AN INDELIBLE IMPRESSION IN SURREAL AND DARK ART

Zdzisław Beksiński, the artist known for his surreal and dark works

Meeting Benches is a virtual meeting and inspirational place for travelers, artists, thinkers and dreamers from all over the world. Here, virtual “benches” act as a connection point, creating an atmosphere of sharing and inspiration that allows people to share art, travel stories and thoughts. You can find articles about emerging and established artists, art galleries, poems, stories and much more. In essence, it is a digital refuge for those who love art and creativity. Meeting Benches stands out from other art blogs for its unique and poetic nature, in fact, it embraces art in all its forms. Among the artists presented on the platform, Zdzisław Beksiński, whose creations we invite you to appreciate online through WikiArt, MutualArt or Artnet, has immortalized unforgettable apocalyptic scenarios that have been digitally interpreted by Dastilige Nevante. Type in “Painters” if you want to know more.

Painters choose dark colors to create a sophisticated and intimate atmosphere, to enhance other elements or to capture light to create shadows and contrasts. Dark colors are used to create specific effects: a combination of a dark wall and a light floor, or the use of shades similar to the color of the back wall to create a pleasant and refined combination. In addition, you should limit the palette to a maximum of 3 colors, using different percentages for walls, furniture and color accents. Yellow, a symbol of life and serenity, was Van Gogh‘s favorite color. Light blue was the spiritual color par excellence in the canvases of Vassily Kandinsky. Ultramarine blue Jan Vermeer characterizes the shades of the turban in “Girl with a Pearl Earring“. Zdzisław Beksiński, on the other hand, created contrasting tones and figures emerging from the darkness.

Sanok, a picturesque town in the Polish province of Subcarpathia, has an open-air museum with a reconstruction of life in wooden houses in the past centuries and a monument dedicated to the good soldier Josef Szwejk, a symbol of peaceful resistance and social criticism, created by the writer Jaroslav Hašek. To reach Sanok from Krakow, the journey by car of about 240 km takes about 3 hours. You can stay at the Hotel i Restauracja Bona and enjoy potato pancakes at “Gospoda Pod Biala Gora“. Why that gastronomic choice? You will find out that we are also what we eat by reading the book dedicated to the good soldier Szwejk, or by learning more about the painter Zdzisław Beksiński, an artist who created his works through various techniques, mainly painting and drawing.

Zdzisław Beksiński, a Polish artist born in Sanok, Poland, was known for his surreal works characterized by extraordinarily evocative images, he used a combination of acrylics, oils and mixed media techniques to bring his visions to life on canvas. He studied architecture at the Academy of Fine Arts in Krakow. During the early years of his artistic career, he created abstract drawings and paintings influenced by the European avant-garde art of the time. It was from the 1970s that Beksiński developed his own style characterized by disturbing images, apocalyptic landscapes and grotesque figures. His works, reflecting his observations of human nature, explored death, anguish and transcendence. Despite the dark content of his works, this eccentric artist never gave explanations about the meanings attached to his images, leaving the viewers free to interpret the works according to their own sensibilities.

After completing his architectural studies in Kraków, Beksiński returned to Sanok and began exploring photography, creating evocative and often dark images. His creations denote a style often described as a mixture between utopian realism and surreal architecture, almost like an apocalyptic scenario. Throughout his career, Zdzisław Beksiński also stood out for his approach to life and creativity. Reserved and introspective, immersed in his art, he preferred to work in solitude in his studio. Yet, despite his reserve, he was loved by both the artistic community and the public. His works, a source of inspiration for many forms of artistic expression, have influenced numerous contemporary artists. Through images, his ability to convey complex and universal emotions has made him an icon of surreal and dark art. “AA78“, his 1978 painting, made with oil on board, presents evocative and disturbing images.

His disturbing images depict surreal environments, death, decay and landscapes populated by skeletons and deformed figures. “Untitled Work“, 1984, a painting created with oil and acrylic on board, is another example of his gothic style characterized by hybrid creatures and apocalyptic landscapes. In the last years of his life, creating surreal and evocative images with the help of the computer, Zdzisław Beksiński began to experiment with digital photography. His career was abruptly interrupted in his home in Warsaw, when he was stabbed by an acquaintance who was looking for money. Despite his premature death, his artistic legacy continues to be recognized and appreciated, with his works exhibited in numerous exhibitions and collections around the world. In his famous dream series, “Fantastica“, created between late 1960s and mid-1980s, he painted hellish landscapes with eerie figures and ghostly architecture that made him famous in Poland and earned him recognition abroad. The combination of Gothic and Baroque elements, coupled with a deep introspection, makes the whole of his paintings a mysterious, fascinating and engaging world.

In the Historical Museum in Sanok, the Zdzisław Beksiński Gallery hosts the world’s largest exhibition of his works; the work “AA78“, an enigmatic painting made of oil on beaver board, is also exhibited in this museum. This exhibition presents the artist’s rich and diverse creativity, reflecting his stylistic development and transformations over time. You can purchase reproductions of Zdzisław Beksiński‘s works, made on fiberboard and framed in black wood, just as the artist did, at Beksstore.com. Giclee prints of Beksiński’s original drawings are also available at ShopBeksinski.com. The average price of a reproduction of Beksiński’s works can vary greatly depending on the size, quality of the print, and the medium on which it is made. You can expect to spend between $50 and $200 for a standard-sized reproduction.