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.