Janusz ANTOSZCZYK (b. 1958), Lady with an ermine, 2017

oil, canvas; 110 x 100 cm;
Inscribed on the reverse: JANUSZ ANTOSZCZYK / Janusz Antoszczyk / DAMA WITH GRONOSTAJEM 2017 / oil on canvas / 110 x 100.

"Janusz Antoszczyk's painterly imagination feeds on the real: a landscape, a human silhouette, an everyday object. However, Antoszczyk does not operate with concrete, rather he uses a special visual "alphabet". The signs that make up this alphabet are maximally simplified, they could be described as the essence of reality. On the artist's canvases all shapes are subjected to similar magical laws. The boundary between a bird and a plant, between the outline of a face and the sun is blurred. Each form has a chance for metamorphosis, captured in its changeability. From a purely painterly point of view, Antoszczyk's compositions are governed by divisions close to geometry. Established with flat patches, the surfaces sound with strong, saturated color. Contrasting color combinations, emphasize the sharp demarcation of individual shapes from one another. Some forms are defined by zigzagging, wavy lines, built up with thick brushstrokes. The compositional arrangements, giving the impression of being abstract - are often based on a synthetic vision of the landscape, devoid of the illusion of space. The painter also reaches eagerly to compose a "picture within a picture", introduces a form of apparent internal frame. This can be seen, especially in recent works, inspired by the motif of still life with flowers. The flat stain of the 'frame' surrounding the floral elements is broken up by rhythmic elements, reminiscent of tapestry patterns." (Text from the catalog accompanying the exhibition entitled: Janusz Antoszczyk paintings November 1993, Zapiecek Gallery, text: Milena Romanowska)