Cultivation of Dust for Mr. Bellmer 2019

Lech Jankowski made this piece, Cultivation of Dust for Mr. Bellmer, using a process rooted in material exploration and chance. The brooding palette of greys, purples, and browns suggests a world both decaying and strangely generative. The surface has a gritty texture, almost like dried mud or volcanic ash, but there are areas of translucence too, where glimmers of light break through the gloom. There’s a dark patch in the center where you can just make out a kind of ridged or combed effect. It feels like he's dragged a tool through the paint, leaving a pattern that suggests both order and chaos, and a kind of building or cultivation of something. This relates to the title and Jankowski’s wider practice, which often explores themes of memory, loss, and the passage of time. You might think of Antoni Tàpies, with his similarly tactile and somber surfaces, but Jankowski's work has its own distinct poetry. It’s a reminder that art isn't about fixed meanings. Instead, it’s a space for contemplation.