Cień przechodniego pokoju zasłania mi morze 2021

Editor: So, here we have Lech Jankowski's 2021 mixed-media piece, "Cień przechodniego pokoju zasłania mi morze," which translates roughly to "The shadow of a passing room hides the sea from me." I am really intrigued by the texture of the walls and floor—almost like looking into a contained, dreamlike space. How do you approach a piece like this? Curator: This work immediately brings to mind the tension between high art and craft. Looking closely, we can appreciate Jankowski’s labor-intensive process and embrace of mixed media: what specific combinations of materials do you think yield that textured surface? Is it only acrylic paint, as specified, or could something else be in there? Editor: It looks like it, maybe even some sand or other binding medium mixed in. And is it also possible that the shoes that are depicted are stencils or transfers? They do have that flat and uniform feel to them... Curator: Excellent observations! Thinking materially, this challenges traditional notions of painting. The mixed media approach elevates the "craft" aspect. Consider also the title's reference to a "room"—is Jankowski commenting on domestic labor? Is he depicting the limitations of the private sphere imposed on women as being forced into a confined space that limits access to greater freedoms of the outside such as going out to a "sea"? Editor: That is very insightful. I never considered a more material analysis of those constraints, especially with the use of items like stencils or transfers as you noted. This feels like a different entry point compared to thinking about just the aesthetics or even biographical factors. Curator: Exactly! By focusing on the means of production, we reveal how artistic practices are intrinsically tied to social and economic conditions. Looking at this painting with this materialist lens gives the viewers the option to now consider a wider discourse that impacts the making of this painting!