Wednesday, October 29, 2008

Old Polish Folk-Art

I'm feeling very excited right now. You know the kind of excitement you get when you can barely stay still inside your own skin? That's me right now. I have just come from the decor8 blog and read Hollys post www.decor8blog.com/2008/10/29/turkish-delights-ideas-for-new-motifs . I was thrilled to read about her own love of traditional craft from different cultures and how much she valued work that had deeper meaning that just wanting to be "in" with the latest trends.

All my work at Laikonik has been about connecting me back to my own Polish culture. I have spent a lot of time recently reading about the cultural habits of the Poles as well as the creative aspect of their daily lives. One thing that came up again and again in the books I'm reading is the idea that the folk art was created out of a sense of tradition and belonging to a culture and a group. There was no personal authorship and no one person strived to stand out for the sake of fame or money. People created their art and craft out of a basic need and desire for an aesthetic environment coupled with cultural meaning behind patterns, colours and shapes. This is what I believe gives the work such purity and innocence. If you have a look at most of it there is no attachment to precision or perfection of line or shape. Have a look at the dowry chests. They have a beauty in their imperfection.

The basic need for aesthetic is, I believe, something that we all share. We all surround ourselves with beautiful things. We decorate our homes and our bodies. We like to see beauty, it is part of being human. It's precisely this kind of philosophy and approach to creativity that drives me. I can not stand anything that is created because it will sell or because it follows current trends. I will be posting some more examples of work from these wonderful books in days to come. For now I hope you enjoy some of these images.






Dowry chest
image: "Folklor", Bosz/Art




Dowry chest
image: "Folklor", Bosz/Art





Traditional village homes decorated with floral motifs

image: "Polska Sztuka Ludowa", Aleksander Jackowski


image: "Polska Sztuka Ludowa", Aleksander Jackowski




pouring of sand outside the home during a religious holiday
image: "Polska Sztuka Ludowa", Aleksander Jackowski




Traditional interior
image: "Polska Sztuka Ludowa", Aleksander Jackowski

1 comment:

polandbymail said...

Polish folk arts is beautiful,charming and sign off freshness.Little kids enjoy it joyfully and feel joyfull and happiness.I also like it to.Polish folk arts