„Nie jestem rzemieślnikiem, architektem, szewcem i ogrodnikiem” – Zdzisław Jurkiewicz w poszukiwaniu roli artysty

Abstract

“I am not a craftsman, an architect, a shoemaker or a gardener” — Zdzisław Jurkiewicz in search of the artist’s role

The article introduces a multidisciplinary artist who was active in Wrocław. Zdzisław Jurkiewicz came to Wrocław in 1950 and studied architecture at the University of Technology. Shortly afterwards he became one of the most outstanding artists of the city. In the 1960s he delved into abstract art inspired by Willem de Kooning and Pierre Soulages, but then decided to participate in the conceptual art movement. In 1970 he began experiments with conceptual photography. During the whole of the 1970s he attempted to develop his own idea of the Shape of continuity in his drawings and paintings. After creating almost eighty canvases in the Ultimate Paintings (1975–1984) series, he seemed to have exhausted the possibilities of his idea. His artistic activity in the 1990s decreased but became even more fascinating Jurkiewicz’s interests included biology, botanics and poetry. He cultivated exotic plants and called them drawings. He also designed miniature models of houses for his pets.