In Conversation with Janusz Tworek

Janusz Tworek, lives in Krakow, Poland and Tenerife and has been an architect for almost 40 years. Like everyone who works in this profession, Janusz Tworek is suspended between artistic sensitivity and engineering precision of thinking. In addition to drawing and painting, he made attempts in the field of ceramics and stained glass. He is also involved in photography for most of his life. The unique atmosphere of Tenerife, the openness of the local population promotes self-development and work on oneself. Janusz Tworek is a self-taught painter.

One of the most outstanding contemporary painters, Francis Bacon, was also a self-taught artist, gives Janusz Tworek the motivation to work on artistic development. He constantly observes reality, which is why he tries his hand at realistic and abstract painting. Apart from painting, Janusz Tworek still draws with pencils, charcoal and pastels.

Sometimes he uses other techniques as well. All this means that Janusz Tworek does very diverse things, both in terms of mood and expression. Much depends on the atmosphere of the moment in which he is. Living in Tenerife, Janusz Tworek met an exceptional person with a typically Canarian kindness and cheerful spirit, an outstanding artist, Javier Huerta, who is both a professional and self-taught artist. Many of works by Janusz Tworek are inspired by contact with this exceptional artistic personality. In Poland, Janusz Tworek collaborates with several art galleries: Pikoteka, Ether, Kontroversjska, Avantgarden, ArtBay, MB-Artconsult. Janusz Tworek also collaborates with the M.A.D.S Art Gallery in Milan, Galeria Paks Wienna, ArtioGallery Toronto, Itsliquid Group Italy and the Rossocinabro Gallery in Rome.

What’s your artistic background?

I have been an architect for 45 years. Back then everything was done by hand. That’s why I’ve been drawing for 45 years. I’ve been painting for 8 years. Being an architect is not only a profession, it is also a specific way of contesting reality. Three-dimensional space and human needs are the basis for practicing this profession. This sharpens the view on all aspects of human presence in the surrounding reality. It arouses sensitivity to all changes. And since my youth, man’s relationship with reality has changed dramatically. I won’t say for the better. And that scares me a bit. That’s why I paint like this.

What’s integral to the work of an artist?

Observation of the surrounding reality and reacting to it. The basis is sensitivity to all possible emotional stimuli. They create art.

What role does the artist have in society?

For centuries, and in fact since the creation of art, the role of the artist was basically equal to philosophy. All manifestations of artistic activity commented on life both in the spiritual and material spheres. It was active contestation that gave direction to the spiritual and emotional development of man. This should continue to be the case, but unfortunately it is not anymore. The commercialization of life irretrievably loses a lot of people’s ability to contest art and influence it on their life’s development. It is very sad. The role of art is very marginalized.

What art do you most identify with?

In principle, I identify with any art that is not only based on formalism. The slogan art for art’s sake is foreign to me. Art must move what is important in a man and most often hidden in the subconscious.

What art do you most identify with?

I create emotionally. I am a very emotional man. I paint what I feel at the moment and what seems important to me. But my main theme is man and his spiritual condition.

What’s your favourite art work?

My favorite work is Michelangelo’s Pieta Rondanini. It is an absolutely timeless and universal work. The method of its creation does not explain its unusual attributes. In my opinion, it is something unique in the entire history of art.

Describe a real-life situation that inspired you?

I am not inspired by any specific situations. I am inspired by the emotions that I experience at a moment or period of my life. My whole life has shaped me and it inspires me.

What jobs have you done other than being an artist?

Because my life, like everyone in Poland of my generation, was not easy, I did many things. I am an architect by education and this is what I mainly dealt with. Besides, I was a craftsman, a clerk, a local government politician and finally a developer building housing estates. In the first years after graduation, I changed jobs several times.

What memorable responses have you had to your work?

Once, during a collective exhibition, an art curator of an important museum stated that he was most interested in my works. I was the only untrained artist at this exhibition. As I am by nature very critical of what I do, I was very surprised.

What food, drink, song inspires you?

I am inspired by the emotions that I experience and only them. I listen to music several hours a day. Music has accompanied me since my youth. That’s why it’s very hard to say if I’m inspired by any particular song. Sometimes it’s samba and sometimes Led Zeppelin.

Is the artistic life lonely? What do you do to counteract it?

I am a loner by nature. I keep meeting my friends. Man is lonely by choice or accident. Profession, I don’t think, has anything to do with it.

What do you dislike about the art world?

I don’t like excessive commercialism. I also don’t like shallow art. Form has now prevailed over substance.

What do you dislike about your work?

Basically, I like everything except selling.

What do you like about your work?

What I like most is that painting gives me the opportunity to visualize my emotions.

Should art be funded?

I believe that art should be co-financed by the state. Art should be supported. Museums should have money to promote art, not just to buy big names.

What role does arts funding have?

A very difficult question. If art raises money only from sales to private individuals, this has consequences. Once upon a time there was art in every home of people from a middle-class. Currently, art is beyond the interest of a middle-class man. Art has largely become a “capital investment” and not a means of satisfying emotional needs. This leads to the need to hit tastes in order to sell. Unfortunately, this is how “emotionally difficult” art disappears. The states should enter this place together with art curators.

What is your dream project?

I don’t have a dream project. I am a modest and reasonable person.

Name three artists you’d like to be compared to.

Pablo Picasso, Egon Schiele, Francis Bacon (a painter not a philosopher).

Favourite or most inspirational place ?

I don’t have any particular places that inspire me. I live partially in the beautiful city of Krakow in Poland and in Tenerife and there is no difference when it comes to painting.

What’s the best piece of advice you’ve been given?

I don’t remember of any advice that would have any particular influence on what I do in art.

Professionally, what’s your goal?

Like every artist, I would like to be able to reach as many people as possible and arouse their interest in my art.

future plans?

Continuing to paint, developing in this direction. Work, work and more work.