Art Workers
Painting
ID:
1690
Number in cycle:
5
Date:
August 1972
Medium:
acrylic; canvas;oil
Dimensions:
146 cm x 114 cm
Description:
Edward Dwurnik: This is a memory from the Academy - from the lithography workshop at the Academy of Fine Arts in Warsaw. My then friend, Przemysław Kwiek, is standing at the lithographic press. The man numbered 123 is professor Józef Pakulski. In the foreground you can see a part of Stefan Damski's, his assistant's, face. And deeper in the picture there's professor Władysław Winiecki. A nice anecdote is related to this painting. I borrowed a pair of binoculars from Kwiek once. He had borrowed it from his neighbour. I forgot to give it back to him. After several years Kwiek saw this painting at my place and the binoculars I painted on his neck. He then recalled that I had them. It turned out that the neighbour had been asking about the binoculars all the time and Przemek couldn't remember what had happened with them. I gave them back.
Pola Dwurnik: And where did the title come from?
E.D.: Well, we were an informal group. After classes at the Academy we used to come to the lithography workshop. We worked very hastily, printed the graphics one after another. Sometimes we didn't even take the stone off the press - we grinded at once. And that's forbidden. So we called ourselves "art workers" - because it was intensive work; hour after hour, as real workers. Or farmers. Maybe we should have called ourselves "arts farmers".
P.D.: These graphics weren't related to your courses?
E.D.: No. Even today I have drawers full of them.
P.D.: What's on them?
E.D.: Different subjects: genre scenes, portraits, among others of Kwiek, the life of the Academy, events from the city. For instance in March 1968 I drew street fights with horsemen on rocking horses. I would never have thought of drawing militiamen beating students hard with their batons, you know. But, nevertheless, when Damski came and saw it he was pissed and told me to take it away. He was in the party. I didn't like him. Some of these graphics are in colour. Pakulski used to show us different techniques.
P.D.: Professor Pakulski had to be ok if he let you enter the workshop after hours?
E.D.: He was very ok. He used to turn a blind eye to things all the time, even when Kwiek and I lifted some print paper from professor Chrostowska. Professor Chrostowska ran the aqua-fortis workshop. She came to Pakulski. She suspected us but Pakulski defended us. They could have kicked us from the Academy for this!
P.D.: And what were Przemysław Kwiek’s works like?
E.D.: Oh, he used to be very unhappy for he was always looking for his form of expression. Usually he spilled some ink onto the stone, wiped it wet a bit, then dry and wet again. It took him a lot of time to prepare every stone. He used to say he was generating a chance.
P.D.: But why did you like lithography that much?
E.D.: Because it was an easy and impressive technique. Drawing on those beautiful, perfectly polished stones with a pen, grease crayon...
P.D.: And women - did they also come to make prints after hours?
E.D.: Of course, mostly friends. Our enthusiasm quickly infected them. My Teresa came from the Sculpture Department. Other girls came - they just had to pass the lithography class. Older students and alumni came as well.
P.D.: Where was that room exactly?
E.D.: In the left wing of the Academy, in the annex. One could always smell the sweet scent of lithographic crayons.
Owner type:
private
Tags:
art;man;Polish people
