Kacperszalecki
Website: http://kacperszalecki.tumblr.com/
BORN IN 1996 FROM POLAND
***This conversational interview was taken place on Facebook on FEB/22/2015. A lot of grammar mistakes, but I don’t give a single fuck. #KeepItReal***
Kenneth Jeffrey (the Interviewer) - KJ
Kacperszalecki (the artist) - KAC
KJ - Why are you interested in art?
KAC - It is natural for me. My father is an musician and when i was child we used to go for exhibitions and concerts. Now lot of my friends makes art so I am naturally interested in it. (*sorry for grammar mistakes)
KJ - what school do you go to? what program? interested in any specific medium?
KAC - Now i’m studying in kind of art high school in Gdynia, and my specialization is an metal sculpture, but as you can see in my tumblr i am more focused on graphic art (traditional way like linocuts and also digital).
But i don’t want to be limited by one medium so I experimenting with the various techniques
KJ - that’s interesting. where does your inspiration come from?
KAC - Sometimes I am influenced by everyday situations and i’m making collages and photo montages like diary. But recently i’m under impact of geometric Russian abstract art and medieval painting, and also aesthetic of 90’s-years of my childhood.
KJ - What was your childhood like growing up?
KAC - nothing special. little city located by the lake, group of close friends, first computers.I remember this time as a great fun
KJ - How did you get into digital art?
KAC - hahah I was making stuff like earrings in Gimp into the Sims2, and then i started to make photo montages. At the beginning it was only for fun. But where is the border between fun and art. It does not exclude each other for me.
KJ - fun is important. what themes are you currently exploring? like social issues, personal relationship, gender and sexuality, memories, and etc.
KAC - last year I was making an exhibition titled ‘kacperszalecki’ and it was kind of autopresentation and also attempt to deal with breakup with my boyfriend. I was focused on relation between me and my family and friends. Later I made series of photo montages with my parents for exhibition called'Returns’. And now I have been continuing this subject.
I was surprised for example that I was look very similar to my mother when she had looked like in year of my birth. and this one is about it , but of course i have to make works for topics which I get from my teacher in school, so i’m little bit distracted
BORN IN 1996 FROM POLAND
***This conversational interview was taken place on Facebook on FEB/22/2015. A lot of grammar mistakes, but I don’t give a single fuck. #KeepItReal***
Kenneth Jeffrey (the Interviewer) - KJ
Kacperszalecki (the artist) - KAC
KJ - Why are you interested in art?
KAC - It is natural for me. My father is an musician and when i was child we used to go for exhibitions and concerts. Now lot of my friends makes art so I am naturally interested in it. (*sorry for grammar mistakes)
KJ - what school do you go to? what program? interested in any specific medium?
KAC - Now i’m studying in kind of art high school in Gdynia, and my specialization is an metal sculpture, but as you can see in my tumblr i am more focused on graphic art (traditional way like linocuts and also digital).
But i don’t want to be limited by one medium so I experimenting with the various techniques
KJ - that’s interesting. where does your inspiration come from?
KAC - Sometimes I am influenced by everyday situations and i’m making collages and photo montages like diary. But recently i’m under impact of geometric Russian abstract art and medieval painting, and also aesthetic of 90’s-years of my childhood.
KJ - What was your childhood like growing up?
KAC - nothing special. little city located by the lake, group of close friends, first computers.I remember this time as a great fun
KJ - How did you get into digital art?
KAC - hahah I was making stuff like earrings in Gimp into the Sims2, and then i started to make photo montages. At the beginning it was only for fun. But where is the border between fun and art. It does not exclude each other for me.
KJ - fun is important. what themes are you currently exploring? like social issues, personal relationship, gender and sexuality, memories, and etc.
KAC - last year I was making an exhibition titled ‘kacperszalecki’ and it was kind of autopresentation and also attempt to deal with breakup with my boyfriend. I was focused on relation between me and my family and friends. Later I made series of photo montages with my parents for exhibition called'Returns’. And now I have been continuing this subject.
I was surprised for example that I was look very similar to my mother when she had looked like in year of my birth. and this one is about it , but of course i have to make works for topics which I get from my teacher in school, so i’m little bit distracted
3xI, photomontage, 50x35cm, 2014
KJ - how’s your relationship with your mother?
KAC - Really good, I was talking with her by phone few hours ago.
KJ - are you living on your own?
KAC - Yes, I rent a flat, because of my school. Is not very far away from my hometown but enough to spend lot of time if I would like to commute
KJ - what is it like living in Poland? any cultural events?
KAC - From geographic side is an amazing place. Now I’m living by the sea. But in fact If you are a student is hard to living on your own because of high prices of flats and fees ( I rent with three other students). And i have an impression that this country is really contrasted. From cultural side we’ve got lot of Christian feasts sometimes treated too serious by the government. Polish folk art is also interesting
KJ - cool, Does the Polish government support art culture?
KAC - it’s hard to describe it. This two years was filled by scandals of art scene. Between contemporary art and society is still very high antagonisms, i think that the cause of it is the low awareness of art.
KJ - can you talk about “Self-portrait with pineapple”?
KAC - It is the work from my first exhibition. I had sketched the project when I felt deep sadness. Late when I was working over the linocut it was long process of cutting. This process was very meditative and exculpatory from sadness. While the exhibition this work was laying on the floor, that everyone could trample it
Self-portrait with pineapple, colour linocut
KJ - What does the Pineapple Symbolize?
KAC - the pineapple doesn’t symbolize anything special, besides that I like them
KJ - Your recent work such as Green Tomato and Falling Star are more abstract. What influenced you to make these works?
KAC - I’ve made them by accident. I mean i had an exercise for school and i had to design label for can of tomatoes and while i was working over it started to evolve two different directions. The theme of tomatoes was only the pretext to create something new. I’m still working on the third composition from this series
Green tomato, digital print, 50x50cm, 2014
KJ - cool. Favorite artists?
KAC - Kazimir Malevich, Ernst Ludig Kirchner, Pieter Bruegel, Laszlo Moholy Nagy, Ada Karczmarczyk, Matthew Barney, Roy Lichtenstein
KJ - a lot of your work features you in it, why is that?
KAC - Most often it deals with my experiences and feelings, so self portrait is the most properly way to express it. But to be honest sometimes my appearance is only the pretext as tomatoes were.
KJ - you also make video- based work. can you explain “Exodus” project?
KAC - I was trying to find way how to get rid of the suffering associated with breakup. the first part i performed alone(this one when i printed the linocut matrix on my body) and second one when I washed the paint off - was public.I started thinking about this when i discovered that the linocut matrix from this work: it’ s the size of my body. this is the portrait of my ex-boyfriend as an Saint Sebastian- unofficial patron of the gay community
Exodos from kacperszalecki on Vimeo.
Mihau, colour linocut. right photo by Rafał Sułek , 100X70 cm
KJ - How many relationships have you had?
KAC - this one was first. Now i have second boyfriend
KJ - your daily routine?
KAC - My daily routine is that I oversleep for school, because I often works at night.
KJ - are you a vampire?
KAC - hahah no, recently I am more zombie
KJ - Have you heard of The Walking Dead? it’s all about zombies
KAC - I’ve heard, but i’ve never seen it. Do you recommend it?
KJ - I’ve watched the first two seasons, pretty good. Favorite foods, movies, books, and music?
KAC - Music;EASTER-amazing band from Berlin and i love The Knife and lately I’m listening Fatima Al Quadiri. Sometimes i like to listen some classic music my favourite is Stravinsky’s Rite of Spring. Favourite movies directed by von Trier and Kubrickk. also i love sushi and shrimps
About books: recently i have to read lot of books into my matura exams so it a little bit boring stuff, but I am really impressed by 'Siekierezada’ Edward Stachura’s
KJ - what’s next?
KAC - I was thinking about graphic art or sculpture, but i don’t know where. I think about Dusseldorf, Warsaw or Vienna. * to studying
KJ - Oh yah, do you drink a lot?
KAC - hahaha nope it was only a joke
KJ - favorite polish words/phrase?
KAC - i’ve got some favourite words in polish. i seriously love: jagnięcina and luksfera
KJ - meaning?
KAC - jagnięcina is a lamb meat . luksfera is this kind of glass walls. it sound nice
KJ - How To Swear In Polish?
KAC - hahaha there is lot of many options how to swear
KJ - popular ones?
KAC - kurwa is the most popular
KJ - your favorites?
KAC - “ja pierdole” and 'Kurwa!’
KJ - meaning?
KAC - the first can be translated as Fuck! if something getting wrong you use it and second one is a Bitch! but 'kurwa’ you can use all the time,. some people use it as an comma in sentences
KJ - a comma? like i like bacon kurwa cheese kurwa pizza kurwa and burger.
KAC - yes, very rude persons and angry sometimes say like that
KJ - haha
KAC - if you don’t remember word you said kurwa, are you surprised you said kurwa, something is really amazing you said kurwa
but trust me it’s only basics
KJ - cool. i think this is a good way to end this interview, teaching people how to say fuck in polish. haha. we’ve spent like 4 hours on this. it’s good to talk to you. i’ll talk to you soon.
KAC - HAHAHAHAHA ok see you soon
KJ - have a good day.
KAC - in poland is 22;32
KJ - haha. have a good an hour and a half.
Falling star, digital print, 50x50cm , 2014