Untitled 1962

This untitled print was made by the Polish artist Tadeusz Dominik, who was born in 1928. This is a non-representational composition using only black ink on a white ground. Dominik emerged as a painter during the period of Soviet influence in Poland, when Socialist Realism was the mandatory style. This involved painting uplifting images of workers and peasants. As an abstract painter, Dominik was working in opposition to the cultural policies enforced by the communist government. His art, therefore, can be read as a form of political resistance. We should not underestimate how difficult it was to be a non-conformist artist at this time. To better understand this artwork, one could research the history of government involvement in the arts under communist regimes in Eastern Europe. We need to see how artworks embody the complex relation between the artist and his or her socio-political environment.