Orac Gallery

LOST SHAPES
JÓZEF KRZYSZTOF ORACZEWSKI

Lost Shapes:

 Abstraction in the Art of Józef Krzysztof Oraczewski

       Józef Krzysztof Oraczewski leads us through the threads of abstraction to the "Lost Shapes." It's an unexpected and unavoidable journey. We all sense these lost shapes—within the labyrinth of days, matter, spirit, and memory, they emerge and vanish, encrypted in various signs. They lack a lasting form, much like a scent that intoxicates, strikes, and fades, leaving unforgettable traces in our senses. They are elusive and challenging to reach, summon, decipher, or give a more enduring form than the fleeting moment.

       The artist guides us through the labyrinth of abstraction to these elusive shapes. He invokes them because they are a necessary tool. Not to deny form, break free from perception, or detach from reality, but to transcend what seems insurmountable. Józef Krzysztof Oraczewski creates abstract works that not only oppose the material world but are contained within it, expanding it into dimensions that are usually invisible and non-obvious. In his art, he seeks to penetrate deeper and reveal the shape in all its dimensions, both visible and invisible.

      In the series "Lost Shapes," the artist primarily employs monochromatic colors, mainly black and white, to emphasize the existence of non-obvious relationships and structures simmering beneath the seemingly impenetrable surface of the observed world. Indefinite forms and colors serve as a key to discovering the mysterious essence of shape, which exists both in our perception and beyond it, in the world of matter and beyond it. Furthermore, it exists both in the shape and beyond it.

      Oraczewski doesn't reject form; on the contrary, he explores it in an unconventional and unexpected way. The absence of a clear structure doesn't equate to mere formlessness. Instead, Oraczewski uses the term "Lost Shapes," suggesting that the extraordinary structure of reality is so vast and complex that we see only a fragment of it. What is visible on the surface is just a part of the entire picture, a fragment, a faint trace, the beginning of a shape emerging from substance. The rest, the hidden part, is elusive and indescribable in the language of Euclidean geometry. However, we experience it in all its intricacies continually.

      Despite being lost in the invisible web of uncertainty, these titular shapes can be found and deciphered through the abstract language of art. The term "lost" carries the promise of search, discovery, and finding. It's an encouragement that although these shapes may remain beyond our reach, they exist. Moreover, by transcending our understanding and senses, they enter other dimensions and realms of abstraction.

      Oraczewski's art assists us on this journey. It serves as a guide, allowing us to relate to the lost possibilities of seeing and experiencing hidden shapes. It brings us closer to them, to the point where we can begin to feel and understand them, although they remain mysterious and elusive. It is an attempt to comprehend that form has more dimensions than we could imagine.

     In the deep intention of revealing what is indefinable, the artist invokes the thoughts of Aristotle. In Aristotle's concept, form is not just an observable shape but something that emerges in the creative process. In the case of "shapeless" abstract art by Oraczewski, the shape is not identical to the traditional notion of form. The shape is lost in chaos, but in the act of reception, it creates its unique form.

      "Lost Shapes" thus become a metaphor for our exploratory spirit in art. It's a challenge for us not only to look at the surface but also to delve deeper into areas that may seem lost. It's a reminder that the world of abstraction holds infinite possibilities waiting for our discovery and rediscovery. It's a shape that may be lost, but in the process of creative reception, it acquires its unique form.

Monika Turczyńska