Juxtapoz Magazine – Michael Polakowski “Anywhere & Here” @ Thinkspace Projects
Anyplace & Here at Thinkspace Initiatives presents a sequence of paintings that depict a shifting cast of protagonists from Detroit dependent artist Michael Polakowski. Just about every character is proven grappling with the reality of the below and now, when dreaming of the opportunity of anyplace. Familiar motifs, this kind of as watermelons and pool halls floor this body of do the job in the American Midwest, where by I was raised and currently function. These photographs are contrasted with depictions of dunes, Palm trees, and winding roads that infringe upon this acquainted house and entice the protagonists with the possible of what lies past.
The exhibits references the narrative structures of absurdist novels, like Franz Kafka’s “The Castle” and Dino Buzzati’s “The Tartar Steppe.” Both novels aspect protagonists trapped in their posture in lifetime, yearning to possibly escape a position or attain acceptance inside it. Working with equally these texts as a jumping off position, the paintings within this exhibit broaden upon my lifestyle in the Midwest elaborating on how it can be both of those comforting and insulating. In the narrative of the display, a shifting set of frequently unseen protagonists are proven grappling with the plan of a far off and unreachable castle. These lyrically idealized constructions are noticed as obscure objects on a horizon line, performing additional as a preset issue of navigation and much less as a goal that can be realistically obtained. “Anywhere and Here” is a reference to our have perception of existence. It functions as a response to the question requested by each portray in this collection “where can we locate clarity in our working day to working day life?”
