The artist Marek Zulawski, translation & Polish-British culture

Hi,

I found out yesterday that a new exhibition dedicated to Halina Korn has opened in Toruń. It's being held at the excitingly-named Collegium Maximum.

I would have written about this much earlier, but I had no idea it was on, and I'm not sure why I'm not on UMK's mailing list (they organised the big Marek Zulawski exhibition last year). But anyway, I've translated the press release into English and published it on TranslatingMarek.com as well as below.

It's mostly a quote from Halina herself. Watch out for an excellent bit about buttocks.

NB: The Polish title is wordplay using her surname. 'Niepokorna' can mean a few different things: rebellious, defiant, unruly. You get the idea. But no English word will cleverly fit the surname Korn into it, so you can just pick whichever of those translations you fancy.

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niepoKORNa: The Paintings & Sculptures of Halina Korn

Poster for the exhibition, UMK

Opening event: 4 November (Monday) 2024, 17:30

Open from 5 November 2024 to 28 February 2025

Organiser: Nicolaus Copernicus University, University Library, and the Association of Friends of the Emigration Archive

Exhibition authors: Kasia Moskała, Mirosław A. Supruniuk, Joanna Krasnodębska, Grażyna Kwaśnik and Julia Wójcik

Framing: Sylwia Maślany

Conservation: Ewa Jabłońska

Additional duties: Ewa Jabłońska, Izabela Maćkowska

For the first time in its 20-year history, the University Museum is showcasing every work it has of an extraordinary artist, one who could never be pigeonholed. Halina Korn disliked being introduced as "the wife of her husband", Marek Żuławski, as she fought for her independence and worked tirelessly to establish her own artistic identity. Even though she was a trained opera singer, a writer and a talented polyglot, it was visual art that became the passion and purpose of her life. Her first lessons in painting came from Marek, who, recognising his wife's talent, gave her the most important piece of advice he could: never imitate anyone! This idea became such an important motto for her that her work — despite many attempts — defies categorisation. The title of this exhibition reflects not only the artist’s temperament and strong character but also the exceptional honesty found in her paintings and sculptures.

I only took up painting once I was in London, after my wedding to the painter Marek Żuławski. I was drawn in by the palette and brushes that lay easily within reach. A year later, in 1948, I had my first solo exhibition at the Mayor Gallery; my second was in 1952 at the Beaux Arts Gallery, where I also displayed my sculptures. I've exhibited with the London Group, the R.A. (Royal Academy), and taken part in numerous group shows in galleries in London and Paris.

I adore painting, I adore the smell of oil and turpentine. I adore vivid colours — I probably inherited that from my father, who painted everything that came to hand in red, green and gold.

I find the subjects for my paintings with every step I take; they follow me, and sometimes I have to jot them down for fear of forgetting them. I never sketch directly from nature, but observe intently and draw from memory when I return to the studio.

I adore everything that lends itself to being painted: hence, I love human beings. Not Humanity — because that can't be depicted. But you can paint the street bazaars of Whitechapel. And by Jove, the rounded buttocks of the market women there are so beautiful! An acrobatics display at the circus is as dramatic for me as a crucifixion, and the mosaic of human faces at Lyon’s Tea House as enchanting as a bouquet of flowers. The landscape of Kilburn High Road gives me an even greater thrill than Italy's most picturesque scenery.

I seek neither beauty nor ugliness. [...]

Some people think my paintings are ‘a bit satirical’. Nothing irritates me more. I never attempt to depict the comic side of life because I don’t notice it. Perhaps I don't have a sense of humour? And if anyone finds the faces in my paintings amusing — then that’s their own fault.

— Halina Korn, Gallery One, London, 1960

'Untitled' by Halina Korn, UMK collection in Toruń

If you'd like to know more about Halina Korn, here's a fascinating and well-researched biographical paper by Joanna Krasnodębska all about her.

When I found that link, I also found, oddly, a site selling printed canvas photos of Halina sitting around in Edinburgh in 1964 🤷‍♂️ 

If you'd like to share the press release for the exhibition, feel free to either forward this email or use this link to TranslatingMarek.com.

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AI used to finish a famous Witkacy play

When the author, artist and playwright Witkacy killed himself in 1939, he left a rather long to-do list. One of them was to finish his play So-called Humanity in Madness. Well, don't worry Mr Witkacy - you and every other dead artist can now finally get back to work despite suffering from a severe case of death. AI will do it for you!

One review said that the text of the play wasn't bad at all, but it got boring anyway because the form of the play also involved VR which fell flat. 

I'm wondering where this will end though? Maybe it's time AI finished Franz Kafka's The Castle properly or just wrote Bruno Schulz's missing novel The Messiah? Or it could finish The Canterbury Tales? That one was supposed to be a total of 108 stories, but Chaucer only wrote a measly 24. I'm sure ChatGPT could at least finish Charles Dickens' The Mystery of Edwin Drood - that'd be well easy and definitely not terrible at all.

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That's all for this week. Many thanks for reading. If you want to support the newsletter, please forward it to a friend or donate here.

Adam

Adam Zulawski

TranslatingMarek.com / TranslatePolishMemoirs.com / Other stuff

👉 Help fund the translation of Studium do autoportretu via Paypal 👈

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