Slope III
Print
1991 (made)
1991 (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
Jan Szmatloch, born in 1950 in Poland, grew up under Soviet rule. Food and fuel shortages, restrictions on free speech and the threat of imprisonment or worse were part of the daily conditions of life.
In common with many East European artists, Szmatloch’s output from the 1960s through to the 1980s suggests sinister but undefined forces at work. At the end of the 1980s a change begins to take place, reflecting the political, economic and social restructuring of Mikhail Gorbachev’s Perestroika in the Soviet Union, culminating in the collapse of communism.
Szmatloch’s Slope is one of a series of cityscapes in which dark, shadowy walls give way to more open spaces. The apartment building beyond has a curious ambivalence about it, seeming both normal and cold at the same time.
In common with many East European artists, Szmatloch’s output from the 1960s through to the 1980s suggests sinister but undefined forces at work. At the end of the 1980s a change begins to take place, reflecting the political, economic and social restructuring of Mikhail Gorbachev’s Perestroika in the Soviet Union, culminating in the collapse of communism.
Szmatloch’s Slope is one of a series of cityscapes in which dark, shadowy walls give way to more open spaces. The apartment building beyond has a curious ambivalence about it, seeming both normal and cold at the same time.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Title | Slope III (assigned by artist) |
| Materials and techniques | Etching on paper |
| Brief description | Etching, image of a wall beyond which can be seen the edge of an apartment building and open space, Jan Szmatloch, Poland, 1991 |
| Physical description | Picture plane almost entirely taken up by a sloping wall in dark shadow, behind and to right an area of open space in which a fraction of the facade of an apartment building is visible. In foreground, in front of wall, some irregular, indistinguishable shapes which could be stones. |
| Dimensions |
|
| Production type | Limited edition |
| Copy number | Artist's proof |
| Marks and inscriptions | Inscribed in pencil in artist's hand, in Polish, below image with, to left, title: Skarpa III; at centre: E [preuve de] A[rtiste] VI and to right: with signature and date: Szmatloch [19]91
|
| Credit line | Purchased through the Julie and Robert Breckman Print Fund |
| Subjects depicted | |
| Summary | Jan Szmatloch, born in 1950 in Poland, grew up under Soviet rule. Food and fuel shortages, restrictions on free speech and the threat of imprisonment or worse were part of the daily conditions of life. In common with many East European artists, Szmatloch’s output from the 1960s through to the 1980s suggests sinister but undefined forces at work. At the end of the 1980s a change begins to take place, reflecting the political, economic and social restructuring of Mikhail Gorbachev’s Perestroika in the Soviet Union, culminating in the collapse of communism. Szmatloch’s Slope is one of a series of cityscapes in which dark, shadowy walls give way to more open spaces. The apartment building beyond has a curious ambivalence about it, seeming both normal and cold at the same time. |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | E.1057-2003 |
About this object record
Explore the Collections contains over a million catalogue records, and over half a million images. It is a working database that includes information compiled over the life of the museum. Some of our records may contain offensive and discriminatory language, or reflect outdated ideas, practice and analysis. We are committed to addressing these issues, and to review and update our records accordingly.
You can write to us to suggest improvements to the record.
Suggest feedback
You can write to us to suggest improvements to the record.
Suggest feedback
| Record created | June 17, 2004 |
| Record URL |
Download as: JSON
