Since May 7th, the Municipal Gallery bwa presents a monographic exhibition of works by Ryszard Wietecki, entitled „Paintings.” Over 30 works by the artist from the years 1966-2014 are presented. The exhibition will be open until June 3rd, 2015.

One can several origins of the artistic oeuvre of Ryszard Wietecki: from matter painting to organic abstraction to surrealism. None of these references isn’t a leading influence, though. They’re rather subjects of artistic compilations. In the element of the creative process one can see the process of going from the chaos of exploration to the construction of sublime form
of the composition. The road he travelled helped him define the creative credo and find independence. Due to the diversity of these experiences, the artist was able to determine his own style. Wietecki’s images are immediately recognisable. The formula of their presentation is based on simple, clear solutions.
The clarity of the image acts as a visual message, where the form dominated the contents. Discipline of message is concentrated on a strongly emphasised subject with highlighted solid and a texture dazzling with „predacity”. Terse compositions indicate a content thread that is only initiated and as if hidden encrypted. Synthesis of the thought contained within a sign draws attention, focus, intrigues. This creates a feeling of communing with some alphabet or pictographic writing, which we want to decipher and understand. Monumental, single-colour forms, presented in sharp tones, act like fantastic objects which are difficult to be associated with something that exists around us. Texturally painted solids solid stand out clearly to the fore. The ubiquitous plain white background increases the contrast, bringing to mind a natural atlas of minerals or fossils. However, in these presentations there’s also something else, something supernatural and unsettling. The author calls these objects finds from the future.
Jacek Soliński
from the catalogue „Ryszard Wietecki Znaki z przyszłości”, Bydgoszcz 2005

Ryszard Wietecki was born on January 5th, 1940, in Bydgoszcz. In 1953-1959 studied in the National High School of Art Techniques in Bydgoszcz. Studied at the Faculty of Fine Arts of the University of Nicolaus Copernicus in Toruń. In 1964, graduated under Prof. Stanisław Borysowski. In December that year, he became a member of the Association of Polish Artists. He does easel painting, draws and does functional graphics. His works were presented at both individual and group exhibitions in Poland and abroad. He also participated in numerous painting open airs and post-open-air exhibitions. His works can be found in several museums in Poland and in private collections abroad.
In 1965, he went to Bulgaria for art exchange. While there, he saw – among others – the collections of old icons (Ruse, Stara Zagora, Tirnowo, Sofia). In 1966-1976, he participated in the exhibition of the first informal creative group in Bydgoszcz, which he established together with Jerzy Gurda and Leon Romanow. In 1971, he applied to the Ministry of Culture and Art for a scholarship in Italy; instead, he was given the opportunity to take part in an art scholarship in Moscow and Leningrad (now Saint Petersburg), where he familiarised himself with the rich collection of European avant-garde art of the early 20th century presented in the Hermitage.
In 1970-1972, together with Leon Romanow, was active in the domain of conceptual art, founding the „Independent Non-Existent Gallery NIE”. They printed and distributed across the country the subsequent editions of the „Non-existent Gallery” the „NIECH” Gallery and the Semi-official House of the Independent”. They also presented their objects at unconventional conferences and artistic meetings. After 1972, they gave up their work in this area. The full documentation of the „Independent Non-existent Gallery NIE” prints, objects, as well as paintings and drawings by Leon Romanow and Ryszard Wietecki from the beginning of 1970s was presented for the first time in 1995 in the Regional Museum in Bydgoszcz, at the exhibition titled „1970s Place of Art Bydgoszcz”.
In 1979, the artist lost most of his works as a result of a fire in the studio. This has led to several years of absence in creative activity, caused by the trauma brought about by the loss of the existing artistic oeuvre.
In the 1990s, he created the works in a new series, which continues to this day, titled „Finding from the Future.” The exhibitions of the works in the years 2011-2014 present the interests of the artist supported by the digital printing technique.
opening of the exhibition: 07.05.2015, 6pm
the exhibition will be open until May 31st, 2015.
Curator – Danuta Pałys