Trace exhibition at Marszalkowska 18 Gallery, 2023
photo by Joanna Oginska
Drawing is one of the first conscious games that can be offered to a child. At first, random lines appear on a sheet of paper, in mismatched colors, to gain a specific form over time. Much depends on the child's observation skills and sensitivity, as well as the involvement of the parent, often imposing familiar cultural codes - we teach children that the sun is yellow and has parallel rays, and trees have green, symmetrical leaves.
Arno Stern, a French educator, has spent decades studying children's spontaneity in shaping painterly reality. In his publication "Discovering the Trace," he urges us not to interfere with the work of the youngest, and instead encourages us to look carefully at their works. From these it is possible to read much more than we think at first glance. However, it is important to do it carefully. Only then do we have a chance to see what the child wants to convey to us and what the real "trace" is.
Examples of archaeological discoveries show that drawing and the desire to leave a mark is originally ingrained in us. Although the ability to draw is possessed by everyone, not everyone perfects it, and if it happens otherwise it is usually necessary to limit ourselves to the classical ground. In the "Trace" project, Kacper Tomaszewski invites you to abandon all familiar schemes. The round, colorful objects he created are at the same time crayons, and the gallery walls are a canvas on which you can paint without limits. The form of the ball is the result of Tomaszewski's observation that, as a cultural animator, he noted that young children in particular find it much easier to hold a ball in their hands than a crayon. Combining the functions of these two objects allows the child to have more precise eye-hand coordination, thus having more fun and facilitating communication.'
Text by Karina Dudzińska.