18.04.15 2015

Editor: So this artwork is titled "18.04.15" created by Andrzej Nowacki in 2015. It appears to be a textile piece with a geometric pattern. I am struck by the complexity of the lines, almost an optical illusion, it moves your vision back and forth. What do you see in this piece from a formalist point of view? Curator: Precisely. My interest resides in its visual architecture. The arrangement of these vertical lines generates a dynamic interplay of light and shadow. Consider the texture and subtle undulation in each band; their convergence point offers what the Gestaltists call “prägnanz”—a moment of pure formal clarity. What design principle is at play here? Editor: Well, the piece feels symmetrical at first glance, and then asymmetry comes through as you focus. Curator: Yes, symmetry disturbed by a complex series of varied vertical lines of several hues: this suggests an active attempt to test or problematize classic ideals of balanced composition. Do you notice a grid? Editor: I do now that you mention it! So even though it looks like chaotic lines, there's order deep in its structure, kind of a scaffold... And the colors help highlight different areas of the grid? Curator: Precisely, it uses the grid both as a structural support and a surface upon which to build complex visual relationships and subtle variations. The artist seems to want to generate formal tension. Color serves not only decorative, but organizational, function. Nowacki, is ultimately inviting us to confront these relationships and challenge our ideas of static visual harmony. Editor: I never thought about grids in textile works, only painting. Seeing the pattern in that scaffold makes this piece come together! Thank you! Curator: An illuminating observation. Examining art through formal structures offers us pathways to deeper interpretive possibility.