Polska wersja  | ABOUT FORUM PARTICIPANTS EXHIBITIONS TEXTS PAINTINGS ORGANISERS ART GALLERIES PREVIOUS EDITIONS |
Stanisław Białogłowicz Łukasz Huculak Janusz Kaczmarski Piotr Klugowski Paweł Lewandowski-Palle Magdalena Rabizo-Birek
Mirosława Rochecka Kazimierz Rochecki Aleksandra Simińska Joanna Stasiak Wiesław Szamborski Krzysztof Wachowiak
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MIROSŁAWA ROCHECKA When put together things constitute the reality wherein we live giving it a realistic form. They have been brought to life by man, shaped by his hands and mind for a specific reason. The object of things is to satisfy a multitude of human needs. This chief object that underlies their coming into existence equips things with utility, aesthetic, technical, cult, religious, or any other functions. Functionality determines the usefulness and necessity for the thing to exist thus giving it reason. Unnecessary things, things that are useless or used lose their basic meaning, though it sometimes happens that they gain new meaning that goes beyond their traditional use and roles. The utility of a thing contains its peculiar dignity -objective value and meaning. The worth of a thing is also determined by the value and richness of material used for its making, the beauty of the shaped form, its durability, originality and uniqueness, historic value. Modern civilisation considers the chief criterion for value to be innovation or "novelty" and brand, and also technological perfectionism and trends, which frequently leads to faltering of logical and reasonable valuation of a thing. It provokes a mindless run for the trumpery of short-lived novelty and creates the illusion of perfecting human existence through gathering, possessing and using perfect and exclusive commodities. Any human who wants to be perceived valuable surrounds himself with things that are, according to common belief, highly desired. This human being thus turns himself into a thing, loses his human dignity in favour of becoming a product of marketing activity - "a slave to demand" for things. A thing desires nothing. A thing just is... This is its very nature. A thing accepts a specific shape given to it by humans, serves functions that are assigned to it, fills a specified space, lasts over time, passes, and undergoes destruction. It can be a tool, a weapon, an ornament, an everyday utensil. It exists in reality and does not succumb to illusion. Its calm existence often serves as a real support for man - it secures his existence, as a tool, a source of income, or simply gives a feeling of safety as something known, something that has been tamed, a belonging or favourite thing. A thing may also transmit particular contents; it may express feelings and care; it may bring back memories; man may use it as a source for after-thoughts, a sign, or symbol of spiritual reality. Things that are used by somebody close often become valuable souvenirs, relicts bearing signs of that person's presence - touch, look, and feeling. By looking at them, touching them, by being in their presence it happens we sense the spiritual presence of their former users in their materiality. Being somebody's belonging is also the natural state of things; it is their reality. A thing that has no owner or no established owner is in an abnormal situation; this situation hurts the foundation of its existence and leads to destruction. The nature of things is to coexist in man's environment, to accompany him in a specified time and space; a common thing with man is their transient nature whilst retaining the ability to leave a permanent imprint in the human psyche, the possibility of crawling into his spirit, stimulating imagination, livening memories. The Nature of things indicates its natural state, the state of things suitable for itself when the thing begins to occupy its appropriate place, when the appropriate role is laid out by man. How is this nature of things expressed in painting currently and with particular artists? How is it understood and to what extent and in what way does it affect their work? Which things interest contemporary painters and what is important to them? Is the old dilemma of artists to create or to recreate - still valid? Do contemporary relations between humans and things give rise to particular, new artistic problems and is the meaning of these relations still the same? How is the concept of presence of things in art perceived by art critics and theorists today? What is the approach of painting to this subject matter? We hope that these questions, together with many others, will be answered at the next meeting of artists and art theorists during the 5th Polish Painting Forum titled The Nature of Things. Name: E-mail: Subject: Name: E-mail: Subject: Name: E-mail: Subject: Name: E-mail: Subject:
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The 5th Polish Painting Forum - Orelec 2006