Jan Ziemski (1920 -1988), Untitled, 1974

Own technique, plate, 50.5 x 50.5 cm, signed and dated on the reverse: 'JAN ZIEMSKI | 1974'

One of the leading representatives of the so-called matter painting. He received his artistic education while studying at the Janina Miłosiowa Free School of Painting and Drawing in Lublin (1942-46), while he consolidated his theoretical knowledge of the visual arts by studying art history at the John Paul II Catholic University of Lublin. He was a co-founder of the Lublin "Castle" group (1956-1959), formed among the students there, and counted among the most interesting and avant-garde Polish art groups, which included Włodzimierz Borowski, Ryszard Kiwerski, Tytus Dzieduszycki and Jerzy Ludwiński. Ziemski actively participated in a number of competitions and art exhibitions, such as the Biennale of Spatial Forms in Elblag, the Koszalin Plein-Air in Osieki, the Symposium of Artists and Scientists in Puławy and many others. Since the 1940s, he was interested in astronomy, space science and science fiction. The beginning of his artistic path is marked by surrealist works, among which frequent motifs were puppet-like figures (Mona Lisa, Semaphore). Gradually, his artistic technique began to mature in the direction of more abstract forms, suggesting a fascination with issues related to matter, which were reflected in the so-called "formuras" executed in plaster. Beginning in the mid-1960s, he turned to geometric abstraction, creating distinctive collage-like semi-spatial compositions of thin, spherically curved, mostly black, white and red slats. Many of these works can be categorized as op-art direction, using the laws of illusion, physiology and psychology of perception, theory of vision and color.