Untitled 

Curator: Welcome. We’re looking at an untitled oil painting by Zdzislaw Beksinski, created with Neo-Expressionist and Symbolist elements. Its dominant feature is a geometric, crumbling cube supported by outstretched hands. What strikes you most immediately? Editor: There's something profoundly unsettling about the surface texture. The peeling, distressed effect on that cube clashes with its perfect geometrical form. The hands seem both protective and strained; they present something almost ruined. Curator: Yes, Beksinski frequently explored decay and existential anxiety through form. Look at the chromatic scale— the contrast between the pink hues behind the figures and the blacks on the cube's edges; consider, also, how this creates focal tension. Editor: Absolutely. The work focuses attention on that block, and you're right: its constructed look stands out when contrasted to those seemingly raw pink gradients around it. I’m very curious about how Beksinski physically applied the pigment to create that eroded surface texture on the cube. Curator: He favoured layering. You will see, in detail, his skillful combination of classical techniques of layering with a very modern existential thematic. It feels quite timeless due to these specific features, but how does it achieve its aura? Editor: Perhaps because the textures resemble real material decay – crumbling concrete or ancient plaster, a kind of archaeology in paint. It also plays against the smooth perfection often desired in “fine art”, while the symbol it displays could have ancient meaning to somebody or represent an alien object to another person. The hands almost feel like a rejection of some pure state, stained already and bearing this abstract shape forwards anyway. Curator: It is truly hard to be unmoved. I leave this with our visitors to reflect and hopefully return soon to engage once more. Editor: A fascinating insight into materiality, production, and artistic intent – quite evocative.