05.05.16, The new composition I 2016

Andrzej Nowacki made this painting sometime around 2016; the date is right there in the title. What strikes me is the process. You can almost feel him, or maybe some kind of machine, carefully layering these vertical lines. It makes me think about Sol LeWitt and his wall drawings, but with a warmer palette. The red and purple hues are so vibrant, it’s almost like looking into an infinite tunnel. Your eye keeps travelling deeper and deeper toward the center, but never quite arriving. I’m drawn to the way the colors interact, creating a kind of optical vibration. Look closely and you’ll notice how each line is slightly different, contributing to the overall feeling of movement. The more time you spend with it, the more complex it becomes. It reminds me of the op art of Bridget Riley, but with more heart. Both artists play with perception, but Nowacki’s work feels more personal, more human. And isn't that what art is all about – a conversation across time and space?