Szancenbach’s Student
Professor Jan Szancenbach writes about the works of his former student and academy assistant Sławomir Karpowicz; this is a fragment of his post-doctoral degree review.
In my opinion space constitutes the main area of Karpowicz’s interest. It is never space in the literal sense, one taken straight from the visible world. To conjure it up on canvas he uses neither perspective nor chiaroscuro even though both these elements can be observed in his paintings, frequently in surprising alternative manifestations of their laws, in far-reaching transpositions of their roles that can be seen in the painting of past ages. Large black areas in Karpowicz’s paintings never appear to be chromatically neutral places on the canvas as was the case in works of 19th-century painters. By contrast, they always take part in the arrangement of chromatic temperature of the works’ spectrum. The subtle and consummate diversification of the shades of black magnifies the impression of a rich colour spectrum in Karpowicz’s paintings, much as he also sets limits to his colours […].
I had a chance to observe the progress of Karpowicz’s work since his academy days: he was my student and subsequently an assistant for a number of years. His is a harmonious and consistent progress based on constantly developing the conception of his painting, and the ability to implement it and enrich its means, not sudden and irrational turns or changes. An unwavering line leads from a red interior with a mirror painted after graduation to his latest self-portraits inside his studio. Perhaps in the former his hand was guided by an instinct of a talented painter and in the latter awareness of a talented artist. Karpowicz’s constancy is one of the features that I particularly appreciate, since I believe that it always accompanies genuine pursuits and shaping one’s real personal attitude.