Modern art is a phenomenon that emerged at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries, causing a revolution in the approach to painting and redefining traditional aesthetic canons. Rejecting realism and academic rules, modern artists focused on freedom of expression, innovation and new techniques that opened up completely new spaces for imagination and interpretation. Painting, as the main form of this art, became a medium that not only reproduces reality, but also interprets it, transforms it and allows for the artist's own, subjective view of the world.
The Beginnings of Modern Art: From Realism to Abstraction
In the 19th century, painting began to evolve from a realistic representation of reality to more free interpretations. Impressionism was one of the first movements to oppose traditional academism - impressionist painters such as Claude Monet and Edgar Degas focused on the rendering of fleeting moments, the play of light and shadow and the subjective reception of the moment.
Expressionism and Fauvism, which emerged at the beginning of the 20th century, further expanded the scope of painterly experimentation. Expressionists such as Edvard Munch and Ernst Ludwig Kirchner used intense colors and deformed forms to show emotions, fears, and inner experiences. Fauvists such as Henri Matisse emphasized color and its power of impact, which resulted in bold color combinations and expressiveness.
Abstraction and New Forms of Expression
One of the most radical stages in modern art was the emergence of abstraction. Artists such as Wassily Kandinsky and Kazimir Malevich abandoned the representation of recognizable forms, focusing instead on shapes, lines, colors, and their symbolism. Abstraction opened the door to creating art independent of physical reality, allowing for the expression of ideas, emotions, and mental states in a way never seen before.
Surrealism: Exploring the Subconscious
Started by André Breton and inspired by Freud's theories, Surrealism aimed to explore the subconscious and reveal the world of dreams, desires, and fantasies. Salvador Dalí, René Magritte, and Max Ernst painted paintings full of unusual, often disturbing symbols and scenes that defied rational understanding. Surrealism liberated painting from the influence of logic, allowing artists to explore the unconscious and its mysterious, symbolic dimensions.
The Influence of Modern Art on Contemporary Artists
The legacy of modern art is still present in the work of contemporary artists. Modern ideas of freedom of expression, crossing boundaries, and searching for new forms are reflected in the works of contemporary painters. Mariusz Lewandowski, a Polish surrealist painter, also drew from the models of artists creating modern art. His works are distinguished by an extremely suggestive style, referring to surrealism, magical realism and the aesthetics of visions of dark, mysterious worlds. Mariusz Lewandowski's oil paintings attract attention with an intense atmosphere and extraordinary attention to detail. Lewandowski built unique compositions, in which monumental landscapes, fantastic landscapes and enigmatic figures create a mysterious and mystical space, full of symbolism.
Modern art has proven that painting is not only a representation of reality, but also a language of communication that allows us to express what is invisible and immeasurable.
His style is often compared to the work of Hieronymus Bosch, Zdzisław Beksiński and even artists inspired by fantasy, although his approach is one of a kind. His paintings are characterized by a smooth technique, masterful tonal transitions and precisely rendered details. The work of Mariusz Lewandowski is a striking example of how modern art can transcend the boundaries of traditional painting, offering viewers a space to reflect on fundamental questions about life, death, and the mystery of human existence.
The artist passed away in 2022, but his work in the form of posters is available on the website lewandowski.art.