CHARCOAL DRAWING SILESIA
Since November 2018 I have been working on a personal project of observational charcoal and pen and ink drawing made on location, in the province of Upper Silesia. I am influenced by the industrial heritage and interwar modernist architecture found through neighbouring cities in Silesia. I have visited many locations and sketched outside in all kinds of weather to capture the atmosphere, perspective and be immersed in my surrounding which is then turned into unique short stories told on paper.
MEMORIES ON PAPER 2018
Inspired in the past and today I have walked the streets of Nikiszowiec… “sat on a bench near what you could call the main square, the sun is in front of me at around 4pm. I should have brought a red pen.” At KWK Wieczorek SZYB Pulaski “I arrived by bus, sat on steps leading to a busy road. Two people pass by, one says ‘wyglada dobrze’, I saw a miner with a green hat.”
While in Zabrze I “arrived on a sunny morning, it is busy with tourists entering the shaft, I can hear the sound of machinery. The sky is blue, the mine shaft is painted primary in blue with bright yellow safety bars and two large red sheave wheels.”
My journey to Rybnik historic Ignacy Mine was long but I was lucky because “the museum security guard offered me a chair and a cup of coffee whilst I sat outside drawing” this was in January and the mine was closed the day I visited, but, the guard kindly shown me round and took an interest in my artworks and we spoke despite the language barrier.
I took a trip to Park Tradycji "Michał" mine in Siemianowice Śląskie “drawing outside in -2 degrees 20/01/2019 to my right there is an outdoor gym where old people are exercising. Snow on the ground I am sat on my thick scarf on a bench with a cup of coffee, no gloves on. The sky is blue and the sun is on my back”.
In Katowice walking the Modernist architecture trail on street PCK “sat on the corner of the junction, cars pass by and people look as I sketch. Its 4 degrees, I can see a European Union flag in one of the windows. In another window I see a woman on her phone whilst her dog sits on the ledge looking out.” Living in Katowice I encounter many more examples of the very strong regional identity, language and culture which I continue to document and appreciate with the atmosphere of feeling like a Ślązak.
