BYTOM art collection – BEKSIŃSKI (X 2021)

"Recognition for the work"

Bytom has been supporting Polish culture and art for years. In the autumn-winter collection, we present the works of one of the most original Polish painters of the 20th century – Zdzisław Beksiński. This is not the first time that Bytom has created a collection of clothes presenting the works of famous Polish artists.

The collection inspired by the dreamlike and surreal world known from Beksiński's paintings is a series of products presenting the artist's selected works. The reproductions of the paintings were directly transferred onto t-shirts, sweatshirts and jackets in the form of a large, uniform print, as well as cut, resized elements of the works. Both the materials used in the making of the collection and the innovative approach to form give the entire line of clothes a unique character. The shape of the sweatshirts has been widened, thus obtaining the oversize style with a lowered shoulder line at the same time. A similar procedure was used in the case of t-shirts. Moreover, some of them were sewn from the materials used in the production of said sweatshirts. The collection also includes: a bomber jacket with a large image reprint and a cotton jacket, which is a perfect representation of the one the artist used to wear on a daily basis. This model hides an image inside the garment. The colors of the entire collection are limited to black, navy blue and shades of camel, which directly relates to the color palette used by Beksiński.

In his work, Zdzisław Beksiński gave everyone freedom in understanding his art. The Bytom brand decided to go a step further and make a functional yet visual reinterpretation of the master's works.
"BYTOM ART COLLECTION – BEKSIŃSKI" was presented in a series of analog photos taken by Stanisław Boniecki from Visual Crafters. His artistic sensitivity, fascination with the painter and the art of analog photography gave a unique character to the whole session – not obvious, but a full tribute to the great master. The starting point were printed and scaled images, which became the scenery for the entire session. Thanks to the decomposition and fragmentary approach, the effect of merging models with the works, and sometimes even absorbing them by art, was achieved. All this is to show a slightly different perspective on Beksiński's paintings. Elements containing bright colors, not usually associated with the painter, are highlighted. This effect was enhanced by using an analog technique and plates that displayed warm colors.

In addition to photographs, a video was also created, for which Marcin Morawicki was responsible. The film combines digital photos and shots from a 16 mm camera. The softness of the tape, the nobility of the film and the delicacy of tonal transitions harmonize with Zdzisław Beksiński's paintings. The set design allowed the model to move around and improvise slightly, which was perfectly captured by the operator against the backdrop of soft, wavy prints. The film is contemporary, emotions play an important role in it. Minimalistic music, which creates an atmospheric audio background, emphasizes the extraordinary mood, which is not as dark as the painter's paintings might suggest.

The collection was created in cooperation with the Historical Museum in Sanok.