The Nightmare Artist
Zdzislaw Beksinski, one of the most famous dystopian surrealist artists. This is one of his famous paintings. Beksinski was born in Sanok, Poland on 24 February 1929. He was also a photographer and sculptor.
Sanok had the largest population of Jewish people in all of Poland up until the 2nd world war. The horror of the 2nd world war played a massive role in his works. The horrors he witnessed throughout his adolescence shaped his character, which reflected his hatred for the Nazi in multiple ways.
Beksinski had no formal education in art, but he did study architecture for a short period that helped him in his creation of art throughout his life. Through Architecture he learned symbolism, which helped him to make social commentary in his paintings.
He debuted as a surrealist photographer rather than a painter, publishing the photograph “sadists corset” in 1957 creating a storm in the photography world. In the era of pure photography, his photographs were manipulated, directed and posed in very specific ways, a stark contradiction to pure photography. By the time in 1960, he quit photography entirely and donated all his work.
In an interview in 2002, he stated that “ interpretation is imposed by others. Speaking modestly, paintings are to be admired or contemplated. Admired without asking what it means. If I had something to say I would write it down or say it. I don't need painting for that”. He usually didn’t like interpreting his work at all. So, when critics tried to put a meaning to his work, he would get upset. At one point he said, “ Meaning is meaningless to me. I do not care for symbolism. And I paint what I paint without meditating on a story”.
In his painting "helmet" a faceless figure is portrayed. It is constructed with intertwining wood-like materials and wears a war helmet, much like that of the Nazis. The prussian blue color used is named after prussic acid, also known as hydrogen cyanide. Prussic acid was used to create a poison named Zyklon B which was used in the gas chamber at many concentration camps. Using this chemical stained the walls of the gas chamber in blue. This Prussian blue was used in many of his paintings.
"untitled"(1978) by Zdzislaw Beksinski
Since most of his works are untitled, the desolate or hellish landscapes, the vivid depictions of death, decomposition, nightmarish figures gave off a darkness incorporated grim feeling. But Beksinski always claimed that his works did not have any particular meaning and gave the audience the freedom for interpretation.
Up until his death in 2005, Beksinski suffered a lot in his personal life. In 1998, 47 years after his marriage, his wife Zofia passed away from cancer. After a year later Beksinski's only son Tomasz committed suicide at 41 year of age, on Christmas Eve.
Beksinski was killed in his Warsaw apartment on the 21st February, 2005. Getting stabbed multiple time with a knife by the son of his lifelong caregiver became his tragic end.
Beksinski's works are incredibly detailed and precise. Most of his famous works are made of advanced oil painting techniques.
Without drawing upon traditional horror tropes, his works are horrifically chilling and has the ability to question our dark thoughts.
Contrary to his works of art, Beksinski as a person was quite cheerful and had a great sense of humour and was greatly motivated by different genres of music.
Comments
Post a Comment