It happens to many creative artists, who resign from the familiar domain of figurative art and tend towards abstraction, both in painting and sculpture, that they face a stop on their way which is called organic abstraction by critics. Some artists do not pay much attention to this phenomenon, the others focus on it quite a while.

Considering Jan Grodek's work, including the works of the late 1980s and the 1990s we can observe, without univocal classification of his works to only one authoritatively defined trend, that it expresses a similar tendency of going away from classical, a bit stylised, pointing to realistic object references of forms on behalf of shapes which convey a more general message.

Perhaps this is the source of duality in Jan Grodek's sculptures (duality but not discrepancy, as the dichotomy of characteristic features expressing the real heart of the matter means a paradoxical consistency). On the one hand we face the works revealing affirmation of rigour and discipline, on the other hand they represent a rush for freedom. We feel their tectonic character, the echoes of static arrangements, tranquillised and harmonious, but also an intention to grasp their internal dynamics, motion and life. The works comprise strict classical form and Baroque fineness and ethereality.

Łódzka Nike (The Łódź Nike) is full of actual references. We can find here both smooth lines of feminine body and the perfection of an antique goddess's shape, and our culture competence brings to our eyes an image of the winged, headless Nike z Samotraki (Nike of Samothrace); Wrota traw ( The Grass Gate) might also be an allusive though very synthetic form evoking an image of a bunch of plants similar in its structure to a slender and slim Gothic portals, which consequently refers to an idea of a prayer to a God understood in a pantheistic way. On the other hand even these works may be regarded as pure sculptural forms.

The subsequent works become more and more associated with a calligraphic sculptural sign expressing an abstract notion, problem, idea; like in case of paleolithic idols purified of the majority of recognisable imitative elements, bright, simplified works, with a smooth surface which univocally defines the form. The artist tries to eliminate details and any kind of excess. He transfers from realism to gently modulated, geometric, though still organic in their character forms which in a symbolic way personify a general rule. It is not important what the work presents, but what it expresses. Even when the form of a work or its title refer to familiar semantic meanings, all the anecdote, literary connotations become secondary to what our reflections are finally directed at. The artist simultaneously emphasises the very moment of reflection on the primary issues of life and art: rhythm and motion, form and space. Having them in mind he searches for a primeval form of sculpture in the surrounding nature. Owing to this as well he achieves an effect of decent monumentality, not that one which is obviously an attribute of huge sculptures, but the one which in small forms is the result of specific concentration of creative energy and the awareness of the fact that a given shape is adequate to the issue under consideration.

The works referring to dance as the essence of movement in space take a particular position. The sculptor is concerned with a dynamic human silhouette, yet he seems to use the expressive forms observed in other natural phenomena to express the principle of form and rhythm. Human bodies whirled in a dance capture the space like flames, violently grow into it like floral shapes searching for the Sun, giving as a result not the impression associated with an image of a given phenomenon defined in time, as an image of a dancing human being appears to be, but a synthetic impression on dance on the whole, dance as an expression of movement, dance as a significant manifestation of life, evolution and development.

A strong emanation of energy, a sense of movement are characteristic of not only those forms whose physical appearance refers directly to well-known shapes of the organic world. Sabre-like (like in Hartung's works) shapes of a sculpture, arranged in a rambling pile, seem to be like natural forms tearing off the ground, snatched up by a gust of wind. The more 'cubist' and concentrated sculptures are subject to this synthetic rhythm as well. We clearly feel the secret energy of massive blocks strongly connected with the background as well as the movement of all the components, looking like the multiplied modules of primary forms (Spiralna II [Spiral II). We have an impression that the artist tried to overcome the natural restriction of sculpture belonging to 'spacious' fine arts and to stop its static duration in time. Therefore in this creation there are so many references to dance, run in space, motion.

We come to the heart of the matter first in its supernatural phase and it takes the shape similar to the thread of gossamer, flame, trail of smoke, phantom, whirl to become finally, after contemplating the matter itself, a synthetic shape, expressing the essence of motion or rhythm.

The feeling of changeability and motion is represented by a smooth transfer of one form into another, in their fluent three-dimensional permeation. As if under the influence of Mannerism and Baroque imperative of figura serpentinata. In these forms, often consisting of similar elements, repeated in spiral strands and deflections, creeping up (or simultaneously vertically and horizontally), the artist studies the issues of proportion and equilibrium. Sometimes it is difficult to believe that an appropriate arrangement of weight in composition enables some sculptures to keep their spectacular static in a natural way despite the fact that they stand on a base of a very small surface (Niesiona wiatrem [Wafted By The Wind], Taniec I [Dance I], W uniesieniu [In Exultation]). The compositions of spirals or bands simultaneously activate the surrounding space. It is maintained by mutual permeation of axes which stake out the position of particular elements of sculpture in space. Owing to this, the atmosphere around the work is also a factor of this artistic game. We can even say that, once activated, it becomes a part of it. Thus the form and its motion define and arrange space, enliven it, make it dynamic.

Only under such circumstances the questions raised by the artist sound clearly, referring to the essence of changeability, - both that one which is realised in the gradual process of evolution and the one which takes the form of a sudden change, transformation.

We may come to a conclusion that in the search realised by sculpture here, there still sound some echoes of futurist experiments which showed the essence of motion and change in synthetic pictures preserving their particular phases and states. When compared with Jan Grodek's works it seems more interesting to refer to film effects obtained by a long-term operation of a film camera, preserving the process of gradual increase of the phenomenon, its slow, smooth evolution. In this context, paraphrasing a poetic expression, we could call Jan Grodek's work a unique, developing sculptural poem.

The power of expression of these works lies not in the surface activity, but in activity of the block itself and its elements. The artist puts stress on the technical values of sculpture. He resigns from texture effects, he does not use unscrupulously easy solutions which for example glittering metals create. Gypsum is the material he appreciates a lot, whose sophisticated and subtle surface is under the influence of light-and-shade. The works show predilection for masterly craft, yet at the same time we are struck by an absolute intuition as far as the composition of numerous waving and whirling airy shapes goes, where there is both the Art Nouveau delicacy of winding lines and the efficiency of the Baroque masters who were able to work out a fragile ribbon in the material ( Pod wiatr [Against The Wind], W kręgu zawirowań [In the Whirling Circle], Zalotność pajęcza [Spider Caresses]).

Paradoxically enough, focussing on the physical perfection of a sculpture in a natural way goes with simultaneous eliminating the allusive element of a work. It was emphasised by Henry Moore who stated that as far as sculpture is concerned the material itself imposed escape from pure representation towards abstraction. Undoubtedly Jan Grodek uses stimuli which come to us from a variety of forms of the surrounding world. He creates forms referring to the natural phenomena but he does not imitate them. However, he links the sensitivity of Naturalism and its turmoil with the sense of purity and conciseness of abstract form.

Drawings, lithographs and computer graphics which accompany the sculpture creation, despite referring to similar issues, require separate analyses. In lithographs we recognise familiar forms. Twisted blocks express their spacious character not only by the shape imposed on them but also by the shade they cast. The light-and-shade attributed to these forms intensifies the impression of permeation and the awareness of spacious depth. Varied 'texture' of mat and shiny, velvety and rough surfaces, value graduation of their intensity are the means which enable the two-dimensional graphic technique to imitate the feelings which are easily evoked by a sculpture work. It is a very interesting example illustrating how different is the way of existence of the same objects in the world of various creative domains. Even though the artist deals with the similar range of forms, discusses similar issues, both in sculpture, drawings and in graphics.

Some computer graphics seem to use more flat forms. As if the spacious forms partly accepted the fact that their graphic image will always be two-dimensional. It does not prevent the artist from being concerned with problems which are important to him, however, they are still considered in the two-dimensional interaction of various surfaces. Due to a variety of colours and values, the sides of blocks comprising the composition move backwards and forwards making an impression of moving structures hung in space.

Jan Grodek's work is saturated with subtle emotions supported by individual sensitivity and intuition. Spread among various sculptural values it is difficult to define - especially if we take into account earlier achievements of the artist. Then it is a tribute paid to classicism, but the one permeated by sensualism, and a contribution on behalf of Brancusi's organic abstraction, with both Moore, Baroque masters and ...Rodin in the background. It is obvious, however, that this creation always refers to primary principles and rigours of sculpture. The work which is very original, although, what has been emphasised by other critics, perhaps full of reserve when considered in the context of turmoil accompanying the contemporary changes in the field of art.

Dariusz Leśnikowski