Dominik Wlodarek (PL)

Dominik Wlodarek (PL)
Text written by GHA

Polish artist Dominik Wlodarek’s carborundum engravings convey a cityscape destined for hard work, yet the simple shapes of the skyline create a solitary calm. Wlodarek’s cityscapes are kept in a dark colour palette, underlined by the deliberate use of shadowy white. 

Various shades of transparency add dimension to the structures, which fade into the distance. Intricate details contrast and emphasise the large constructions in the composition. The dark tones enhance the industrial scenes depicting gloomy, isolated cities with bare tree branches, and the wide, cloudy sky conveys the winter chill outside. The construction sites give the impression of hard work without any particular work process being visible. Although the industrial atmosphere of the city suggests busy streets and loud noise, there are no human figures to be seen. 

Dominik Wlodarek (PL)

The cranes are left to themselves.A sense of distance is created between the viewer and the image shown. Whether it is a wide expanse of water or a high window frame, an invisible barrier seems to separate the two.The compositions show the city from a distant perspective – from far away, from far above, and behind the lattice of the window. This alienation evokes a sense of loneliness, but also makes the cityview seem smaller and calmer. Wlodarek plays with the viewer’s sense of space in his skylines: their size renders the city smaller as it seems to disappear in the distance. 
Wlodarek’s monochrome etchings, which scan the silent skylines behind the window, convey a stillness in this otherwise seemingly busy cityscape. The viewer is invited to linger in this solitary scene that captures the hardships of industrial environments and addresses the neglect of natural habitats by contemporary society.

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