Szary chór kurzu 2021

Lech Jankowski created Szary chór kurzu, or Grey Chorus of Dust, using what appears to be paint and mixed media on a small panel. The picture looks like an empty, distressed room, rendered in layered, textured paint. The artist has manipulated the material to evoke the build-up of time, with the titular dust becoming almost tangible. The work is framed within a thick border, adding to the sense of a confined, perhaps even claustrophobic space. The visible layering suggests a slow process of accumulation, much like the dust it depicts. It begs the question: is this an image about labor and its absence? Is the artist subtly commenting on the often-invisible work required to maintain and clean such a space? By focusing our attention on the tactile qualities of this artwork, and on the traces of labor it evokes, we can appreciate how Jankowski elevates the mundane to a subject worthy of contemplation, blurring the boundaries between painting and sculpture, craft and fine art.