Narracja sztuki i tożsamości. Zdzisław Beksiński i Jerzy Grotowski
Narration of Art and Identity: Zdzisław Beksiński and Jerzy Grotowski

Summary/Abstract: Zdzisław Beksiński has long been self-styled as a Master by his fans and admirers. However, this seemingly flattering title eventually begins to consume itself, trivialising the essence of his art and identity. This phenomenon does not occur in isolation and seems to fit within the dynamics of other creative personalities, such as Jerzy Grotowski and Witold Gombrowicz. The proposed comparative analysis focuses on Grotowski and Beksiński, using the mode of writing about Gombrowicz. Gombrowicz, as an artist who continuously recreates and deconstructs himself and his art, forms a connection between the mentioned artists and provides a quasi-script for identity-forming auto-narratives. The common denominator between Grotowski and Beksiński indicates a closeness to the Bildungsroman tradition, as well as their work with identity, corporeality, and transgression. The biographies created by and about the artists indicate multiplicity, dispersion, strangeness, and intentional (de)construction of subjectivity. Both Grotowski and Beksiński similarly engage in directing and editing (of themselves and the world) and utilise seemingly dependent language/ gestures. However, by becoming popular / popularising icons / masters – from fully dimensional and beyond-form personalities – they are reduced to shallow echoes of the myth of greatness.

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