Jan January Janczak
Jan January Janczak (born October 1, 1938 in Środa ) is a Polish - Swiss painter , filmmaker , illustrator , sculptor and glass painter .
Life
Jan Janczak was born in Środa (Poland) shortly before the outbreak of World War II. As a child he experienced the war in Warsaw . This experience shaped him deeply and also left its mark on his artistic work. His talent for drawing was recognized early on. At the age of nine he won his first drawing competition. The headmaster of his elementary school then registered the boy for the entrance examination to the Poznan Art Middle School, which he graduated in 1957.
From 1957 he studied film, graphics and painting at the Cracow Art Academy . With a diploma thesis in painting on the subject of "portraits", he completed his studies in 1963 at a master's level.
After graduating, he turned to animation film. A number of experimental and socially critical animated short films were made, which were shown at festivals in Germany and abroad. Janczak's painting also received attention through the films. Study stays abroad took him to Switzerland in 1968, which he visited several times until 1975. This was followed by exhibitions all over Europe, in the USA and in Japan. In 1972 Janczak was appointed professor at the Academy of Fine Arts in Cracow. In 1980/81 Janczak received a scholarship from the Canton of Aargau and moved to Bremgarten with his wife and daughter in Switzerland . The family had a son in Switzerland. As part of the grant agreement, he designed some glass windows for the Grand Council building in Aarau.
Martial law was proclaimed in Poland during his stay in Switzerland . Friends warned him not to return to Krakow, as Janczak had dedicated some of his works to the Solidarność movement and had been involved in the movement in Germany and England. The family with the two children therefore decided to stay in Switzerland and moved to Wil SG in 1981 . Janczak tried to set up a film school there, but the project did not get beyond the planning phase. Therefore he turned back more to painting, sculptures, the illustration of books and stained glass. He also taught at the University of Education in Zofingen, among others.
In 1985, Janczak went to Houston ( Texas ) to study for a longer period of time , where he received honorary citizenship. In 1994 he received Swiss citizenship. In the mid-1990s he traveled to Hong Kong, where the cycle In Our Gardens was created.
Works
painting
Janczak's pictures are based on the subconscious and dreams. From the 1960s to the early 1970s, his Polish origins are evident in the pictures. Existential questions are presented metaphorically and mixed with elements of folk culture, which makes the images appear rather naive and popular. Earth tones and red tones dominate. The focus is on people making music, dancing and flying. The pictures want to trigger sadness and joy at the same time.
From the 1970s onwards, dark themes such as threat, pain, and grief dominated his paintings. But what is shown is more detailed and exact. At the same time, more life-affirming pictures are created, which are designed in lighter and friendlier colors. Both the gloomy and the friendlier images have in common that they play with perspectives and proportions and override them. As figures, the women stand in the center; they are shown with long necks and pronounced shoulders.
In the 1980s, the artist broke with his previous style. The figures, which up to now have been rather rustic, have turned into filigree, fragile figures with a tall silhouette. The figures have relatively large but slender hands. The focus is on the woman as a diva, while male figures are portrayed as clowns, musicians or jugglers. The colors cover the whole spectrum. By the mid-1990s, the pictures became more and more opulent and equipped with more and more picture elements. They show mystical worlds that are rich in stories.
In 1997 Janczak began a series of surreal portraits, the core theme of which was seeing and knowing. The portrayed often only have limited eyesight. Limbs are missing or replaced by other elements.
The latest works adore femininity. They consist of portraits of elegant women in front of a background that is often painted flat. Male admirers styled entirely in white appear as marginal figures. Otherwise the pictures are reduced to the essentials and partly in bright colors.
Sculptures
Janczak's human sculptures are characterized by excessively long limbs, long necks and narrow faces. He uses a wide range of materials for the sculptures: For example, he creates painted and glazed ceramic ( e.g. for the Grace & Beautiful cycle ), bronze ( e.g. wall sculpture Exodus 1988) or iron sculptures (Büttikon parish hall, 1993).
Animation films
From 1967 to 1980 a number of short animated films were made in the film studios in Warsaw and Cracow. Janczak directed, wrote the stories and graphically implemented the animations. They were auteur films . In terms of content, they mainly dealt with socially critical and visionary topics. Animated films want to break with classic animation. Experimentation takes place without fear of contact: For example, Janczak cuts out individual limbs such as feet or hands from paper or cardboard and animates these elements individually by hand in front of the camera.
The films were shown at international festivals, including 2015 at Fantoche .
- 1967: Czuwaj (Be vigilant)
- 1968: Latawiec (Flying Dragon)
- 1970: Aqua Pura
- 1971: Degustacja (tasting)
- 1974: Ptaki (The Birds)
- 1975: Połowanie (The Hunt)
- 1976: Bokser (The Boxer)
- 1977: recital
- 1978: Mur (The Wall)
- 1979: Cyrk (The Circus)
Art in architecture and publicly accessible works (selection)
- Landskrona (Sweden), Kaptensgården Sculpture Park - bronze sculpture (2001)
- Ilanz GR , Polenweg - wayside shrine (1995)
- Boswil , Catholic Church St. Pankraz - stained glass window (1993)
- Lustenau (A), Guthirtenkirche - altar, glass painting (1989)
- Schwarzenbach SG , Castle Chapel - altarpieces, glass windows, bronze crucifix (1989)
- Bremgarten, Hotel Sonne - stained glass (1983)
- Opfikon-Glattbrugg , St. Anna Church - winged altar (1982)
- Wil SG, Cantonal Psychiatry - Stained Glass (1980)
Books illustrated by Janczak
- Slawomir Mrozek, Tony Vinzens, Jan January Janczak: The elephant: a picture story for adults. Self-published, 1981.
- Mischa Damjan, Tony Vinzens, Jan January Janczak: The Red Poppy From Monte Cassino: A Polish Ballad. Studio Mischa Damjan / Sauerländer, Aarau 1983, ISBN 3-7941-2503-7 .
- Jan Janczak, Tony Vinzens: Der Alte Clown Jan. Verlag Toja, Wil 1985.
Awards
- 2008: "Flame of Peace", award for services to international understanding and commitment to peace
- 1985: Honorary Citizen and Goodwill Ambassador of the City of Houston , USA
- 1981: Katowice Film Festival, Poland
- 1980: Huesca Film Festival, Spain
- 1973: Cork Film Festival, Ireland
- 1967: Oberhausen Film Festival, Germany
literature
- Gerd H. Hövelmann: As close as never before. Kunsthaus Rapp, Wil 2011.
- Kunsthaus Rapp (ed.): 70 years of Jan Janczak: Between dream and reality. Kunsthaus Rapp, Wil 2008, ISBN 978-3-9522645-2-2 .
- Kunsthaus Rapp (ed.): Jan Janczak. Kunsthaus Rapp, Wil 2005.
- Reto Brun, Peter Killer, Tony Vinzens: Jan Janczak: Selected works from 1966–1999. Waser Druck, Buchs (ZH) 1999.
- Biographical lexicon of Swiss art. Dictionnaire biographique de l'art suisse. Dizionario biografico dell'arte svizzera. 1998.
- Lukas Vogel. Heidi Hostettler: Janczak & Co. In: Via. Chemins de fer fédéraux , No. 1, 1996, pp. 14-17.
- List of artists in Switzerland including the Principality of Liechtenstein. 1980-1990. Edited by the Swiss Institute for Art Research. Huber, Zurich, Lausanne 1991.
- Peter Killer: The Polish painter Jan Janczak: From the R. Collection [Aargauer Kunsthaus], Aarau 1976.
Web links
Individual evidence
- ↑ Killer / Vinzens: Jan Janczak (1999), p. 13.
- ↑ Killer / Vinzens: Jan Janczak (1999), p. 14.
- ↑ Killer / Vinzens: Jan Janczak (1999), p. 14.
- ↑ Killer / Vinzens: Jan Janczak (1999), pp. 14-17.
- ↑ Killer / Vinzens: Jan Janczak (1999), p. 18.
- ↑ Killer / Vinzens: Jan Janczak (1999), pp. 19-20.
- ↑ Killer / Vinzens: Jan Janczak (1999), p. 20.
- ↑ Official website of the artist http://www.janjanczak.ch/bio.html , as of December 4, 2016
- ↑ Official website of the artist http://www.janjanczak.ch/bio.html , as of December 4, 2016
- ↑ Official website of the artist http://www.janjanczak.ch/bio.html , as of December 4, 2016
- ↑ Official website of the artist http://www.janjanczak.ch/bio.html , as of December 4, 2016
- ↑ Official website of the artist http://www.janjanczak.ch/bio.html , as of December 4, 2016
- ^ Kunsthaus Rapp, 70 years Jan Janczak (2008) p. 59.
- ↑ Killer / Vinzens: Jan Janczak (1999), pp. 142-143
- ↑ Ammann, Ursula: A versatile creator. St. Galler Tagblatt ; November 17, 2015, p. 30.
personal data | |
---|---|
SURNAME | Janczak, Jan January |
BRIEF DESCRIPTION | Polish-Swiss painter, filmmaker, illustrator, sculptor, glass painter |
DATE OF BIRTH | October 1, 1938 |
PLACE OF BIRTH | Środa |