fot. Katarzyna Poźniak
A comment to the exhibition GIFTS – EXCHANGE OF GIFTS
Many years ago, when l was an artistic filly, l passionately read the writings by Teilhard de Chardin, a French thinker and philosopher, a Jesuit priest anyway. It was around 1963 when Andy Lachowicz presented me with the newest volume of de Chardin’s works published by PAX for my birthday. That is where l found a strikingly intelligent estimation of who the artist is. l don’t have the original on hand so l will quote this thought from my imperfect memory. According to Teilhard de Chardin, people who become artists are very detached from reality. But these are very sensitive people who feel the yearnings and mysteries of being, so to say, through their skin, they feel with their heart rather than with their mind. Thus a particular creation by an artist is not and cannot be their persona! fancy. Being an artistic oversensitive people, they express the substance of dreams, yearnings and emotions that seize a community in which they exist, hurt, rejoice and get scared at the same time. A real artist articulates the terrible tortures of the community in their art somewhat beyond their will.
Many of those cogitations explain very irrational behavior of the Romanticist artists. When in June 1963 l received a university diploma and a masters degree, l already knew that through my art l speak for millions. Puffed with this pride to this day, l consider my art as an altruistic gift for the people with whom l live through thick and thin. Like Mickiewicz and Słowacki.
The Art of Giving: Donatio Art
l wrote this text in April 2011 when l realized that l need to present people with what l am given with no difficulty or effort of mine. l get that from beyond, from a different world and l need to share it.
Natalia LL