Sławomir Witkowski

In the 1980s, Sławomir Witkowski’s work consisted of simple graphic depictions of questions related to violence and aggression. His works from this period are characterized by the use of strong outlines, intense colours and straight lines and right angles. Interrogation was created in 1986. The expressive form of the lithography is emphasised by the use of dynamic, black lines, a grotesque depiction of the protagonists, and intense red and yellow colours. Interrogation is extremely expressive, and its emotional load is additionally emphasised by the title. It refers to the atmosphere and the realities of Poland in the 1980s, illustrating the tension between society and the state.  

Witkowski’s work from this period fits into the trend of new expression, indicating social and political moods. The traditional graphic workshop was treated seriously, and almost every stage of the printing process had to be well-thought-out and more or less predictable. The artistic rebellion of the 1980s also brought about changes in this field. As a result, artists have departed from academic practices associated with the traditional approach to both the subject and technology in favour of innovative solutions that resulted in the introduction of colour and the unrestricted treatment of material in the graphic arts workshop. Witkowski’s work from that period was exhibited at national exhibitions presenting ‘new expression’ art.

Sławomir Witkowski created Liberators in 1988. It is a poster referring to the ‘new expression’ aesthetics characteristic of that time, which is distinguished by intense colours, expressive lines and contours as well as engagement and opposition to existing reality. The title refers to saviours and protectors, while the speeding car captured in a dynamic composition, similar in appearance to the American Cadillac, can be understood as a symbol of the success and prosperity that were unattainable in socialist Poland in the 1980s. The proverbial American dream — the national ethos of the United States, which refers on the one hand to the ideals of democracy, equality and freedom, and on the other indicates the idolizing of success and the possibility of rapid social and economic advancement – symbolizes the values that people fought for in Poland by opposing the then political system. The car is not only a reflection of the prevailing socio-political moods, but also an indication of the cultural aspects of the consumerist lifestyle, promoted, for example, by advertising.