Edward Dwurnik, Ustka (2011)

acrylic/ canvas 114 x 146 cm

Provenance: private collection (Warsaw)

Edward Dwurnik - Artist born April 19, 1943 in Radzymin, died October 28, 2018 in Warsaw - an outstanding Polish painter and graphic artist, one of the most recognizable personalities of Polish contemporary art. He is the only Polish artist who managed to achieve international success before the transformation (including participation in "documenta 7" in Kassel in 1982).
He is also - the only artist who, regardless of recognition in professional circles, has become popular in all circles of art consumers. Unsettling and provocative, volatile and unpredictable, full of a devilish sense of humor, he still arouses extreme reactions and agitation, including among artists of the youngest generation.

In 1963-70 Edward Dwurnik studied painting, printmaking and sculpture at the Academy of Fine Arts in Warsaw. As early as 1965 he began a series of drawings and watercolors independent of the course of his studies, and from 1966 oil paintings "Hitchhiking Journeys" - characteristic views of cities from a bird's eye view (continued to this day). Since 1970, more than a dozen other series of paintings are created, including 1972-1978's "Sportsmen" - one of Dwurnik's most highly regarded painting series today, depicting half-caricatured, half-comic strip characters of ordinary communist everyday life. Among his subsequent series of paintings are two series dedicated to the tragic fates of people caught up in history: in "Road to the East" (1989-1991) Dwurnik commemorates the victims of Stalinism, and in "From December to June" (1990-1994) he commemorates the victims of martial law in Poland.
Dwurnik's oeuvre also includes non-aligned paintings, such as the "Blue" series (1990s) are horizonless, near-abstract seascapes, and "Twenty-fifth" are colorful abstractions in action painting. Other series include "Portrait" (from the 1970s), "Workers" (1980s), "Long Live War!" (1991-1993), "Blue Cities" (from 1993), "Diagonal" (from 1996), and "Enumeration" (from 1996). In 2011, an album with all reproductions of the "Sportsmen" series was produced.
In addition to painting, Dwurnik was involved in printmaking and drawing (both autonomous series and illustrations). He liked to design monumental painting compositions in public space. He created drawings and gouaches for the animated films "Warzywniak,360 degrees" (2007) and "Oasis" (2009) directed by Andrzej Baranski.
Several documentaries have been made about the artist's work, including: "Fruits of the Earth" (1977), "Portrait from Nature" (1984) and "Polish Nike" (1987), directed by Andrzej Szczygiel, and "Travels of Edward Dwurnik" (1995) by Grażyna Banaszkiewicz.