Self-portrait in the Bin

Andrzej Tryzno

  • type of object: painting
  • date: 1980
  • material/technique: oil on canvas
  • dimensions: 65 x 114 cm
  • inventory No.: M-451

The theme of the portrait dominates Andrzej Tryzno’s paintings. Beginning in
the 1970s, numerous self-portraits can be found in his oeuvre, as evidenced
by the titles of individual paintings and the physiognomic similarity of
the images to their author. Both in portraits and self-portraits, Tryzno’s
attention is focused on models painted against neutral backgrounds, with
marked space constructed using light and shadow. In the 1970s and 80s,
the characteristic image of the bearded artist smoking a cigarette appears.
The colour range of the works is usually muted, as if the painter focused all
his attention on the psychology of the portrayed figures. Tryzno’s paintings
from this period have a lot in common with the photographic method of
depiction, characteristic of hyperrealism. In addition to the details rendered
in this convention, there are also contrasts and shortened perspectives,
as if registered through the eye of the camera. The Zachęta collection includes
several paintings by the artist, including Self-portrait in the Bin (1980).
The man’s gaze is directed towards the viewers, his arm rests on the wall
of a rubbish bin. The entire depiction has a dark, existential dimension.
The context in which the painting was created is key to its interpretation
— the turbulent year 1980, an important moment in Poland’s struggle for
human rights and dignity.

Other works by artist in the Zachęta collection

  • Zdjęcie pracy Wall /Entrance/
    Wall /Entrance/Andrzej Tryzno1970
  • Zdjęcie pracy On the Tracks
    On the TracksAndrzej Tryzno1975
  • Zdjęcie pracy Selfportrait with Paweł Kromholz
    Selfportrait with Paweł KromholzAndrzej Tryzno1978
  • Zdjęcie pracy Cloud
    CloudAndrzej Tryzno1977
  • Zdjęcie pracy Szczebrzeszyn I
    Szczebrzeszyn IAndrzej Tryzno1978
  • Zdjęcie pracy Wife's Portrait
    Wife's PortraitAndrzej Tryzno1984

Other works from this category

  • Zdjęcie pracy My Recollection — Katowice Steelworks
    My Recollection — Katowice SteelworksBenon Liberski1973
  • Zdjęcie pracy Landscape 16/66
    Landscape 16/66Rajmund Ziemski1966
  • Zdjęcie pracy Portret Erykah Badu
    Portret Erykah BaduWilhelm Sasnal2004