Schwarz-ohne-schwarz 2 2017

Lech Jankowski made Schwarz-ohne-schwarz 2, or Black-without-black 2, using oil on canvas, and it’s a trip. The canvas is split horizontally, like Rothko, but the similarities end there. Above, a mottled grey sky, below, a dark, shimmering sea. The texture is key here. It’s thick, crusty, built up in layers like sediment. You can almost feel the weight of the paint, the artist’s hand at work. Look closely at the lower half, at those little white dashes. Are they boats? Fish? Thoughts? They ripple across the surface, catching the light, adding to the mystery. Jankowski's use of texture reminds me of Anselm Kiefer, but with a softer touch, a more subdued palette. Ultimately, it’s a painting that invites you to linger, to get lost in its depths, to find your own meaning in its enigmatic surfaces. It's about the journey, not the destination, baby!