Jakob Wlodarczyk’s „Tree, Cottage, Karol“ is a captivating diptych that intrigues through its apparent simplicity and profound conceptual depth. Two large-scale acrylic prints depict a tree and a stone cottage in an idyllic meadow landscape under a vast sky, captured in a neutral parallel perspective.

The Essence of the Everyday

The motifs, a tree and a cottage, are deliberately chosen as archetypal symbols deeply rooted in human consciousness. They represent the fundamental, the primal, intuitively understood by all. Through their simplicity and familiarity, they resist symbolic overinterpretation and stand for themselves – the tree is a tree, the cottage is a cottage.

Paradoxes and Provocations

The seeming banality of the motifs creates a paradoxical tension. The viewer, seeking aesthetic pleasure or intellectual stimulation in an art exhibition, is confronted with the depiction of the everyday and familiar. This irritation is intentional, opening a space for reflection and dialogue.

Karol: The Free Man

The title of the work, „Tree, Cottage, Karol,“ introduces another element of mystery. While the tree and cottage are visually present, Karol remains hidden. A possible access point is the original meaning of the name Karol, „free man.“ Here, too, we find a simplicity and universality that echoes the visual motifs. Is this perhaps a reference to a universal human figure that defies interpretation? Is Karol the viewer themselves, a representation of the audience, or an independent entity? The answer remains open, inviting speculation.

The Parallel Perspective: Neutrality and Precision

The choice of parallel perspective underscores the work’s conceptual direction. By foregoing depth and distortion, the viewer’s gaze is directed to the pure essence of the motifs. The neutral depiction allows for precise observation of details and opens a space for individual interpretations.

Questions of Being

„Tree, Cottage, Karol“ raises questions about the nature of things, the relationship between humans and nature, and the role of the viewer in art. The work invites us to ask questions, not to question the obvious or to offer a new perspective on it, but for the sake of questioning itself. For with each new insight, while our view of things sharpens, complexity and confusion also increase, making the question marks only larger. Thus, the work leads back to the beginning of the chain of questions, making wonder at the everyday its actual theme. It is an invitation to dialogue, to engage with fundamental questions of being, and thus thematically aligns with the experimental works of the „Study #“ series.