Zbigniew Makowski, ARTISTIC BOOK.

20.0 x 16.0cm - Art book.

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ART BOOK

[inc.:] Vraisemblablement, Sophie von Kühn....

stitched on spine with thread, 27 pages (54 pages), alternating handmade paper and dark blue tissue paper, pen ink, brush, watercolor, gouache, cutouts

Signed on p. 23 p.d.: by M. E. zm.

Provenance: Collection of art historian Teresa Sowinska (1940-2023), author of many publications and exhibitions, professionally connected with "Zachêta" in Warsaw.

The composition of the artist's works is not based on supplementing the text with illustrations, on the consonance of two independent elements - word and image. In Makowski's books, writing and drawing are a unity, interpenetrating and combining, creating an inseparable whole, thanks to which the book-object becomes an autonomous work of art. The letters, numbers, signs, symbols, figures, images and representations form an intimate story of the artist about himself, about life, about people and places, about painting, music, philosophy and religion. They bear witness to the artist's extensive interests and erudition as a connoisseur of bygone eras, exotic cultures, foreign languages and secret beliefs. They are echoes of his fascination with the works of the old masters, a record of artistic discourse with the work of contemporary artists, an attempt to formulate his own theoretical reflection on the canons and essence of art. The subtlety of drawing, lyricism of expression, color sensitivity and compositional proficiency make the books provide painting lovers with satisfaction and joy. In turn, their complex symbolism and multilingual texts, full of references to the classics of literature, poetry, philosophical writings and theological treatises, are an intellectual challenge for readers. [text unsigned.] Gift of Zbigniew Makowski enriches BN's collection of art books, 9 III 2016, https://www.bn.org.pl/aktualnosci/428-dar-zbigniewa-makowskiego-wzbogacil-kolekcje-ksiazek-artystycznych-bn.html#gal1457535105109-7

♣ a fee will be added to the auctioned price, in addition to other costs, based on the right of the author and his heirs to receive remuneration in accordance with the Law of February 4, 1994 - on Copyright and Related Rights (droit de suite).

Zbigniew Makowski (Warsaw, 31 I 1930 - Warsaw, 19 VIII 2019) studied at the Academy of Fine Arts in Warsaw from 1950 to 1956, receiving his diploma in the studio of Kazimierz Tomorowicz. Initially he leaned towards Surrealism - during his stay in Paris in 1962 he came into contact with André Breton and the international Phases movement. However, the decisive influence on the expression of his art came from the non-painterly interests he pursued. He is literate, poetic, erudite, especially an expert in the broad spectrum of philosophy and secret knowledge of many cultures. He uses this expertise in his paintings, drawings, as well as in unique books, which he makes with his own hands on specially prepared papers. In his works he layers symbols, quotations and meanings into a seemingly unreadable chaos. However, it is fair to believe critics who claim that Makowski's works open up a world of peculiar narrative to the patient and intellectually prepared "reader." In turn, the artist himself draws attention to the "permutation" structure of his works, in which various quotations and cultural references are intertwined with his private iconography. Be that as it may, it is certainly possible to distinguish a certain visual-symbolic "alphabet" in Makowski's works, the elements of which constantly appear in them in various configurations. These include, for example, such images as a key, ladder, well, mandala, chalice, etc. They are surrounded by inscriptions, often in Latin, as well as single numbers, letters and ornaments. Someone described them as rebuses of great beauty, which can be read, or contemplated. Since 1982, the artist stopped exhibiting, but not creating. At that time, works were created that were a kind of modern notebook, started back in the 1960s, to which the artist returns with new thoughts. The artist is the recipient of many awards, including the Norwid Art Criticism Award (1973) and the Jan Cybis Award (1992). His large composition "Mirabilitas secundum diversos modos exire potest a rebus" (1973-1980) adorns the Geneva headquarters of the United Nations as a gift from the Polish government.