Derision and Sacrum

Marian Pankowski By Marian Pankowski

I believe that the supreme feature of all shown sculptures is the prevailing ordinariness of the male. Sociologically, it is mockery - a brute derides a gentleman, his marble interiors and highly polished brass. Philosophically, it is liberation of a man from the pseudo-harmony of the world, which is supposedly ruled by the Creator and in fact, by supranational businessmen.

Leszek Jasiński Leszek Jasiński Leszek Jasiński Leszek Jasiński Leszek Jasiński

With this artist I enjoy the generous carnality of the medieval-like shameless characters. They share some of the arrogance of the proud peasant Kaziuk, a protagonist from a great epic story of the communism era - „Konopielki” by Edward Redliński. In these rough faces and gestures there is a little bit of us, ‘males’, when standing upright we fantasmatically bring a ‘female’ down to her knees so that, as one can see, she is just ready to give pleasure.

However, neither the nudity nor all the body issues have got anything to do with exhibitionism and, so trendy today, sex. In Jasiński’s works, the nudity and bodies are an organic part of our earthly being... just like a throng of worshippers during the May vespers at the Franciscan church in my home city of Sanok sixty years ago. While worshipping the blooming meadows, I was standing and throbbing, high on frankincense and schoolgirl’s sweat that was just about leaning on me.

The artist’s view on our earthly vale of tears and God’s heaven is close to my heart. Thus, I would shrug just like he did when he was asked if he believed in God at all, at the very foothills of Golgotha!

If only the Polish, at least the ones with A-levels, would like to acknowledge that the sacred is not necessary a priest’s vestry…



Selected works

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