Light under the Floor, diptych 2020

Curator: Lech Jankowski’s diptych, "Light under the Floor," made in 2020, is an intriguing example of contemporary mixed-media work. Editor: My first impression is a sense of subtle unease. The textured surface and the muted palette, combined with the vaguely geometric shapes, create an atmosphere that's both intriguing and slightly unsettling. Curator: Indeed. Looking at the materials, one immediately notices the layering and the textural contrast. It seems Jankowski built up the surface, perhaps using different grounds, before applying paint. The "floor" itself, rendered in deeper blues, looks heavily worked. I wonder about his process. Was it subtractive or additive? Planned or spontaneous? Editor: The repeated, almost totemic, forms rising from the 'floor' immediately caught my attention. They seem like abstracted representations of something – perhaps fragments of forgotten architecture, or even the bars of a cage? There's a psychological tension created by their rigid, yet ambiguous, presence. Curator: That’s a fascinating interpretation. I'm also thinking about how the very act of creating a diptych encourages comparison. Jankowski could be highlighting a subtle shift in perspective or exploring a mirrored idea. The facture suggests someone deeply invested in the materiality of paint and surface, perhaps engaging with ideas of the passage of time, the layers mirroring the build-up of history or memory. Editor: And consider the title: "Light Under the Floor." It hints at something hidden, something lurking beneath the surface of the everyday. The geometric shapes might be stylized symbols referring to structural forces at play under society. There is light present, but subdued by shadows from what seems to emanate above. Curator: That’s well observed. Jankowski encourages viewers to question the role of materials themselves in shaping our understanding. The materiality and the making are central to the meaning. Are those darker vertical elements shadows, structural support or a symbolic echo? The surface details beg exploration of texture, composition, and perhaps a socio-economic subtext around labor and materiality. Editor: Absolutely. Looking closer, those textured details suggest a kind of primal energy. I see the emergence of codified forms within chaos. Thank you for elaborating the context so vividly! Curator: My pleasure. Reflecting upon this work has highlighted Jankowski’s engagement with the tactile qualities and subtle energies within everyday spaces.