90th Auction of New Art, we find a wealth of diverse themes, styles, and artistic techniques. The paintings and sculptures captivate with their creativity and quality of execution. What particularly draws one to these pieces is the distinctly palpable summer atmosphere they convey. The artists have ensured that their works radiate sunlight, peace, joy, and bliss. However, the catalog is not solely filled with light and serenity; there is also space for darkness, expression, and various forms of abstraction.

DAWID FIGIELEK, LONELINESS AT SEA, 2024

Minimalism and Its Forms in Contemporary Painting

Many canvases have been approached by artists with a minimalist aesthetic, both in terms of color and form. Adam Bakalarz painted in this style. His piece “RO.104.80 from the series Competitors” radiates extraordinary expression achieved through minimalistic means. Bakalarz creates space and perspective using just a few lines and a green geometric figure. The focal point, however, is the figure that occupies most of the canvas. The aim of this silhouette is to convey the character of the person, even though it lacks a face, reminiscent of the Venus of Willendorf, as the face does not matter here. We are to see the strong, athletic body, whose limbs are treated geometrically, like hewn, indestructible rocks. The figure is poised to throw a javelin, and the sharp lines drawn on the powerful, bent legs imitate taut muscles. The expressive motion is impressive, especially since Bakalarz used such minimalistic tools.

In stark contrast to Adam Bakalarz’s work is Sylwia Perczak’s “Madonna”, where the face is the only clearly discernible element on the canvas. The square surface of the painting is entirely filled with beige and white streaks, with occasional red and black glimpses showing through. This almost abstract composition is broken by the visage of the Madonna, depicted in the style of Orthodox iconography. The figure’s bowed head, half-closed eyelids, and slightly raised, dignified eyebrows suggest deep sorrow. The life of the Virgin Mary, from the outset, prepared her for great suffering due to the loss of her Son; her nature was quite quiet and melancholic. Perczak does not refer to any specific moment in Mary’s tested life in this work; instead, we, the viewers, can find the most personal threads in this beautiful, sorrowful face. The neutral nostalgia of the depicted figure is very close to every person, showcasing Perczak’s mastery of expressive power.

Joanna Buszko presented a different, realistic type of minimalism. Her painting is full of suggestions and ambiguities that we can uncover upon careful observation. The canvas depicts a room with gray-blue walls, a red sofa, and windows so large they seem unreal. A female figure placed in the center, who should be the focal point, appears out of place; her silhouette looks tense as if she is in an unfamiliar space. The character, turned away from the viewer, gazes at the wall… why, when the sea is visible through the window? Despite the use of calm forms and mostly subdued color patches, the work is somewhat unsettling because we do not see the woman’s face or hands, the most expressive parts of the body. Moreover, her figure in a white dress seems to levitate; the character might be a ghost about to pass through the wall, hence her intense gaze at it. The title “Nostalgia” suggests that the painting is about the sadness and longing that fill the souls of the departed.

SYLWIA PERCZAK, MADONNA, 2023

ADAM BAKALARZ, RO.104.80 FROM THE “COMPETITORS” SERIES, 2018

Faces of Femininity – Look into the Eyes of the Paintings

The oldest preserved artifacts predominantly depict the female body, from the aforementioned Venus of Willendorf, through the portrait painting art of the 15th-19th centuries, to the cubist deconstruction of the female form.

Marzena Machaj presented an extremely ethereal, delicate, and feminine work. At first glance, the canvas appears to be fully occupied by the figure; only after a moment do we realize that the serpentine silhouette almost grows from the twisted trunk of a tree, becoming one with it. The woman is dressed in white and pink-peach muslins and silks that swirl around her, carried by the wind, forming romantic and very painterly folds. The protagonist may be the titular Spring, who in her dream summons the rebirth of the season, helping flowers bloom, leaves turn green, and days lengthen. Marzena Machaj’s painting is imbued with lightness and femininity, which in its modesty and simultaneous awareness of its power, does not impose itself on the viewer, yet it is impossible to look away.

Femininity, which is perfectly captured in the face of the protagonist in Magdalena Borkowska-Bogusz’s painting, is very suggestive and expressive. The poetic title “Between Dawn and Night’s Disappearance” immediately suggests that we are dealing with a girl from bygone times, indicated by her raven-black locks. Her hazel eyes seem to look at the viewer but not see them; could it be that she, lost in thought, couldn’t sleep until dawn broke? Her flushed cheeks suggest that these thoughts ignited her heart and soul. This painting beautifully represents the period of girlhood, which every woman can see on the canvas in her unique way. If indeed the protagonist’s sleep was lost due to love dilemmas, many of us can relate to her.

Conveying a range of emotions using only one color of paint is not easy. Dominika Kędzierska mastered this challenge excellently, having perfected monochromatic painting. The artist used electrifying shades of cobalt, creating a unique effect upon viewing the painting. The composition is unusually cropped: the canvas allows us to see the protagonist’s face and a hand that partially disappears beyond the stretcher. The depicted woman appears to be moved and thoughtful, with a hand raised above her head suggesting she has given herself to dance. In the depicted face, we see much: freedom, lightness, perhaps sadness or relief. Looking at “Blue XII”, something tells us that the woman’s only company is herself, which makes her feel so natural and confident; her femininity is untainted by any foreign and unwanted presence.

MAGDALENA BORKOWSKA-BOGUSZ, BETWEEN DAWN AND NIGHT DISAPPEARING, 2024

DOMINIKA KĘDZIERSKA, BLUE XII, 2024

MARZENA MACHAJ, DREAM ABOUT SPRING, 2024

 

All the paintings and sculptures from the 90th Auction of New Art are filled with unique themes and references to both the past and present worlds. I encourage you to look for depth and hidden meanings in each piece; the artists have undoubtedly concealed many intriguing details within their works, visible only to the keen and patient eye. You can view all the objects in person starting August 2nd at 12:00 PM in the historic and picturesque interiors of the Sierakowski Manor in Sopot. Be sure to visit, especially during the auction, which will take place on August 3rd at 7:30 PM. We invite you warmly!

ANNA CHORZĘPA-KASZUB, AWAKENING 10, 2024

Auction Catalog and Visualization Catalog can be found at these links:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1feBk8ko1zGgdo2LDofhnzHyxxjzsJX7l/view?usp=sharinghttps://drive.google.com/file/d/1uS1Qsv60AKpMfs2yRHnTcEm5tJJPR05A/view?usp=sharing