Art Corner
There is inherent rhythm in these pieces
that is singularly recognizable yet integrative.
Themes might repeat but bring new textures,
patterns and values. There is a timeless quality
and visual stability at work, an instinctive
coordinated balance anchoring us to each
piece. The style is distinctive and recognisable
with focused intensity yet expansive vision.
I first discovered Nowinska’s art in 2017 when I
reviewed Clare L. Martin’s poetry book Seek The
Holy Dark (Yellow Flag Press, 2017), for which
she designed the cover. Vivid and penetrating
colours within a swirling vortex represent
accurately Martin’s often dark, emotionally
charged poems. Once again she has captured
the essence of words transformed to visual
representation in two recent hardcover limited
edition poetry volumes published recently
in Poland, “Closeness of Distances (2016) by
Juliusz Watroba and “Golden Rain” (2015) by
Jan Picheta. Her artistic interpretations not only
complement poetic expression, they enhance
them and evoke intrinsic, intensely emotional
responses. Appropriately, Nowinska is fond of
quoting Homer: “A picture is a poem without
words.”*
There is a textural acuity and delineation of line
that renders an exquisite tactile experience
that is visceral and grips our senses. Line and
colour are balanced and in accord. When
her depiction of human faces blends with
the indigenous environment, it fosters our
connection to the world. Nowinska shows us a
more definitive understanding of what can be
possible between manufactured and natural
environments. One image in Picheta’s book
shows us a bird as a mirror image of itself, with
its composite reflection offering yet another
image of a completely new kind of bird, its
chest cavity exposing the bone and sinew of
its intricate life form. Above this image floats a
bevy of butterflies, symbols of transformation,
conveying that all things connect, blend and
coalesce in the realm of imagination and
possibility.
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In another image, the heads of male and
female figures gaze at one another suspended
within a muted palette of blood reds and leafy
greens that remind us of both human and
indigenous elements. They wear headdresses
of delicate wings much like fine filigree within
the composition of a spider web. You will be
hard pressed to find anything more romantic
or linked than the gaze between those two
pairs of eyes. It evokes a timelessness that
still remains tethered to relational reality while
eschewing sentimentality. Nowinska shows us
what is possible within the fantastical without
limitations. This ability allows her to work in
various genres with equal ease and expertise.
In her engagement with other mediums such
as set and clothing design, Nowinska brings
an architectural precision to her work that
maintains perspective but allows for vast
original presentations. She soothes us with
her practiced eye for placement and physical
sense of balance. The work is commanding
in its reconciliation of incongruous images,
bringing a concordant force to her visions.
eliminates the division between our real and
imaginary worlds, instilling a limitless optimism
and anticipation for what is feasible beyond
the constraints of the logical mind.
Certainly it is challenging to work in multiple
mediums without diluting the quality and
essence of one’s work. Nowinska manages
to navigate these obstacles through an
obvious passion that expresses and defines
itself in the ongoing expansion of her rich
and copious production. As evidenced in her
“breath paintings,” Nowinska literally breathes
life into her art and into our sensibilities. She
inspires emotional responses and aesthetic
appreciation. The list of her accomplishments
is extensive. Still one feels she is only at the
precipice of more deserved recognition on a
wider stage.
The blending of real and surreal components
is similar in style to one of her contemporaries,
Vladimir Kush. Employing subtle sophistication,
Nowinska draws our attention to focal points
that entice us like an enlightening secret.
Fantasies are accessible and achievable in the
context of the commonplace and familiar. She
Karen Corinne Herceg graduated Columbia University where she
studied with David Ignatow and Pulitzer Prize winner Philip Schultz. She
has featured at major venues with such renowned poets as John Ashbery
and William Packard. Nirala Publications released her new book of poems,
Out From Calaboose, in November 2016 with edits by Linda Gray Sexton,
bestselling author and daughter of two-time Pulitzer Prize winning poet Anne
Sexton. www.karencorinneherceg.com.
Agnieszka Nowinska is an artist with 28 years of related work
experience. Her portfolio of various accomplishments including referenced
articles, exhibitions, and academic achievements. She possess a strong sense
of artistry and forward-thinking that is consistently displayed across all art
pieces. She is happy to discuss specifications for customised art pieces.
www.agnisartcollections.me
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