LEON TARASEWICZ – GENIUS OR ONE HIT WONDER?

Białystok isn’t exactly blessed with too many contemporary art venues – In fact, for its size and hard edged reputation, where you would expect to find at least two or three small alternative style galleries tucked away here and there somewhere off the high-street, there is in fact none… What it lacks in this respect however is more than made up for by Galeria Arsenal.

Attached to the city's beautiful Pałac Branickich w Białymstoku it boasts a calendar of rolling exhibitions which range in their international substance as much as any that Warsaw has to offer. But, like most venues, shows can be hit and miss regardless of their cultural status, so having work by Leon Tarasewicz, whether genius or not, for me this month - a definite hit…

The current work on show represents a rather sketchy, though interesting retrospective of work however by one of Białystok’s own. Rated among the top ten most important contemporary artists in Poland, Tarasewicz also rates as possibly one of only two or three high profile painters I’ve actually come to like here myself. The problem as things currently stand however, as evident by viewing the work first hand in Białystok, is that Tarasewicz clearly displayed his greatest powers as a painter early on in his career and now appears to be stuck somewhere in no-man’s land or worse still for a painter, the proverbial corner.

Pared down to become almost nothing but motif, his earliest canvases are saved from being mere pattern by a clear link to their original source and a sublime use of unadorned figuration!

1987 - 190 x 260 - dyptyk, olej na płótnie

Unfortunately not so in recent times! Whether Tarasewicz is going through a personal battle with content or bending to the pressure of intellectual conceptualism is unclear. His output in recent years has remained true to his passion for the Polish Landscape and his subject remains clear in reference to earlier work, but for whatever reason, what has become evident is that the artist has essentially abandoned his prowess as a painter and ‘the canvas’ alike in favour of a much less considered means of painting - finding its expression in a giddy kaleidoscope of colour adorning the very fabric of numerous venues and self built rooms as a poor cousin to installation.

Still, the show’s definitely worth a look as the artist at worst remains intriguing with his best work outweighing the bad…! Also showing this month: New / Old Routes, a selection of Central Asian Video: Simply tedious in my honest opinion!

AND ON A SAD NOTE..,

.., we’ve just learnt that the place which has essentially become our local – a place which effortlessly plays our endless CD compilations for fun – a place where incidental acquaintances have become good mates, is due to close at the end of June...

Propping up the bar in Rubikon – Photo: Michał Opryszczko

... It’s a long and stupid story of government regulation, whereby the block in which Rubikon is attached is to be demolished and rebuilt because of some clause which deems it illegal when built under communism, this giving some opportunist developer scavenging rights to what is essentially a sound building and great pub… This of course leaves the poor owners out of pocket and ‘more importantly’ nowhere that bears the simplest resemblance to a real pub for Dominika and me to sup in, bar only one other - Tawerna way out on the other side of town… Sad..? Devastating actually!

AN ERROR DOES NOT BECOME A MISTAKE UNTIL YOU REFUSE TO CORRECT IT

Bit of a chaotic yet delightful week away which saw us travelling more than’s fit for old bones and unnecessarily agonizing over work left behind in Białystok; but, with Dominika basking in the glory of bumping into ‘Kevin the Fireman’ in one of the many Irish Bars in Warsaw, then it was more than worth all the worry of being away from the studio and putting the body through just a tad more than’s healthy for it.

Who the devil is ‘Kevin the fireman’ though I hear you ask..! Well, Kevin, is a bit of a celebrity here who, being English, takes part in one of those reality TV shows where I gather, because I’ve got to say I’ve never had the pleasure of seeing it, he and fellow foreigners ‘compete’ in a word fest by showing off their competence in Polish prose and the like… Dominika’s favourite, Kevin is unbelievably fluent in Polish, but thankfully, because of a little dig from Dominika regarding my own inadequacies regarding the language, admitted in broad cockney how it’s taken him fifteen ‘blaady’ years of hard graft to get where he is today..!

Anyway, Kevin aside, and on our return the two canvases I began a couple of weeks ago revealed themselves as having nothing more but the hallmarks of ‘mistake’ plastered all over them.., not, I might add, from the lack of competence, but as this week’s useful break clarified, because they reflect fully the type of painter I simply don’t want to be!

So, all change once again it is then beginning today! This.., along with an agreement between Dominika and myself for change on all counts regarding our work and social lives alike, including the dreaded but necessary need for exercise which I began myself yesterday with my first run in nearly six months – I’m physically dying as a result today but mentally in much better fettle to face the fight ahead.

Last week then, if not a little over indulgent, was a tonic for the soul and did manage to clarify a lot of things regarding future plans. Combining a bit of work it was great again to catch up with a few old mates with visits to Poznan where we met up with Zbyszek and Wiola for three days at one of the lakes nearby to chill and ‘help’ Zbyszek get to grips with his new found fame as a now published novelist ;-) After a final day there shaking off two days of supping to get fit for Warsaw and the inevitable drinking sessions to follow, we set off on the five hour journey to meet up with Andrzej and Jasz, who once again kindly put us up for a couple of nights (this time in their currently empty new apartment which in addition to being big enough to house a fleet of buses, overlooks the whole city centre in a way which only really happens as backdrops in Manhattan style movies) before kindly posing for next year’s entry for the BP Awards.

After a great photo session which saw Andrzej and Jasz posing to perfection and the inevitable disappointment of searching out and finding lokal_30 closed again (underlining the fact that Warsaw might just have to be bypassed to get to where we’re going) we headed off down to Jazz Pub calling in at the Irish bar on the way first where Kevin lifted the spirits before Wisia would lift them further… You may remember I’ve mentioned Wisia, the ex super-model before… Now the owner of Jazz Pub, she remains one of the greatest attractions of Warsaw for both Dominika and myself alike, and although she refuses still to pose for shots, so remaining elusive regarding a desire to be painted, she did finally surrender to two or three drunken snaps as Dominika whipped out the camera :-)

Yup, a grand week had by all, but a week which was bound to remind one of one’s priorities. All hands to the pump it is from now on then, with a clear vision of Berlin beyond these wonderful fields of Poland!

HAVE PROMISED MYSELF TO AVOID TOO MUCH FOOTBALL TALK HERE

.., but one final word must be given to the lads who are Sunderland Association Football Club for rounding off a brilliant week by winning the Championship in such style to bring back the kind of pride which, for us long suffering supporters, we thought impossible just a year ago when we were the laughing stock of the football world.., being as it were then the worst top-flight club in history! Premiership here we now come however, and you Manchester Uniteds, Chelseas and Arsenals just better watch your rich arse backsides for we are definitely on the rise again :-)

Click on the photo above to view a little video made by one of our supporters - It certainly brought a tear of joy to this soft bugger anyway..!