Przejażdżka 

Curator: Piotr Michałowski’s drawing, “Przejażdżka”, captures a moment of seemingly effortless transportation. I'm struck by the immediacy of it. Editor: It's interesting how immediate the action is, you can almost feel the wheels spinning through the work’s composition. The rendering feels rough. It is also quite eerie with the faceless figures. Curator: Absolutely, and if we consider Michalowski's biography—his participation in Polish uprisings, his connections to nationalistic sentiments and artistic circles critical of class structure and power during this period, this becomes far more potent as we are able to look closer into class power and labor within Polish history and culture. It speaks to broader conversations about political oppression and national identity formation. Editor: Right. Michalowski utilized what appears to be charcoal and graphite. Look at the layers; there is a visual intensity in the movement and the materials themselves denote availability; what was at hand? I imagine that the act of creation, and the accessibility of his media choices, might signal a freedom or a certain type of visual declaration of one's independence. Curator: Indeed. In contrast to highly stylized and refined painting, these readily available drawing implements enabled quicker and perhaps more authentic representational choices during moments of turmoil in his region's timeline, creating a stark difference in comparison to highly valued and coveted artistic production practices that would have more restrictions due to material cost and location, as well as their intended patronage within high class society at this time.. It's compelling to think about how artmaking practices reflect societal upheavals of its specific time. Editor: I'm intrigued by how this ties into his choices— drawing over, maybe re-engaging with charcoal because it smudges and breaks easily could mimic the disruption to the lives that surrounded the artist, further signaling these political overtones? Curator: That’s a vital link, as you move across this drawing in such a way, consider its ability to disrupt our understanding of art as luxury and redirect our attention to more pressing socio-political and environmental considerations within global history today. Thank you, It’s such an encouragement for my analysis of intersectional power through modes of visual production today. Editor: I find the immediacy of mark-making with charcoal especially conducive for grasping this feeling of change, labor, material and historical impact that Michalowski sought to communicate, if unconsciously so, when developing Przejażdżka.