Foreword
Jerzy Lesko, wanting to decorate and to fill the blank walls of his new house, started painting. Like a revelation, his paintings suddenly and miraculously appeared in the Sydney art circles. One can easily imagine that, in the suburban gallery where Lesko’s paintings were first shown, the amazed viewers must have wondered: could it be true that this artist had never studied art, painted or drew, had no interest in art to such an extent that he never even set foot in a gallery before? The answer simply is yes.His paintings, with ingenuous colors and capricious composition, are intricate yet exude a primordial simplicity. With varied themes and unconventional techniques, these paintings, when viewed in their entirety, conjure up the image of an ensemble of actors – each giving a virtuoso performance after making an individual, stylized entrance. This dazzling dramatic effect, in the experimental world of visual arts, carries an inexplicable magic essence. Indeed, the unique Lesko characteristics are not the kind readily attainable from a mere apprenticeship or art school curriculum.
Hung Tong, a legendary country painter from Taiwan, lived a meager life in a small fishing village and received no formal education. Suddenly, at the age of 50, he took up painting, drawing inspirations from the objects surrounding him as well as from the rich, imaginary world he held within. His extraordinary brush work and exquisite sense for colors imparted a certain festive splendor to his canvas. There are certain similarities between Hung Tong and Lesko. A few years ago, when he was 45, Lesko, then a manager of a construction company, gave his wife some paints as a birthday present, hoping that she would enrich her leisure with them; however, she did not. Instead, Lesko found himself suddenly plummeting into the world of colors – when he finally re-emerged, whatever he touched had become a work of art.
This also reminds us of the American painter, Grandma Moses (Anna Mary Robertson Moses, 1860 – 1961). When Moses was 77, arthritis stopped her from knitting the beautiful yarn pictures that were the best in the county. She then began painting country scenes based upon her childhood memories of rural life. In the ensuing years, she devoted her life to this new creative endeavor until her death at the age of 101. Her vitality and artistic achievements during those years have made her a household legend. In the 1940s, the French artist Jean Dubuffet helped to discover and to promote about 200 artists from all over Europe whom he dubbed ‘occulte peintre’. These artists whose talent remained latent until their middle age achieved artistic fruition virtually overnight, bringing with them a new dimension of sensitivities. Although their styles varied, their paintings, characterized by vibrant colors and unconventional forms, brought to the viewers a feeling of a child’s world; the ineffable sense of color could only be attained through the innocent perception of a child.
Hung Tong creates tension with lines; Grandma Moses recalls history with her punctuated brush-strokes; and Lesko shapes his motif directly with color patches – each work given an unique facade and a set of rhythmic movements.
The paintings of Lesko vaguely trace the evolution of modern art, from neo-Impressionism to the Abstract movement in the mid 20th century. He does it unconsciously. Originality in perception of color and simplicity in execution of strokes were among the common goals pursued by the 19th century Impressionists. Whereas they had to rationalize, to test against history, and to experiment incessantly to achieve these aims, Lesko seems to bring it off effortlessly with a mere waving of his hand. To continue in the same spiritual tradition, the great painters of 20th century strove to steer clear of their predecessors’ paths and sought a visual identity of their own. One may take Futurism, Illusionism, Abstract art and the schools that followed as noted examples.
Naturally, Lesko cannot compare with them, nor is it necessary to make such comparisons. He paints with a primitive strength that reinforces the purity of his art – including a decorative effect – and places it in a domain that defies categorization. There is, perhaps, a common pathway in the human growth process. A child, prior to acquiring learning, will use symbols or drawings to record experiences and imaginings. Later, when verbal and written skills take over such functions, interest in pictorial depiction naturally starts to fade. I would venture to guess that Lesko, like Grandma Moses, enjoyed scrawling as a child. It is conceivable that his early years in Poland and Germany brought him in touch with some forms of art, or a myriad of personalities and events had seeped into his subconscious mind – quietly therein entrenched and ingrained. Regardless of what had transpired, we now know it is a blessing that Lesko chose a career in construction, rather than, say, art history. Technology and management must have served as a protective shield for Lesko’s artistic ‘self’, preserved and nourished by a child’s innocence in the form of ebullience and joy.
As a result, the portraits in Lesko’s collection are particularly appealing. They are poised but not cold, with a natural aura permeating throughout. It is not surprising that one of his earliest paintings, an applique for the walls, happened to be a portrait. Another portrait entitled ‘Trudi’, by the artist’s own account, represents the center of his spiritual world. Could this be the celestial being who, as seen through a child’s eyes, bestows flowers and blessings upon the earth?
Lesko has not exhibited many paintings of architectural structures. The ones he does show, however, reveal an extraordinarily expansive vision; the structures are humanized and rendered life-like with a subtle touch of lyricism. We do not know for certain whether these architectural motifs were drawn from the artist’s childhood fantasies, thus unrelated to his ‘other profession’, or were they actually the hidden embryos responsible for Lesko’s early professional choice – only to set the stage for the creation of his truly unique paintings. As we muse over this while gazing in joy, isn’t it the child in us that is responding?
Cheng Chou-yu
Yale University
New Haven, Connecticut