Henryk Stazewski (1894-1988) ;
Acrylic, relief, plywood, masonite, 1973 ;
Dimensions 61 x 61 cm (24 x 24 inches) ;
Signed and dated on verso ;
Henryk Stazewski is a legend of avant-garde art in Poland. He studied at the School of Fine Arts in Warsaw in 1913-20. At the beginning of his career he painted still lifes. He temporarily exhibited with the "Formists" group (1922). He also took part in the New Art Exhibition in Vilnius in 1923. At that time, he created under the influence of constructivism. In addition to painting compositions, he dealt with book graphics, designed interiors, equipment, and scenography - these were mostly theoretical and studio works. Polish and international avant-garde groups with which he exhibited and collaborated as a publicist include: "Blok" (1924-26), "Praesens" (1926-30), "Cercle et Carré" (1929-31), "Abstraction-Création " (1931-39), "ar" (1932-39). He also belonged to the Advertising Graphic Artists Circle (1933-39). In 1930, he co-organized a collection of works by international avant-garde artists intended for the Lódz museum (currently the Museum of Art in Lódz). After World War II, he lived and worked in Warsaw. In the 1940s and 1950s, he attempted to adapt to the demands of figurative art. Drawings and paintings about work, construction, as well as monumental projects come from this period. After 1956, widely recognized as the patron of the Polish avant-garde, he only practiced abstraction with a constructivist origin. He created series of works that were studies of planes, lines and colors in various arrangements relative to each other. Despite the appearance of cold perfection, he was able to imbue them with the emotion of a direct touch, a trace of a hand. In addition to painting and derivative forms, such as collages, reliefs, multiplexes.