De oorlog is voorbij! (self-portrait on an Andy Warhol base)
* zeefdruk * 82 x 71 cm * 1972
collectie Frank Heirman, Antwerpen
In 1972, founding artist of Goldwell Open Air Museum Albert Szukalski had a solo exhibition at the MultiArt Gallery of Liliane and Paul Ibou in Antwerp. At the same time, Szukalski presented two different shows with two different invitations, one pop art, the other one conceptual. For ‘13 self-portraits on an Andy Warhol base’ Szukalski took a silk-screened self-portrait of Warhol and introduced his own self-portrait in it. He performed the result in thirteen different colours in Warhol’s way.
The second part of the exhibition ‘General view on culture (?)’, presented a series of thirteen square mirrors carrying comments such as “General view on culture” or “An innocent onlooker”. Szukalski ironically stated that, with his mirrors he had created both a utility object for the lady and an art object with a deeper thought for the gentleman…
General view on culture (?) * spiegels (details) * (x2) 100 x 100 x 13 cm * 1972
collectie Verbeke Foundation, Kemzeke
General view on culture (?) * spiegels (details) * (x2) 100 x 100 x 13 cm * 1972
collectie Verbeke Foundation, Kemzeke
With Adriaan Raemdonck’s gallery De Zwarte Panter in Antwerp, Szukalski established his longest and closest collaboration. The gallery dedicated four solo exhibitions to the artist in the seventies. In 1973 the exhibition ‘Bagage’ presented a series of assemblages of suitcases and a scaled-down version in bronze. Later in the same year, the exhibition ‘Safari’, in collaboration with the fur manufacturer Benoit, showed a series of large-scale collages made of fur. At the vernissage, Szukalski had a model dressed in a panther coat parade with a real panther. In 1975 with the exhibition ‘Perforaties’ Szukalski presented ready-made sculptures and objects in which he had drilled holes. In 1976, for the exhibition ‘Patate cosaque, patate sauvage’ Szukalski made a point of producing the most expens resulting in nine bronze potato sculptures.”
– Excerpt from Szukalski, Eenvoudig dus moeilijk, Retrospective Biographical Publication by Verbeke Foundation
I love that we can see Albert go from, honestly, quite a focused though still humorous body of work in conversation with Andy Warhol‘s works at the time straight into De Zwarte Panter. It states his first show was named “Bagage” and it was literally suitcases and various other forms of literal baggage. I can appreciate Adriaan’s allowance of Albert’s forward thinking/improvisational approaches to exhibitions, as that is honestly how great things are done in art. Patronage alone is a vital part of creation, whether it’s by one’s self or an art collector; so Adriaan letting Albert come in and do his thing so seemingly carelessly reads as a refreshing take on “fringe” art practices happening at the time.
This is something Albert often considered in his works; the concept of the moment, intuition, situations. He was called “the situation-maker” by the Antwerp press, a name he proudly kept and one that seemed to fuel his works in the early 70’s, mostly at De Zwarte Panter. Brilliance can be beckoned by simply “letting go” or being mindfully free of any constraints; real or imagined. It can be more difficult than actually planning out ones moves / paintings, sculptures, etc.
I like to think Albert remembered that consistently throughout his years and subconsciously communicated it in his works.
