Mariusz Wartalowicz

Reflections about mental, emotional, and social struggles caused by mood, personality disorders, and depression dominate my current work. I am fascinated, on one hand, by human resilience to overcome the most horrifying life experiences while on the other by super sensitivity and fragility of our minds, souls and spirits that can be broken down and destroyed by a single word, act, or event.
Making art helps me respond to and overcome my own mental anxieties, demons, dark sides and long “blue” episodes in a healthy way. When painting, I primarily use mixed media including oils, acrylics, fabric and spray paint combined with an array of ready-made, found objects, and simple building materials such as caulk, insulation boards, and foams. I try “breaking” away from the medium’s standard two dimensional flatness and rectangular shape as well as making my pieces without beginning and end or top and bottom or left and right. Consequently, they stay open ended, float in a current of time and eventually find their own unique position or place, just as humans are constantly in transition, opportune since the moment we were born, searching for true purpose, meaning, solace, inner balance and peace.
My present mixed media work explore...

Naperville Art League, Naperville, IL
04/14 - Best of Show
05/14 - Merit Award
07/14 - Merit Award
08/14 - Merit Award
09/14 - Merit Award
05/15 - Merit Award ("Best Guess" Show)