This Art in New York City semester exposed me to many different types of art that were worth taking the time out to see and study, however, once again I’m disappointed that my culture was forgotten. Students constantly study Italian and American art, sometimes even art from other cultures such as that of the Islamic lands. But, what about Polish art, why is it constantly overlooked? Art historian, Andrzej Szczerski, tells us that Poland “had an extremely difficult history, but its been fertile ground for culture, even under communism, when it flourished illegally”, and he’s correct in saying so. Poland is definitely making its way into the art scene.
We can see many examples of Poland’s recent art success through various artists, venues, and works of art. Famous Polish artists include Miroslaw Balka, Wilhelm Sasnal, Marcin Maciejowski, and Edward Krasinski and famous Polish art venues include the Zacheta National Gallery and the Ujazdowski Castle. My favorite among those listed would have to be Balka for his exhibition The Unilever Series. His “box of darkness” may creep some individuals out but it is well suited to my liking. The experience of the visitors of the exhibit having to trust the organization representing the traveling immigrants and their journey is, to say the least, mind-blowing. Other aspects of the exhibit represent other historical occurrences in Poland’s history, such as the trucks that took Jews away to the camps of Treblinka or Auschwitz. Personally, I find art like his, art that is interactive and representative, much more interesting and worth visiting than some of the pop art that is so widely known in our times. Perhaps, that is only my opinion. Why don’t you check it out for yourself?
http://www.artnews.com/2011/09/27/hidden-no-more/
http://www.tate.org.uk/modern/exhibitions/unilevermiroslawbalka/default.shtm
Unfortunately, I have to agree with you here. Although Polish Art may be overlooked sometimes, it’s probably because of textbook purposes. For the average art history class, I think it needs to be acknowledged that some countries are going to get more attention than others due to their other parts of history. For example, for art that changed after significant world wars and such, more attention is going to go toward the bigger and “more important” countries. In addition, I’d like to marry this idea to economic conditions. Art is almost always an extracurricular in a school, and therefore, it requires extra funding and extra attention. Think about other art programs in school like theatre. I could ask why certain musicals and plays aren’t studied, even thought they’re very good. I read a countless number a small plays that I believe deserve some acknowledgement. I think it’s the same idea as the Polish Art. Although it’s great, textbooks and classes don’t have the time to cover all the bases, so it maybe a good idea to find specific courses that are focused on Polish Art. However, this isn’t going to happen without additional funding to fuel more art classes. Provided is a link to the arts getting more attention from Obama, so maybe the future is looking brighter?!
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/04/27/magazine/27wwln-lede-t.html
You are right Monika, Polish art hasn’t given as much recognition in our local museums. In order to build a future for Polish art it starts with national museums in Poland. Many children are inspired at a young age, so in schools there must be a focus on the arts, including trips to various artistic centers. Hopefully politics will be placed aside for the benefit of the future. Nevertheless, the future seems bright and promising. Look out for up and coming Polish artists who have started getting global name recognition, including painter and sculptor Miroslaw Balka, painters Wilhelm Sasnal and Marcin Maciejowski, and sculptor and performance artist Pawel Althamer. I expect as Polish art begins to take off, wealthy patrons will help facilitate the display of such artists to bring this “forgotten culture” to the fore, just as in the recent case of Australian Aboriginal art.
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/11/05/arts/05iht-rartabor05.html?_r=1&scp=2&sq=art+funding&st=nyt