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Waldek Dynerman holds an MFA in painting from the Warsaw Fine Arts Academy. He works primarily in painting and sculpture, often presented in form of installations. Dynerman has shown his work in many solo and group shows, both locally and internationally. He teaches art at the Milwaukee Institute of Art and Design. He spent last spring in Berlin, where he was an artist in residence. In “oil and cement” at the Howthorn Gallery, Dynerman presents large-scale paintings and sculptures, all executed between 2017-2019, strongly influenced by the current political climate and events. 

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oil and cement.

instead of artist statement.

 

Visual art is non-verbal but we don’t seem to be comfortable with that. When faced with a laborious journey to decipher what is there, we desire explanations uncertain of our own ability to feel and imagine. An artist is often tempted to provide the explanation as well to assure communication. Regrettably when done, it often turns poetic to ordinary, beautiful to commonplace and complex to declaratory. Art explained dies.

Only poets know how to do it well. So, no statement here, only  a few points to make the navigation of oil and cement easier. 

 

One.

A son of the Holocaust survivor, I was told Shoah stories before I could read or write. It shaped me for life. The horrors of present-day injustices and wars are always in front of me. I cannot look the other way. 

 

Two.

Honesty is important. Pompous and pretentious is hard to stand. Posturing is annoying when done by artists, and scary and dangerous when done by presidents. My work relies on honesty in messaging and processes. 

 

Three. 

My work is intensely autobiographical, mirroring past and present. However, it is not important that the personal is deciphered. It only matters to me as a point of departure.

 

Four.

I want my work to be fun to make and look at. I want it to meander, to be complex and indirect, to be confusing, surprising and unpredictable. I rather make no art, than boring art.

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