oil, fiberboard; 91 x 88 cm;
On the reverse:
- signed and inscribed by the author on the reverse: BEKSIŃSKI / W1;
- gallery sticker;
- sticker informing about the rules of storage of the object
Provenance:
private collection, Poland
This poignant oil work by Zdzislaw Beksinski was created in the mid-1990s. The motif of the head and face was intertwined in the artist's work as an independent subject, but was often used in more elaborate compositions as well. Interestingly, the artist openly admitted his fascination with the face as a kind of phenomenon: a differentiating element, but also a universal, purely human one. The offered work represents well the features of Beksinski's painting from this period: focus on the human figure, subdued colors or smooth textures. The excellent technique, deeply considered brushstrokes, are typical of an artist who, as he admitted in an interview, tried to "avoid spontaneity in a painting." The artist's decision to complete a painting was sometimes preceded by repeatedly refining the elements of the composition, making it extremely thoughtful.
The monumental representation of the head profile allows a close look at the painterly tissue of which the figure's head is made. A dense web of lines - veins, giving depth and making the figure more real - pierces from the synthetic, flatly guided patches of color. Light blues and browns give the effect of an almost transparent mysterious being. Due to the significant enlargement of the profile, the contact between the viewer of the work and its protagonist, becomes extremely intimate.
