Welcome to the
world of Henryk Szydlowski. This volume includes reproductions of
paintings he produced between 1990 and 2003. Don’t be surprised when you
find yourself smiling while viewing these images; the artists reason for
painting is to make people happy.
Szydlowski creates a whimsical world inhabited by round birds, striped
trees and puppet-like people; a place where flights of fancy take us
into a delightful realm of rich color and shimmering glazes. The artist
sets a stage and directs his characters on it then allows the viewer to
interpret the action. Each painting is constructed in layers that
compose a story; one that develops while the image evolves. We are
invited to discover the artist’s narrative or invent our own. Meanwhile
poetic titles provide a point of entry to the fantasy and guide us
through the painting.
The charm of his work can not disguise Szydlowski’s excellent command of
composition and technique, the core of his signature style. The artist
combines a respect for his cultural heritage with an understanding of
classical drawing and selected aspects of modern art to produce a
fantastic place and space where everyone is welcome to enter and help
make the magic. He casts his spell by employing a vocabulary of personal
symbols that are easily translated as they refer to universal concepts.
The bird represents a sense of freedom, a single tree suggests the
broader landscape, while puppet-like figures are whoever we, the viewers,
want them to be. These motifs, together with fine black line and gold or
silver leaf, are arranged in harmony with vivid hues, then held secure
by the balanced design of the composition.
|
-
Szydlowski is aware that good art will communicate across barriers of
time and culture. He is a painter who comes to his canvas with a desire
to make something beautiful. He is an artist who has no interest in
competing with contemporaries, preferring instead to set his own goals.
He is an individual who believes that if current dictates of art prevent
him from making paintings people can enjoy, he will ignore them. After
all, rules change but good art is a constant.
Henryk Szydlowski makes good art. His unique style and the integrity of
his purpose assure us his paintings will stand the test of time as they
speak to all people.
Judith McGrath
- Henryk Szydlowski
- DOOR TO THE DREAMS
- Masters of Today series
|
