I was born in Czestochowa in 1949. In the years 1967–70 I studied civil engineering in Gliwice and later architecture at the Krakow University of Technology (I finished my diploma work under supervision of professor W. Cęckiewicz in 1975 and next I was employed for five years at the Division of Urban Planning...). After a while I commenced the next stage of my education, at the Post-Diploma Studies in Stage and Film Design at the Academy of Fine Arts (ASP) in Krakow, obtaining in 1980 the diploma with distinction granting me the master’s degree in arts. In the years 1983-87 I taught theatre design and perspective there. At the same time I worked for a number of theatres including PWST (Krakow National Drama School) in Krakow, the National Theatre in Warsaw, Krakow Opera House and the Stary Theatre. It is difficult to state why [I changed profession], but perhaps the desire of more freedom or “an angel of strange coincidences” and curiosity led me to graphic design (posters, book illustrations… etc.) and further for design for animated films. I have never had an individual exhibition (apart from home) and I do not deserve credit for the few prizes I did get so they are not worth mentioning here. Nowadays I am still learning to paint, and in the spare time I carve wooden spoons, I practice fly fishing and mushroompicking, work upon self-improvement and feel quite happy.

I am convinced that Architecture, although not actively practiced, has been an inspiration and has enhanced my self-confidence not only in the area of graphic arts. It is an all-pervading phenomenon, interdisciplinary in its very core. It requires, as M. Białoszewski put it, reason as well as a hidden element of madness. It should be deemed, as it used to be called in the Renaissance age, and by S. Giedion, “the Queen of arts”.

This book could be entitled “A Short History of Betrayal”, but in the subtitle it would have to be added that the traitors still consider their Queen to be wise and beautiful.

Janusz Wrzesinski
Krakow. July 2010

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