DAWSKI - VERSATILE GRAPHIC

Marcin Lewicki

Stanisław Dawski is one of the classics of contemporary graphic art in Poland. Importantly, he was a multi-faceted artist who was by no means limited to this medium, but nevertheless gained recognition among experts and amateurs of graphic arts. Dawski was also a painter, he also dealt with ceramics and artistic glass. The latter area of Dawski's work was closely related to his main occupation, i.e. teaching. He was a co-founder of the Higher School of Fine Arts in Wrocław. A special department devoted to art glass was established at that university, at which Dawski spent most of his time. This field of art and the artistic milieu he co-created he devoted his publication: "Szkło wrocławskie" (Wrocław 1970).

Despite the artistic versatility, it is probably the artistic graphics that remain the most recognizable part of this author's oeuvre. It is worth noting that he used many graphic media. These were both gravure and relief printing techniques; engraved and etched techniques. Dawski left in his output examples of works in the technique of dry needle, woodcut, etching and linocut.

The presented work was created in the last of the mentioned techniques - linocut. The template for such graphics is prepared by cutting the linoleum surface. The composition obtained by the artist in this way is abstraction. However, thanks to the title given to it, it causes some associations with the visible world. "Undressing before going to bed " is an abstract representation consisting of surfaces in four colors: yellow, red, blue and black. They are round, organic in a leveled shape, overlapping in an order difficult to establish. Their arrangement, however, may resemble overlapping body parts, captured in perspective, which may connote the nudity and atmosphere of "home care".