The nature’s gentle harmony is, probably, the best remedy for the speeding time of today. It stabilizes the ground beneath our martyred feet.

~ Mateusz Świątecki

Bartek Świątecki, aka Penner, has a style that is a confidently defined blend of bold colors, geometric shapes, and abstract forms harmoniously intertwined. It’s a graphical minimalism that speaks volumes, with straight lines and pure colors forming complex, geometrical clusters. This unique visual language demonstrates his mastery of blending traditional graffiti with modern abstraction and reflects a deep engagement with high art and youth culture. His murals and canvas works, often large-scale, are known for their dynamic and vibrant nature, inviting viewers into a world where street art and fine art converge.

Usually, you don’t see his canvasses in a field of cows.

This new book of photos documenting his newest painting project outside the country features Stare Kowkowo, a village in the administrative district of Gmina Jonkowo in northern Poland—23 kilometers northwest of the regional capital, Olsztyn. Stare Kawkowo is part of a region known for its picturesque landscapes and historical significance​. In the graffiti and street art world since the mid-1990s, Świątecki has etched a significant voice on contemporary art, so why not bring contemporary art into the heart of his natural homeland?

Looking through the text-free pages of the artist in the wooded areas and rolling pastures, you understand that his painting is not just an expression but a dialogue between himself and the world. Perhaps it is an effort to transcend conventional boundaries and labels, offering a unique perspective on his artistic journey, a testament to the evolving relationship between different art forms and cultural expressions.

Like the anonymous work we find on the streets, he’s not offering interpretation.

The painters’ brother Mateusz Świątecki, in the foreword of the book, eloquently adds, “Bartek’s paintings keep vibrating, as the light vibrates under our eyelids, in their unbridled dance of endless creation: as a spasm of condensed matter just before being jetted into the oceans of entropy in the Big Bang.”

He further reflects, “Bartek never explains what he has meant, which is very good. We may embark on a journey to find meanings and impressions alone – with no luggage and totally free. And, perhaps, it is what those paintings are about.”

This sentiment captures the essence of Pener’s art – an invitation to explore and interpret freely, unhindered by narrative or analysis.

Bartek Świątecki / Stare Kawkowo 2023 / Printed in Poland © 2023 Bartek Świątecki

238

138

45