I had a chance to exhibit alongside Viola Tycz at the Wrocław Art Fair and was very intrigued by the email inviting me to her shamanic open evening titled “ORGANIX 28”.

The invitation promised a cybernetic ritual along with two other artists Michał Litwiniec  (introduced as priest of the sounds for the ritual) and TOON (introduced as a witcher and interpreter of symbols). I was determined to witness the event.

The ritual didn’t disappoint. I was struck by the outright praying to machines and this reminded me of the e/acc movement, a lot of propellers wish to see a machine god. There was an interesting element of praying to the network and algorithms themselves.

​Some of the prayer methods reminded me of Catholic mass. The artist rightly pointed out that many elements of mass were borrowed from pagans.

The painting being previewed from the series had many layers of meaning as well as execution. A bottom coating of computer hard drives slowly revealed patterns and from the right angle a woman’s face.

​Technology is at its most lethal when ignored and I was certainly glad to see artists embracing it and letting it be understood on subconscious and spiritual levels.

I was overwhelmed and thankful for the interest in my work during the fair. I was met with enticing and encouraging reactions to my pieces.

The talks and events set up by the organisers were of a very high quality. I was particularly struck by the talk by Cyryl Zakrzewski and his vision of nature as the highest form of technology.

I also met some inspiring artists as well as putting faces to the names of other figures involved in the art world.

We first saw it with the formula one models getting cancelled. The assassination of the “male gaze” not by feminists who want to protect female spaces or mock pseudo “red pill” meninists. Not by Christians who believe we should ban porn and not have sex outside marriage. No. These women claim they simultaneously want to victimize and empower us. That they can now tell models and show business personalities how to act and how to dress. But with absolutely no issue with men sharing women’s spaces or competing in women’s sports (most actual transgender people don’t want this).

Upon my interaction with intersectional feminists some of them seemed to preach sexual liberation led to power. No doubt. But women who understand the male gaze enjoy it, and don’t do it to overpower men.

This was quickly followed by victimization of the women they so claim to admire. Attempts to destroy them or vilify and destroy the men who put them in that position. The anti-sex movement didn’t come from the right. It came from the postmodern left.

Women like Bianca Censori understand and enjoy the “male gaze”. A model who is monogamous with one man and poses nude isn’t a wh*re even by the most conservative Christian standards. It’s been done before. This is more apparent in Hip Hop culture and most women in show business do it more subtly.

We also see a common socialist tendency so called “doszukiwanie się patologii” forcibly searching for and ultimately creating dysfunction in influential figures and thinkers that don’t tow the party line. This is a process which follows the conflict theory on a micro-scale. Family members and friends are turned against each other and convinced to separate and fight, eventually manifesting the dysfunction they hoped for. Most individuals do not recover from this.

And quickly the women-support-women movement is shown as to what it really is. Seize the means of production. Subvert and destroy the male gaze. And ultimately, what they hate the most. Beauty.

*****

“Przejęcie środków męskiego spojrzenia”


Na początku widzieliśmy to kiedy modelki Formuły 1 były kancelowane (ang: “cancelled”). Zamach na “męskie spojrzenie” nie przez feministki, które chcą ochronić przestrzenie dla kobiet lub drwić z meninistycznych pseudo “red pillowców”. Nie przez Chrześcijanów, którzy zakazują pornografię i współżycie poza ślubem. Nie. Te kobiety twierdzą, że chcą na raz zrobić z nas ofiary i dać nam władzę (ang: “empower”). Że mają prawo mówić modelkom i ludziom show biznesu jak się zachowywać i jak się ubierać. Ale nie mają problemu aby pozwalać mężczyznom dzielić prywatne przestrzenie z kobietami lub konkurować w kobiecych sportach (nie jest to nawet to co większość osób transpłciowych chce).


W moich interakcjach z intersekcjonalnymi feministkami wiele z nich głosiło, że wyzwolenie seksualne prowadzi do władzy. Napewno. Ale kobiety, które rozumieją “męskie spojrzenie” szukają go dla przyjemność i nie robią tego aby obezwładniać mężczyzn.


To szybko zmieniło się w robienie ofiar z kobiet, których niby tak podziwiały. Ruch anty-seks nie przybył z prawicy tylko z postmodernistycznej lewicy.


Kobiety jak Bianca Censori rozumieją i lubią “męskie spojrzenie”. Kobieta w monogamicznym związku, która pozuje nago nie jest k*rwa nawet w najbardziej konserwatywnym pojęciu. To już kiedyś było. To jest bardziej widoczne w kulturze Hip Hop’u i większość kobiet show-biznesu robi to bardziej subtelnie.


Widzimy tu też częstą tendencję stosowaną przez socjalistów tzw “doszukiwanie się patologii”. Siłowe wyszukiwanie i w końcu kreowanie patologicznych zachowań w osobach, które nie trzymają linii partyjnej. To jest proces teorii konfliktu na mikroskali. Członkowie rodzin i przyjaciele są przekonywani do kłócenia się i rozdzielania się aż w końcu demonstrują patologię która była celem. Większość szkód jest nie do naprawienia.


I bardzo szybko ruch kobiety wspierają kobiety jest już pokazany za to czym jest. Przejęcie środków produkcji. Subwersja i zniszczenie męskiego spojrzenia. I w końcu destrukcja tego czego nie nawidzą najbardziej. Piękna.

(English below)
Pomimo wielu prób sabotażu wernisażu i mojego zdrowia przez różne siły, poznanie ludzi zainteresowanych moimi pracami, tym razem z publiczności było bardzo satysfakcjonujące i czymś dla mnie nowym.

Zgodnie z planem prace sprzedane kolekcjonerom cyfrowym, były pokazane większej publiczności.

Bardzo podobała się ludziom ekspresyjna forma portretów i emocje przez nie pokazane. Kilka prac z cyklu „Stany Umysłu” były popularne, szczególnie te:

Cieszę się, że wystawa była intymna I nie wzbudziła kontrowersji. Na sto procent była sukcesem.

Zapraszam do Klubokawiarni Pożytecznej na al. Niepodległości do piątku 12/05/23.
(P.S. Nie zapomnij zeskanować kodu QR.)
****
Despite all attempts to sabotage the show and my health by different forces, it was very rewarding to meet the people who were interested in my work and for the first time receiving this support from the public.

As planned works sold as digital collectibles were shown to a wider audience.
People were particularly impressed by the expressive nature of the works and the emotional resilience captured in the sitters.

The works from “States of the Mind” were also popular.

I’m pleased the show was small and didn’t cause a controversy. It was definitely a success.

The works are available for viewing till Friday 12/05/23 in Klubokawiarnia Pożyteczna al. Niepodległości 135 in Warsaw.
P.S. don’t forget to scan the Qr code.

Protesty i zamieszki wywołane przez ruch „Black Lives Matter” zaczęły się w Ameryce i przez Wielką Brytanię, dotarły aż po różne rejony Europy. Wystarczy przeczytać informacje n stronie internetowej ruchu, aby zauważyć, że nie jest to walka o równouprawnienie czy reformę policji.

Jak tłumaczy James Lindsey i jego zespół akademicki, który od lat bada ideologię, jaka stoi za organizacją, jest to grupa oparta na Marksistowskich ideach, gdzie klasy ekonomiczne zostały zamienione na grupy tożsamości społecznej. Ta organizacja działa na zasadzie sekty.

„Teoria konfliktu, w skrócie, to pogląd, że społeczeństwo jest podzielone na różne grupy lub klasy (dla Marxa były to klasy ekonomiczne, dla marksistów tożsamości [Woke], są to grupy społeczne – klasy tożsamości) - te, które stosują represje po jednej stronie oraz te, które są represjonowane po drugiej stronie. Są one między sobą z tego powodu w konflikcie. Innymi słowy, teoria konfliktu to wierzenie, że różne grupy w społeczeństwie toczą wieczną walkę między sobą o władzę i dominację i że zamiast pracować razem w złożony i dynamiczny sposób, który jest obustronnie korzystny, toczą wojnę. Mieć krytyczną świadomość to zdawać sobie tego sprawę z tego, że w pewien sposób jest się w tym osobiście współwinnym tworzenia materialnych warunków tej wojny i trzeba się „bardziej postarać” [”do better”] albo poprzez wyrzeknięcie się swojej dominacji (jeżeli jest się w grupie dominującej) albo poprzez wszczęcie rewolucji (jeżeli jest się represjonowanym).”



Ruch wymaga zmiany całego poglądu na świat na taki, który nie uznaje prawdy, jedynie odczucia i dynamikę władzy. Ten, który kontroluje narrację, ma władzę. Marksizm tożsamości czy też „Wokeness” nie dotyczy tylko rasy i nie jest tylko reprezentowany przez „Black Lives Matter”. Poza ideą, że każdy biały przyczynia się i czerpie korzyści z rasizmu (i nic nie może zrobić, aby przestać być rasistą, jedynie może stać się ‘dobrym’ rasistą) są też hasła typu „każdy mężczyzna przyczynia się do i czerpie korzyści z mizoginii” czy „każdy człowiek hetero przyczynia się do i czerpie korzyści z homofobii” czy też „każdy człowiek, który identyfikuje się z płcią urodzenia, przyczynia się do i czerpie korzyść z transfobii”, a ruch ma wpływy na uczelniach, gdzie publikuje rozprawy, i w mediach. Działa na zasadzie sekty, która przez lata wsysa członków, zaczynając od inicjacji poprzez indoktrynację, a kończąc na reprogramowaniu.

Więcej informacji na www.newdiscourses.com

Źródło cytatu:

https://newdiscourses.com/2020/06/cult-dynamics-wokeness/

“Teachers said that it wouldn’t work that there’s no way it can work. They said that people like us would never reach success with our art that we are sentenced to misunderstanding, alienation, loneliness. Before we even started they assumed our failure, and the more they discouraged us the more we fought for success. Isn’t that a beautiful paradox? What a fucked up paradox. We are self-taught and all your polished formulas… we prove them wrong. Somewhere deep within us there was a spark, a seed that despite the adverse conditions grew and bore a fruit. Teachers probably forgot that art is not a cold abstract but a creation of flesh and blood, which can touch your soul if you are sensitive enough. Did you miss us, friend? Because we missed you.” (Prologue, (c) Avi and Louis Villain)

Avi and Louis Villain skilfully manoeuvre my city. They revel in the world of high art and literature, through nightlife and battling poverty with crime only to exit into the world of mental health hospitals and drug use that has long stopped being just for fun. Add to that hip hop’s trademark confidence we took from American hip hop with an added dark undertone particular of Warsaw rap.

More than anything they capture the struggle and ambition of an artist that takes his craft seriously and suddenly the world of a Hip Hop artist and a traditional painter are not so different.
​
Who knows maybe one day there will be a street named after them.

Original text from prologue (c) Avi and Louis Villain:

Nauczyciele mówili, że to się nie uda, nie ma prawa się udać
Mówili, że tacy jak my nigdy nie przebiją się ze swoją sztuką, że jesteśmy skazani na niezrozumienie, alienację, samotność
Z góry zakładali nasze niepowodzenie, a im bardziej nas zniechęcali, tym bardziej nam zależało
Czyż to nie piękny paradoks? Cóż za pojebany paradoks
Jesteśmy samoukami, a te wszystkie wasze szkolne formułki...
Jesteśmy zaprzeczeniem tych formułek
Gdzieś w środku nas pojawiła się iskra, nasionom, które pomimo niesprzyjających warunków zakwitło i wydało owoc
Nauczyciele chyba zapomnieli o tym, że sztuka, to nie zimny abstrakt, ale twór z krwi i kości, który, jeśli jesteś na tyle wrażliwy, może Cię dotknąć
Tęskniłeś przyjacielu? Bo my bardzo

Last week I had the pleasure and privilege to show my works at the Boomer Gallery in Tower Bridge in London. 

My first solo show was a great success. The main theme were the "Courage to be myself" portraits of my friends from hospital. Emilka, one of the sitters, sang for us. Andrzej Kalemba recited a poem he wrote about her, as well as some of his other poetry. I also showed some of my other works, and allowed guests to have access to the studio to see works I'm currently working on.

The show raised awareness and visibility of mental health among our friend group. Many realised a lot more people will reach for help for their mental health then they knew, as it is something so private.

I got particularly good feedback on the text that came with the portraits, where I asked individuals what mental wellness meant to them,

This blog post was a long time coming because I wanted it to be truthful, which as discussed in previous posts, can be hard when discussing something as intuitive as one’s art. It bred a rejected draft and the post doubting whether there is even a point talking about art.


All sparked by a conversation I had with a fellow artist Sophie Sturdevant, who is also fascinated by the female form. 

It was much later that I realised what I was trying to achieve with these images based on women in advertising. 


Advertising, fashion, often mistakenly deemed as shallow and trivial, rejected as vulgar and narcissistic by the ideals of the USSR. The feminine criticised as dumb and vain by misogynists never truly captured by feminist movements focused on simply allowing women to survive. 

But there is undoubtedly substance in beauty, in the unconditional love and care, in the deep emotional intelligence and range, in the sensitivity that only the woman can give, that she was made for by biology, by nature, god or gods in equipping her for her many roles, among them the forever rejected by modern society role of motherhood. 

Women celebrating the true nature of womanhood in its full unapologetic unconditional delicacy in their art or music are often criticised as not true feminists (Lana Del Rey) or dismissed as lacking depth (Taylor Swift). Women who look at the traumas the woman faces in the modern world in their art are criticised as lacking class (Tracey Emin).

And it goes beyond that. Men capable of understanding, living and feeling the feminine suffer either active persecution or are faced with the same tiresome stereotypes women are whether heterosexual, trans or gay.


It seems the hatred goes deep into the imbalance in our society between the feminine and masculine. 


I think for me though it was always a personal journey - growing up in environments where I saw mainly toxic versions of feminity, I rekindled it later in life and developed a fascination with what it means to be a woman. 

L: I often see the symbol of the eye in your work, does this carry special meaning to you?

​P: In a way, yes. I can't quite explain why though. It just sort of happened, and then continued to happen, and now it follows me. I do have my interpretations of it, of course... I'm hesitant to talk about those because I think what others take it as is more essential.

L: You’re inspired by Austin Osman Spare and are an occultist yourself. Do you use any techniques such as automatic writing and automatic drawing when creating you Art Grimoirs?

P: Absolutely. Portions of those works are entirely automatic in nature (and that makes its way into a great deal of my work). Sometimes I even work with my eyes closed, or in a dark room. There is an element of trance to it as well, which I distinguish as holding a bit more alertness. Of taking on the suggestion or energy or mood associated with a subject. In that facet of the process there are things which arrive into my mind's eye (some consider this the psychic mind, others who don't believe in that may simply view it as random thoughts.. I don't find it to be random, personally). Sometimes it's a scene playing out, or symbols. As soon as they come to me, I understand how they fit, but I wouldn't be able to explain where the understanding comes from so easily.

L: Do you ever create art as part of a magic ritual?

P: Yes, very frequently. And that is an interesting subject, art holds a prominent place in ritual and magic through many traditions. Sigils are a common example, also effigies, and various tools which may bear etchings of relevant images to a certain ritualistic purpose. All of this is art, but perhaps not as commonly seen as such at first glance. Ritual itself is art. But I digress! When it comes to painting in particular, I have done that for sure. One could see an artist's entire career as a ritual to meet a certain end, in that creative stimulation and release.

L: You don’t have to answer this but what branch of the occult do you practice? Is there any being you feel particularly close to or inspired by?

P: I have practiced in many areas of occult interest, and don't like to confine myself to one arena when I can explore the knowledge of many. Some might consider me a form of chaos magician for that reason, but that would take some further dissecting. I feel closest to the Dionysian; there's an emphasis on the wild and primal aspect of magic for me drawing from ancient Mystery traditions through to more modern folk beliefs. Our duality is at the forefront there, and duality inspires me.

​

L: What gave you the idea for the inner demons project?

P: I began painting the shadow side of subjects several years ago on commission, that came naturally from a great interest in extending upon and spreading the kind of cathartic experiences I've had with surrealist and gothic literature. I wanted to bring that phenomenon into a visual place. With time this evolved into the Inner Demons project by fusing my interest in harnessing and depicting that, with my desire to be involved in raising mental health awareness (a passion of mine for a very long time). I thought, in a sense that I'd already been doing this, and that I loved doing it and wanted to make it into something more. I wanted to transform the art into a platform from which I could tackle the kind of causes that I haven't been able to otherwise do much about. It's a culmination of passions finding each other in the right way at the right time.

L: Again you don’t have to reveal this, but what is your attitude to demons?

P: I think the worst kind of demons are those that are repressed and locked away inside of us to the point of self-destruction. The religious idea of the demonic, meanwhile, I believe is skewed. It's easier for some to blame otherworldly forces for the terrors we inflict upon ourselves and others.

​You can look and read more about Pyra and her work on her website.

​Images courtesy of the artist.