SYBARITIC POSES – post-painterly abstraction

SYBARITIC POSES – abstraction post-painterly art

Jan Astner uses abstraction in a very individual way. In his works, he wants to show the infinity and durability of certain states. He considers the pursuit of happiness as a permanent process. He recognizes it as the goal of life. The effect of infinity is achieved through fragments of a perfectly smooth surface of the canvas. The paint gently covers the surface of the canvas. It is flat, without the expressive drawing left by the brush. Such painting is characteristic of an abstraction in the color field painting style.

On the other hand, selected fragments of paintings are enriched, so that they become vibrating and tangible. Jan uses thick pour paint to mark the boundaries. Oftentimes sharp contrasting colors come into contact and fight with each other. Moving from one color to another, he uses colors of similar value, other times strongly contrasting. In this way, his abstraction symbolizes the pursuit of happiness, the desire to achieve a permanent state. However, he knows that this is not possible. That is why the forms are fluid, vibrating, changeable, not always obvious.

Painting medium in Jan Astner art

Astner’s abstraction painting medium is acrylic paint. He experiments with color, with its saturation and glaze. He often uses metallic paints that change color depending on the viewing location, varnish reflecting light, spatial accents on the canvas. The artist also uses op-art solutions. He uses metallic paints, thick layers of glossy varnish, fluorescent paints. In some cases, an image should be viewed under soft light so that it can emit its own.

An important element of the reception of Astner’s works is the very physiology of perception. As an abstraction painter, he believes that large images should be viewed closely. So that their surface surrounds the viewer. It is about optimal for the reception of color and luminosity. It is about merging the image and the viewer, the sense of color, the mood of the image. He wants to build an almost intimate closeness. This approach also justifies the title. Sybaritism – living in luxuries and prosperity, the idea of ​​a prosperous life, indulging in pleasure, a happy life. The artist wants viewers to feel this mood physically with their senses. Therefore, it uses „beautiful” color abstractions.

In order to enhance the sensuality of his abstractions, the artist places great emphasis on lighting. He exposes the brightest images to bright light, and exposes the dark ones in soft, diffused lighting. In this way, he wants to give the viewer a choice of mood that suits him best. That is, which one best allows you to match a person’s relationship with the selected image. Because the aim of his abstraction is to build a bond between the viewer and the image.