SYBARITIC POSES – color field painting

SYBARITIC POSES – color field painting

The first impression upon contact with the works of Jan Astner from the SYBARITIC POSES series are large areas of color referring to color field painting. The second key information for the recipient of these works is encoded in the title. Sybaritism is a lazy, comfortable lifestyle in luxury and prosperity, the idea of ​​a prosperous life, indulging in pleasure.

Spaces, double spaces on each canvas – color field painting. And contours. Strongly marked contours. So much so that they do not allow both spaces to penetrate each other. The outer one is softer in expression, a bit ascetic, it coolly reflects what is happening in the inner one. Or, rather, it exists in isolation from it. Because only in the inner one is life and activity.Things do happen there. They are breaking, moving, flowing. Full movement and a tentative to go outside.

SYBARITIC POSES are acts. The images show the contours of a body, the contours of a female body. Open, receiving. Maybe it is a blissful sybaritic rest. Maybe gratification, fulfillment after love, or maybe just a desire to be satisfied with yourself, with your femininity, with what is alluring, permissive, provocative? These poses are unlimited by limitation, satisfied with themselves and within themselves. Such a tempting worship of your being, yourself.

Jan Astner is looking for an answer to the question of how much expression potential is contained in color and the use of color field painting. In his works, he analyzes how to create an illusion of existence, an almost physical presence. He is not interested in movement, but in a static pose, a specific state.

Color is the most important element of the SYBARITIC POSES series, and the overriding idea is to convey its emotional impact. The creative act itself is strictly controlled and subordinated to triggering basic experiences in the viewer. The artist, by using color field painting, aims to create the illusion of large, unlimited spaces. Thanks to this, he wants to achieve an emotional effect of great power. Therefore, Jan simplified the painting technique.

The abstract form is meant to express sublimation and infinity. To achieve this goal, the naturalistic representation of nature is eliminated, tradition or associations with any clearly defined object are rejected.

Astner often talks about his art as a sublimation of feelings. He understands it as a shift of unacceptable will, needs and expectations for creativity. However, he does not treat sublimation as a defense mechanism, but as a transfer to another world of immaterial feelings and impressions. A world where the idealism of SYBARITIC POSES differs from everyday life. The sensual images in the style of color field painting are an invitation.