The “Catalog”, 1975 — series

This series of drawings as an idea I have had in mind since 1957, when I created the page Grzyboidalne (Fungoidal).

The idea was carried into effect in Autumn 1975. The Museum of Art in Lodz organized the first exhibition. The series is an attempt to put in order and systematize existing and fictitious objects, and also ideas in variants from 25 to 625 on a single page. This might be a kind of a “pancatalogue”. It is both serious and ironical. It can be assumed that it is a fragment of the world existing in our boundless imagination and at the same time evidence of our freedom. Those who like Kant can take it as a set of noumena. In any case, I am responsible for it. The choice of the subject is accidental in a way. Only some of the many conceived and infinitely possible subjects have been carried into effect. The greatest group refers to the natural world, something like “Naturgeschichte”, beginning with solar prominence, and ending with a cut nail. The second group embraces simple studies on movement and changes within the passage of time, e.g. the unwinding of thread, the unbending of a clip, eating an apple, crossing the field. One thing is unquestionable: this series is entirely free, since nobody would like to pay for designs of coins for the mint of the Roman Empire.

The Catalog, Zachęta, Warszawa, 1976 r.