Kinga Ogiegło

Demystifying art and why contemporary paintings used to be the hardest for me to understand

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Out of all the art forms such as music, painting, sculpture, design, photography or filmmaking the most incomprehensible for me would have always been painting and sculpture.

For me, music was always easiest to relate to. That included my teenage obsessions with Green Day and their fast-paced melodies, with many of their two minute songs condensing the highest amount of pure teen angst – these songs were the only outward expression of my anger since I later discovered I suppressed most of it .

Or later Rufus Wainwright’s music whose soulful ballades with an aching melody would perfectly reflect my emotional state during senior high school. 

As far as films, finding my own interpretations would have been a piece of cake as well -I would always have my favorite movie scene or an actor- watching Batman & Robin or James Bond series would have given me strong emotional reactions from which most memorable was fear- also something I could relate to as a child, as this was the prevalent emotion in my toxic house.

It was always difficult with paintings.

I cannot remember a time from my childhood or teenage years when I was struck by a painting or remember any painting in particular that captured my attention. Yes, as children we’ve been taught about Mona Lisa but I never related to it and understand why it was the best known, the most visited work of art in the world.

As an adult, whenever I would go to a contemporary art museum or gallery I viewed most of the artworks as baffling and never related to any of it. Partly, it could have been caused by my ignorance and detachment in my early 20s - I take my responsibility fully in that respect.

What didn’t help to encourage interest though, was a negative sense of mystery and snobbery around it.

Having discovered my abstract expressionist painting skills unexpectedly in 2014, I felt like I was conveying  a lot of emotion into canvas, however I was uncertain if the audience might identify it or relate to any it.

For a viewer abstract art can be more difficult. And so can be all of the contemporary art. 

Just like when I used to go to modern art galleries and was confused and sometimes even frustrated at the fact that none of the artworks are relatable or interesting.

Because for many people, when they visit an art gallery, traditional landscapes or portraits are easy to recognise- in abstract art viewers are often unsure about what they are seeing or what response is expected. 

I would like to make my effort to demystify and decode my abstract paintings. Many times I paint from my subconscious and only after I’ve made an artwork I try to fit a right interpretation of it.

Here are examples of my interpretations in form of a video, written words, someone else’s quote or music.