Zdzisław Beksiński. Confrontation

You can't just look at Beksiński's painting. Beksiński's painting must be confronted, and each confrontation yields more and more diverse emotions. Most often, it's fear. Next, one frequently feels curiosity. Later, appreciation and respect. Finally, (sometimes) understanding. The starting point for this indeterminacy in the perception of Beksiński's works is, of course, the emphasis placed on generating tension and anxiety.  

The presented painting comes from the 1990s when Beksiński gradually began to move away from fantasy, mystery, and grotesque, which dominated during the "fantastic" period in his art, referred to by Beksiński as "baroque". At that time, the artist concentrated more and more on the form, continuing to perfect his figuration painting. The artist referred to this time as "gothic," and his art then made a turn back toward its origins. Beksiński came to the conclusion that he should return to his earlier style of painting, when his only objective was to create a canvas accurately and harmonically filled with composition, just like his master, Kazimierz Malewicz, did. The 1990s were also a very difficult time in Beksiński's life. First his wife, then his son died at the end of the decade.

In addition to biologism and metaphysical atmosphere, solemnity frequently dominates Beksiński's paintings. Another element, which is present in many of the artist's compositions, also stands out in the case of the work presented at our auction - the hieraticism of the depictions. In this case, the viewer is presented with a large mask that resembles a moai monolith from Easter Island, which, with its unwavering seriousness, attempts to rule over or even reprimand the person in front of the image. Moai were created from volcanic ash, probably as representations commemorating the ancestors of the Easter Island-Rapa Nui people. The composition by Beksiński has a strong metaphysical aura that seems to demand respect from the audience. There is something totemic about this depiction, something that moves the viewer from the visual to the spiritual realm and commands them to stop and contemplate the stone face.

As Dorota Szomko-Osękowska wrote: "These depictions of metaphysical landscapes, amazing buildings, and phantom figures emerging here and there captivate the viewer. In the paintings, ugliness and beauty, tragedy and persiflage, biology and metaphysics coexist. The artist seems to need this dichotomy in order to produce an ambiguous, unsettling atmosphere. The excellent technique and flawlessly flat texture of these works make them look almost like graphics." (Dorota Szomko-Osękowska, available at: http://www.muzeum.sanok. pl/ pl/zbiory/zdzislaw-beksinski/malarstwo)