The selection process of the artists to participate in, and of their works to be exhibited at the 40th Painting Biennial "Bielska Jesień" was accompanied by heated debate and lengthy discussion on the state of painting by young artists in Poland. Things certainly were not made any easier by the difference in the aesthetic expectations of the judges, which was apparent at every step of the way, nor by the painting material itself which was the subject of the debate. I think that we overlooked many valuable works during the first stage of the selection, which I hope will be appreciated in other, more auspicious circumstances, some other time, some other place. The organizers gave us too little time to think, and the number of works sent for the competition was a backbreaking 1,600 - assessing them was a daunting task, especially considering that there were very few recognized or well-established names among the entrants; names that usually set high standards or at least a decent workshop level in such competitions. This can only mean that distinguished artists feel no need to participate in such events, and that there are umpteen aspiring and unknown painters who see "Bielska Jesień" as a chance to appear in the world of art with a capital "A". I understand such an attitude, but we must also remember that the current economic and spiritual crisis has had its repercussions in the world of art. Frankly speaking, I find the level of this year's biennial very disappointing. For the first time in many years the judges had no choice but to dramatically reduce the number of artists and their works, in order to produce an interesting and varied selection that could be appreciated by the audience. This should make the artists whose works have been awarded or chosen for the exhibition even more satisfied.

This year's finalist and winner of the Grand Prix is Jakub Ciężki, an artist associated with the Art Institute in Lublin, and winner of numerous awards in other competitions, including Grand Prix in a competition organized by the Franciszka Eibisch Foundation, and the "Painting of the Year 2004" in a competition organized by the magazine Art & Business. Jakub Ciężki is the creator of the immensely popular exhibition cycle "To Read Between the Lines" held in Lublin and Sanok. The artist maintains, in a very original and convincing way, an excellent balance between the clarity of an abstract composition and that which is sensual and inspired by observation of reality, or at least some of its elements. He paints old scaffoldings, playground ladders, drain grates or wire fences. The use of these simple and common motives brings us inexorably closer to reality. On the other hand, the grey neutral backgrounds and flawless compositions make these paintings acquire monumental character, compelling our eyes and minds to contemplate the work beyond the momentary perception. Jakub Ciężki is a very intelligent and talented artist, and I wish him many more successes in future.

The Second Prize goes to Paweł Matyszewski, an artist associated with Poznań, and already an award-winner in the previous biennial. His creative career is developing dynamically, as shown by a couple of solo exhibitions held recently in such prestigious galleries as Piekary in Poznań or Arsenał in Białystok. Marta Mariańska, the author of a very emphatic text devoted to the creative work of the artist points out that the mysterious world of Matyszewski contains "ambiguity, tension and bodily pain caused by various allergies", all appearing simultaneously with a yearning to partake in the mystery of nature as the source of all forms including diseases and anomalies.  

Another award winner is Kamila Woźniakowska, whose paintings Catechism of a Revolutionary and Jenny have come a long way across the Atlantic to reach Bielsko-Biała. Born in Warsaw, 1956, a graduate of Ecole des Beaux Art and the University of Montreal, Kamila Woźniakowska is one of the most recognised Polish artists living in Canada (where she moved in the early 1980s). The Museum of Contemporary Art held a large retrospective of her work in 2004. Her artistic pursuits include painting, print and drawing and the works presented at the exhibition clearly show influences of all these techniques. The narrative, or one might say, film-like style of her works, maintained in the convention of classic book illustrations, situates the stories she tells in an unspecified past. This allows the artist to appeal to different generations of the audience. The behavioural character of her works, which is supported by psychological analysis, is intended to sensitize the viewer to the dynamics of human relationships marked with tragedy and oppressive upbringing.

Also deserving a mention are the works by three artists whose interests have long concentrated on pop culture, namely Dominik Podsiadły, Małgorzata Rozenau and Jakub Pieleszek. Each of the above uses a different approach to transform commercial forms of expression into art. They use a simple language of advertisement in ways allowing them to tell something important about themselves and the surrounding world. Personally I would also offer distinction two other artists - Agnieszka Swoboda from Cieszyn and Izabela Ołdak. Both of them, in a very brave and original way, present the power of femininity and the world seen through the prism of their feminine imagination.

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